AAFA: Importers wary of Chinese textile monitoring program

AAFA: Importers wary of Chinese textile monitoring program U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., last week sent a letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission requesting a textile and apparel imports monitoring program to collect data on currently quota-protected products.
   Rangel and others in the textile community are concerned about a dramatic increase in import levels and drop in prices when the quotas expire on Dec. 31, said Kevin Burke, American Apparel & Footwear Association President and chief executive officer.
   'Considering the many tools available to the chairman and the ITC as we approach the end of quotas on Chinese imports, this request for a study is not a surprise,' Burke said.
   Rangel is asking the commission to collect data regarding the volume, value, unit value and import market share of import products covered by the expiring memorandum of understanding on textile and apparel between United States and China, AAFA said. The ITC would report the preliminary data every two weeks and once a month final statistics would be published. There is no stated end date for the monitoring program.
   '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,' Burke said. 'This concern of not knowing what will happen next creates uncertainty in the market at a time when predictability is more important than ever.'