Integrating the US textile and apparel supply chain with small companies in South America

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PurposeThe South American textile industry is experiencing unprecedented opportunities to enter the US textile/apparel market and be a collaborator in the US textile/apparel supply chain. This study intends to provide an illustration of South American small to medium‐sized companies in the textile/apparel industry concerning supply chain management such as quality, logistics, forecasting techniques, lead time, inventory management, and integration of supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe study in this paper first identifies the principal issues that concern US companies that must be addressed by small companies in their chase to become suppliers in the US textile/apparel industry. Second, this paper provides general descriptions of small textile companies in South America and discusses their performance in the different areas of supply chain management such as quality, logistics, forecasting, production planning, and supply chain integration. A survey is done to provide the comparison between what is expected in the US textile/apparel industry and the performance of South American companies.FindingsThe analyzed results provide recommendations based on the evaluation of strengths and weaknesses that may be used as references for these small companies to increase their potential of being active partners in the US supply chain.Practical implicationsThis research provides the US and South American textile/apparel companies with the understanding of the issues and constraints of potential South American suppliers and allows them to establish strategic alliances with South American suppliers.Originality/valueThe study provides a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of South American small to medium‐sized textile/apparel companies that can help both US and South American companies in the pursuit of new opportunities in textile/apparel supply chain collaborations.