If you’re responsible for sourcing equipment for a U.S. government department or organisation, you’ll already know that one of the most critical requirements is Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliance.
So if you’re sourcing heavy-duty rain gear for the U.S. Navy, for example, you’ll need to choose suppliers extremely carefully. This means manufacturers who are based in and use materials from an approved list of countries, who also follow approved practices and have the extensive documentation to prove their compliance.
This isn’t always easy to find, especially considering that most rain gear sold in the U.S. is made in countries like China, Vietnam or Indonesia – none of which are on the TAA-approved list of countries.
Stormline is proud to be a TAA compliant manufacturer of commercial rain gear. Here, we’ll explore a little more about what TAA compliance means and how our New Zealand-based company meets the requirements.
What is the Trade Agreements Act (TAA)?
The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 is a federal law governing international trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries worldwide.
A significant part of the law relates to government procurement and contracts. It sets out guidelines for where products and services can be sourced, according to which countries have signed reciprocal trade agreements with the U.S.
This has a few aims, such as:
- Preventing discriminatory procurement policies
- Promoting fair trading practices
- Helping to protect the U.S. economy and American workers by promoting products manufactured in the U.S. wherever possible.
Having an understanding of the TAA rules is particularly important at a time when international trade tariffs and deals are regularly making headline news.
Which countries are on the TAA-designated list?
To make the TAA compliant countries list, a country generally needs to have a trade agreement in place with the U.S. – or a good trading relationship.
You can see the full list on the U.S. General Services Administration website (and it’s worth checking back regularly, as the list can and does change). But some of the major countries on the list at present include:
- United Kingdom (UK)
- Canada
- Australia
- Belgium
- Austria
- France
- Greece
- Germany
- Ireland
- Japan
- Italy
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Spain
How Stormline meets TAA
Stormline wet weather gear is manufactured in Europe and New Zealand. Countries on the TAA approved list of countries.
This means that our products are manufactured in an approved country, one of the most important requirements for TAA compliance.
We also keep extensive documentation for our products. This includes details of where materials are sourced, where and how products are manufactured and Letters of Conformity to confirm where certain products meet specific standards and regulations.
All documentation is available on the Stormline website or on request, with the aim of making it easier for both commercial buyers and officials from the U.S. or other countries with a responsibility for government/federal procurement. It also ensures full traceability and transparency regarding the manufacturing process.
Why choose Stormline?
Whether or not TAA compliance is a key factor in your purchasing process, there are lots of reasons to choose Stormline for heavy-duty wet weather gear:
- Specialist in marine, commercial, agriculture and industrial gear
- Exceptional quality materials and products, manufactured to the highest industry standards – with production processes that meet rigorous international quality standards.
- Nearly 60 years industry experience
- Third generation family business
- Trusted by working professionals in a range of industries
- Dedicated contacts and compliance support in U.S./Canada, UK and Australia/New Zealand.
Get in touch with the US team here at Stormline for more information – call +1 508-258-4770 (available 8am to 5pm) or email [email protected]. For international trade enquiries, contact our London office on +44 0330 133 6550 (available 8:30am to 5:30pm GMT). For B2B sales please request access here https://stormlinegear.store.unleashedsoftware.com/login