Textile Groups Seek Longer Curbs on China

The U.S. textile industry asked the Bush administration to extend emergency import curbs on billions of dollars’ worth of clothing from China beyond 2005, industry representatives said.

“The reason we need to do this is because China is refusing to negotiate seriously on a comprehensive bilateral” textile agreement, said Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations.

The Bush administration has slapped emergency import curbs on 16 categories of textiles and clothing from China this year in response to a surge after a global quota system came to an end Jan. 1. However, those curbs expire at the end of this year, unless a decision is made to renew them.