U.S. Imposes New Curbs on Clothing Imports

[quaoar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59822-2004Dec12.html

Barriers Are Intended to Curtail Chinese Shipments; Plan Roils Textile Industry

By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 13, 2004; Page A15

Eighteen days before the end of a 30 year-old system restricting international trade in textiles and apparel, the Bush administration is imposing new barriers on imported clothing that is likely to curtail an expected flood of Chinese imports in the first few months of next year.

The administration's measures include an embargo that will be imposed throughout the month of January on some of the clothing shipped to the United States during the final months of 2004.

The new rules, scheduled to be published today in the Federal Register, were posted in recent days on a government Web site. Word of their impending imposition has stirred anger among clothing retailers and importers, who contend that the barriers contravene an international agreement to open the worldwide textile trade starting in 2005. Administration officials counter that the measures are justified because the amount of clothing shipped from some foreign countries in 2004 exceeded legal limits.

The dispute is emblematic of the pitched political battles that many experts predict will continue well past Jan. 1, when the global textile trade is supposed to become much more free and similar in nature to markets such as automobiles and consumer electronics where supply-and-demand forces prevail.

[NVMojo]

1. everywhere we go ...the US ends up in a gridlock

[aquart]

2. But ALL our clothing comes from China.

Except for some high fashion Italian stuff.

China is where our textile industry is.

[prodigal_green]

3. Shocked! Shocked I tell ya

The Chimp breaking a treaty or trade agreement? Why, I don't believe it for a minute. :eyes:

[Massacure]

4. The U.N. will retaliate for this.

The U.N. have already put tariffs are some of our goods starting next year.

I'm sure they can put more tariffs on.

[msgadget]

5. As I see it, it's because they allowed over-shipments and this only

embargoes clothing imported during the last months (it's mid-December!) but doesn't protect the industry against the expiration of the textile trade limits beginning Jan.1, or a little over two weeks from now. So, is it just so the final bookkeeping balances out?

I can't see anyone from the hill jumping in and messin' with the almighty free market but it'd sure be nice to be proven wrong.

[LSdemocrat]

6. This is why the world HATES Bush

Why can't Bush even pretend to use the international system? Other countries take their grievances to the WTO, and they generally mete out reasonably fair punishments on countries that violate trade agreements. The Clinton administration filed HUNDREDS of grievances (many of them successful), while Bush in his first three years in office filed FOUR.

[sandnsea]

7. I have an idea

Why doesn't the goddamned US textile industry start telling the American people WHY China sells these goods so cheap and that we CAN implement labor, environmental and human rights initiatives in our trade agreements so it's not such a good deal for corporations to go over there. And if the Chinese could get better pay, maybe they'd actually be able to buy a thing or two themselves, maybe something from the US. And while we're at it, why don't they also tell the American people we will never be able to compete globally as long as we're the only country in the world with "free market" health care.

[VegasWolf]

8. Good. pick a trade war with the most powerful nation in the world. n/t

[bettyellen]

9. It's a little pork for what's left of the (red state) textile industry....

and at the same time, if he can scare china a little bit, they'll play ball in a slap down against korea. plus, there's a big trade imbalance they haven't explained away yet... hmmm.
i work in the apparrel business, and from what i always understood, customs generally didn't leave it to the companies to self police as stated in this article, they'd just deny the shipments from entry once quotas ran out. but, hmmm. the blue state importers are getting screwed at the last minute regarding stuff that should be on boat by now to arrive here after the quotas were to be lifted.. not exactly fair if a few importers cheated and brought in too much. then customs wasn't doing their job and companies will be randomly punished for it. great.