Sheep Industry News May 2025

Taking Action for American Wool B ased on an industry analysis by Market Solutions LLC that was conducted in 2024 and presented at the 2025 ASI Annual Convention, the Wool Council asked association staff to develop a plan to spur growth and development within the American wool industry. • Exploring a Traceability Program. Improving wool quality takes the top spot because the way to increase domestic use of American wool is to produce high-quality wool that companies want to buy. This includes reducing the aver

age micron, reducing vegetable matter and increasing yield. There’s quite a bit of variety in the American wool clip, so we’ll establish a baseline, and then work with the ASI Production, Edu cation and Research Council and it’s Genetic Stakeholders Com mittee to collaborate efforts. ASI will also develop educational tools, such as webinars, brochures and social media posts. We’ll revitalize the quality improvement program and ensure testing innovations are available that allow producers to truly understand the quality of the wool they are growing. As previously mentioned, first-stage processing is a key compo nent in these efforts. Many producers remember when Superwash was introduced to the American wool industry in 2011 like it was yesterday. In fact, it spurred the development of several American made wool sock lines. But Superwash is more than a decade old now, and technology has evolved. The Wool Action Plan calls for continued investment in our first-stage processors. We’ll help them explore funding sources and grant opportunities while bringing in professionals from around the world to provide technical assistance as we look to expand their capacity and efficiency. The third point in the Wool Action Plan calls for increasing demand through promotion and education. Can you believe after all of these years that there are still consumers who only think of grandma’s itchy wool sweaters when asked about American wool? We need to educate them about the wonderful qualities of fine American wool. And we need to convince them that the added cost of buying American wool products – from underwear to outerwear and everything in between – is worth the price of admission. There’s a reason that people who often spend time in extreme conditions – whether it’s cold or hot – have come to realize the value of wool products. There’s a reason the United States military uses American wool in everything from cold weather gear to com bat and dress uniforms. We’ll continue consumer outreach – be sure to follow Experience Wool on social media and visit www.AmericanWool.org – as well as develop additional resources to market American wool domesti cally while drawing on our experience in marketing this all-natural fiber to overseas manufacturers. There’s been a resurgence of small- and medium-size mills in the United States in recent years as customers gravitate toward locally sourced and locally made products. The fourth point of the Wool Action Plan calls for ASI to provide additional support to these See WOOL ACTION PLAN on Page 18

The new Wool Action Plan identifies five key areas that need to be addressed, as well as ways in which ASI and the industry can go about implementing changes and improvements in these areas. WHERE WE ARE To get to your final destination, you need to know two things: where you are and where you are going. So, let’s take a look at where we are. Of the average annual American wool clip, 60 percent is exported internationally – with China continuing to serve as our largest market. Another 15 percent is used in clothing, blankets and other items for the United States military, while 19 percent is used by domestic, commercial mills and 6 percent is processed by domestic, small mills. U.S. textile manufacturing has changed dramatically since the 1990s, when much of the commercial textile industry moved to in ternational destinations. Domestic manufacturing has always been important to the American wool industry, which has struggled dramatically with the loss of manufacturing capacity. But with 40 percent of American wool staying in the United States, opportunity exists to grow the domestic side of our industry. And that’s where the Wool Action Plan will focus its energy. While we have plenty of producers growing American wool around the country, we have only two first-stage processors in Chargeurs and Bollman Industries. As the wool moves through the supply chain, there are more options for spinning and eventually manufacturing. It’s critical that first-stage processors – which are the gateway into manufacturing – are efficient and produce high quality products while also having plenty of raw wool to keep their facilities and their staffs busy. The analysis identified several areas of opportunity for American wool in the domestic market. These include the athleisure and out door apparel markets, taking advantage of the demand for locally sourced, natural fibers, developing yarns for export and more. ACTION PLAN ASI staff identified five key areas to focus on in the Wool Action Plan. Those areas are: • Improving Wool Quality. • Assisting First-Stage Processors. • Increasing Demand Through Promotion and Education. • Supporting Small- and Mid-Size Mills.

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