China Terry Quota Subject of Monitor Push

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/20/2008 12:00:00 AM

Washington —

U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) create a textile and apparel imports monitoring program, to collect data on currently quota-protected products.

In the fall of 2005, after quotas had been removed, the U.S. government — following negotiations with China — reinstated quota on 34 categories of textiles and garments, including cotton terry towels produced in China. Those caps were set to expire in 2009.

Rangel is asking the commission to collect data about the volume, value, unit value and import market share of import products covered by the expiring memorandum of understanding between the United States and China, according to the American Apparel and Footwear Association, which follows trade issues closely and opposed efforts to reinstate quota three years ago.

"While the monitoring program may not result in any protectionist actions, its existence does create apprehension that action may be taken in the near future," said Kevin Burke, president and ceo of the AAFA.