U.S. domestic textile companies say China has æunfair advantagesÆ
U.S. and Chinese negotiators in Beijing Tuesday have begun discussions that could lead to a new bilateral textile and apparel agreement imposing temporary quotas on Chinese goods headed to the American market.
U.S. textile manufacturers are watching the talks closely, noting that total U.S. textile and imports by volume from China are up 47 percent in 2005, compared to 2004. As of June, China held a 32 percent share of the American import market, up from 23 percent in June 2004.
Those figures 'show that it's critical the United States define a new trading relationship with China that addresses China's numerous unfair advantages in the global marketplace,' said Auggie Tantillo in Beijing. Tantillo is executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), a Washington, D.C.-based association that supports the interests of U.S. domestic textile and apparel companies.
'With virtual limitless pennies-per-hour labor and a slew of unfair trade practices provided by their state-controlled economy, China has demonstrated an overwhelming ability to devastate U.S. Industry,' Tantillo said.
The U.S. government has either imposed or accepted for review new protectionist safeguards permitted under China's accession agreement to the World Trade Organization that would restore quotas on almost every category of apparel.
Since January 2001, U.S. textile and apparel manufacturing jobs have fallen 37 percent, to 757,800 from 1.05 million.
U.S. importers of apparel argue that American domestic textile manufacturers have been shielded for too long by government quotas, and that any agreement in Beijing must guarantee a date on which safeguards on Chinese imports would finally end.