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CONTACT: Amy Auth
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United States Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-5) made the following remarks on the House floor this morning:

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and commend President Bush and the Committee on Implementation of Textile Agreements for recently implementing safeguards against Chinese imports of cotton shirts, cotton trousers and cotton and man-made fiber underwear. Since the lifting of quotas by the WTO in January, shirts, trousers and underwear, which represent more textile jobs than any other section in America, have been under attack due to the flood of Chinese imports currently coming into our country. This fast action will save thousands of textile jobs in this country and my District.

"However, Mr. Speaker, I was disheartened to hear the comments on the safeguard sanctions by the spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. He said in a statement that China believes its exports of cotton knit shirts, cotton trousers and cotton and man-made fiber underwear have not disrupted the U.S. market. I think a 1,573 percent increase in trouser imports in first three months of this year constitutes market disruption. I think a 1,277 percent increase in shirt imports in the first three months of this year constitutes a market disruption. Let me repeat, those numbers are for the first three months of this year! Think what would happen if we didn't implement the China safeguards.

"The Ministry of Commerce went on to say, The U.S. decision runs counter to the World Trade Organization's agreements on trade of textile and apparel products and deviates from the WTO spirit of free trade. I took specific note of this statement because China's idea of fair trade is government subsidies of its textile and apparel exports to the United States, currency manipulation, export tax rebates, forgiveness of loans by its government banks and direct payments to its state-owned textile and apparel industry. Fortunately, the rest of the world does not think like the Chinese.

"I applaud Secretary Gutierrez and his panel for helping to level the playing field for our domestic textile and manufacturing. Thank you."

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