CITA’s China quota reinstatement disappoints IMRA

CITA’s China quota reinstatement disappoints IMRA    The International Mass Retail Association, whose retailer members represent more than $1 trillion in annual sales, has expressed “extreme disappointment” over the Bush administration’s decision earlier this week to place temporary quotas on imports of knit fabrics, brassieres and dressing gowns from China.
   “This decision will not help protect American textile jobs. It will only increase consumer prices and force retailers to shift their sourcing for these products elsewhere,” said Sandra Kennedy, president of the IMRA, which is based in Arlington, Va.
   The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, which is part of the Commerce Department, reimposed quotas on the three categories after the U.S. domestic textile industry filed separate petitions last August asking for such restraints.
   “This sets a bad precedent and opens the door to more baseless petitions that can only hurt U.S. consumers and the delicate U.S.-Sino relationship,” Kennedy said.