NEWS Release
U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick
Representing North Carolina’s Ninth District
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 18, 2003 |
Contact: Andy Polk (202) 225-1976 |
|
Myrick Announces China Safeguard Implementation |
||
| (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick (NC-9) today announced the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has voted to invoke safeguard relief on three textile products (knit fabric, dressing gowns and robes, and bras) imported to the U.S. from China following petitions filed by the U.S. textile industry.
"I have been working for months to convey to the Administration the challenges the textile industry is facing," said Myrick. "I am happy they chose to impose these safeguards so that we can begin to level the playing field for our workers. There is still work to be done, but we are now moving in a positive direction for textiles." The petitions were filed by the industry under a special provision of China's WTO accession agreement that allows the U.S. (and other WTO members) to impose temporary quotas on textile imports from China in the event those imports are found to cause "market disruption." CITA is chaired by the US Commerce Department and includes, State, Treasury, Labor and USTR. Once the China textile safeguard is invoked, the U.S. is required to pursue a negotiated resolution of the matter with the Chinese government. Representative Myrick has taken the lead in informing the Bush Administration of the challenges the textile industry is facing. In the past two months Representative Myrick has met with Secretary of Commerce, Don Evans, and Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow, regarding China’s unfair trade practices. ### |
