House Votes 262-159 to Curb Textile Imports

In a major protectionist move, the House Thursday approved a bill to curtail apparel and textile imports from 11 Asian nations and Brazil, but the margin of victory indicated that congressional fervor over trade issues may have peaked.

Despite strong opposition by President Reagan, the measure passed on a vote of 262 to 159. But sponsors of the legislation fell 28 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override an expected veto by Reagan.

The bill, originally sponsored by large majorities in both the House and Senate, has been the most popular expression of congressional anger over the surge of imported goods into American markets. It was the first trade measure to reach a floor vote in Congress this year, and its fate has been regarded as the key test of how far lawmakers are willing to go to deter imports.

Four-Hour Debate

During the four-hour debate Thursday, Rep. Thomas F. Hartnett (R-S.C.) said in an appeal for passage: “I don’t have anyone from Korea in my district. I don’t have anyone from China in my district. . . . I have Americans in my district.”

But more than two dozen of the original backers of the bill switched sides when the final vote was cast.

“The hardest thing in the world to do is get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say, ‘I was wrong,’ ” said Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R-Fla.), one of those who changed his mind.

Clayton K. Yeutter, Reagan’s special trade representative, said: “Today’s House vote shows that congressional enthusiasm for self-destructive protectionism is waning. The growing recognition that these costs are simply too high led to the defection” of many House co-sponsors, he said.

If the bill becomes law, overall textile imports would be reduced by 35%, with major cutbacks in shipments from China, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and Brazil. Quotas would be established for each product, with imports rolled back to 1980 levels, plus an allowance of 6% growth per year since then.

The legislation now goes to the Senate, where a majority of members have expressed support for textile import restrictions. The Senate version, which will bypass committees and be offered as an amendment to a pending measure on the Senate floor, is likely to exclude China from the list of affected countries.

Administration officials acknowledge that senators will likely pass the bill but believe that they can sustain a veto in the Senate as well as in the House.

Record Deficit Expected

The nation’s trade deficit, the excess of imports over exports, is expected to reach a record $140 billion this year. Trade became a hot political issue during the summer congressional recess, when lawmakers heard vociferous complaints from businesses and workers about competition from foreign goods.

The House debate Thursday was enthusiastic as members displayed a variety of imported and domestic goods, including toy bears, shirts, pants, towels and washcloths.

American textile producers “can compete against foreign manufacturers, but not against foreign governments,” argued Rep. Marilyn Lloyd (D-Tenn.).

“We’re talking about American jobs,” Rep. James T. Broyhill (R-N.C.) agreed. “If we have the attitude to protect Chinese jobs, Indonesian jobs, Japanese jobs or American jobs, I opt for the latter.”

Retaliation Seen

But opponents warned that textile-exporting nations would retaliate against the United States by cutting their purchases of American grain and industrial goods. “The rest of the country is going to be beggared,” said Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-Minn.).

Rep. Les AuCoin (D-Ore.) warned that China in particular might boycott American grain, as it did in 1983 during a textile dispute with the United States.

“It’s going to happen again, but this time in spades,” AuCoin predicted. “It will be the death of American farmers. What right do the proponents of this bill have to make my farmers the victims of trade retaliation?”

A total of 187 House Democrats and 75 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 97 Republicans and 62 Democrats were opposed.