White House Moves to Impose Quotas on Chinese Textiles

[Snellius]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 — The Bush Administration moved today to block large volumes of Chinese textile exports to the United States, provoking fears of protectionism in international markets but cheers from American producers in the southern United States.

Invoking special "safeguard" clauses in its trade agreements with China, the Commerce Department said it would begin discussions to impose new quotas that could sharply cut back China's burgeoning exports of knit fabrics and other products.

Industry executives said that the three categories of textiles cover many millions of dollars in imports, but that they are probably more important as test cases in a broader assault against Chinese clothing and textiles of all sorts.

Administration officials made it clear they wanted to send Chinese leaders a signal that they want broader cooperation on a wide range of complaints over Chinese trade practices. But the move also seemed an effort to soothe a growing push from both parties in Congress for tough new tariffs against all Chinese products.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/18/international/asia/18CND-TRADE.html?hp

[Tempest]

1. Doesn't that dumb son-of-a-bitch ever learn?

He's already gotten bitch-slapped over the steel tariffs, which will cost the U.S. billions in sanctions.

He's got to go.

[Gin]

2. hes trying to get the textile workers votes.....

it worked for steel.

[Zech Marquis]

3. what textile workers?

the last Levi's plant is about to close up in a few weeks...

[kskiska]

4. The textile industry isn't coming back

as much as people around here would like it to. Mills are closing every day. The chimp was here a week ago telling textile workers to switch to biotechnology.

[Beaker]

7. That sounds like a smooth transition on the career path-

move from being an under-educated layed off middle-aged textile mill-worker to a career in biotechnology.

When they gave the Lil' Dictator his childhood psychology test, something tells me that he would always use the plastic hammer to pound the square peg into the round hole.

[Point_n_click]

5. Hmmm ........

Odd, Bill Cilnton has agreed to be the spokes person for a Chinese clothing manufacturer and then Chimpy decides to levy tarrifs against Chinese textiles.

Coincidence? Maybe. Sure seems odd though.

[Bombero1956]

6. what?

and piss off Wal-Mart?