US Could Limit China Imports

A U.S. trade official said last week the United States would limit Chinese apparel imports to protect its firms, the New York Times reports. However U.S. manufacturers would have to provide evidence the restrictions were necessary. Grant Aldonas, the U.S. undersecretary of commerce for international trade, said he anticipated U.S. manufacturers would start filing such requests next week. Aldonas' comments came amid warnings from China's government it would challenge any such restrictions to the World Trade Organization.

While the United States and other countries in 1993 said they would remove quotas on textile and apparel imports from developing countries by the end of 2004, U.S. trade laws also include provisions allowing the country to restrict large-scale waves of imports that would hurt any U.S. industry. Many Chinese apparel manufacturers had planned to increase output after the quotas expired, a recent survey by one Chinese import broker found.