Court Lets U.S. Consider Petitions for Limits on Clothes From China

The U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday lifted an injunction that prevented the Commerce Department from considering petitions to limit imports on $1.3 billion of clothing from China.

U.S. textile makers in October asked for limits on Chinese imports because a global quota system that regulated textile trade was expiring Jan. 1. A federal judge on Dec. 30, responding to objections by clothing retailers, temporarily barred the U.S. from taking any action on the textile makers’ request.

Wednesday’s decision could allow the Bush administration to speed the imposition of curbs on imports of pants, shirts and underwear from China based on cases the U.S. textile industry filed last year.

Retailers, led by the U.S. Assn. of Importers of Textiles and Apparel, are still challenging the basis for import limits. Wednesday’s ruling pertains to the injunction and doesn’t affect the overall court case.