However, the United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA), which represents US importers and retailers, is calling on Congress to reject this clause…”There is absolutely no factual basis for such monitoring,” says its executive director Laura E Jones…Similar language was included in a House appropriations report last year, at the request of US yarn and fabric makers seeking evidence that imports may be dumped. However, although this report came out last summer, it was never enacted…It was followed, though, by a decision by the International Trade Commission (ITC) in November to monitor China’s imports during the coming year in response to a request from Charles B Rangel (D-NY), chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means…As a result, since 1 January 2009, the ITC has been providing statistical reports every two weeks on the volume, value, unit value, and import market share of some textile and apparel items shipped to the US from China…However, trade expert Brenda A Jacobs, an attorney at Sidley Austin LLP, believes the latest move may be opposed by the House Committee on Ways and Means since it appears to completely disregard their actions, which were instigated at the behest of the US textile industry. ..”Textile groups now seem to be saying they don’t want objective data – they want the ability to exert political pressure,” she told just-style…The Bush Administration monitored apparel imports from Vietnam for almost two years, but abandoned the scheme in January after finding no evidence of dumping…Monitoring does, however, have significant implications for trade, not only adding uncertainties to sourcing from China and Vietnam, but also encouraging the movement of sourcing to other neighbouring countries…Jacobs warns the language in the current bill is particularly inflammatory because it includes the words “state-run industries.” ..”That latter point is one with which many of the multinationals invested in China and Vietnam would take strong issue,” she says.
Date:4/22/2009
Source:Just-Style