Uruguay, Argentina and Mexico's textile sectors grapple with imports, job losses and business viability

In Uruguay, the clothing industry is under pressure as imported fast‑fashion garments dominate the market, leading to higher consumer prices, loss of domestic production jobs and a lack of protective measures for local manufacturers. Industry representative María Elisa Coitiño noted that exports once reached Brazil, Argentina, Chile, the United States and Mexico, but many brands have shifted production to China.

In Argentina, the Darío Santillán workers' cooperative is responding to the sector’s downturn by training new artisans in apparel, footwear and leather goods. The cooperative supports around 30 families in Lomas de Zamora and a similar number in Avellaneda, emphasizing knowledge transfer to maintain employment and production capacity.

In Mexico, designers acknowledge abundant creative talent but warn that most emerging fashion brands fail within five years because they lack sustainable business models. At the Intermoda 85 conference, co‑founder Majo Hernández stressed the need to turn creativity into profitable enterprises to preserve the sector’s growth.