On April 4, the United States took the first step towards reimposing quotas on some textile imports from China as the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced that it would launch a probe into whether China’s increased sales are disrupting the U.S. market. The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (“CITA”), an interagency panel that includes officials from Commerce and other governmental agencies, voted earlier this week to launch investigations in three broad clothing categories: cotton knit shirts and blouses; cotton trousers; and underwear made of cotton and man-made fibers. U.S. textile and apparel manufacturers have been pressing the Government for help arguing that a flood of imported products has forced 14 plants in five states to close since January 2005 and has results in the loss of thousands of American jobs.
The Commerce Department's press release is available here.
