Posted September 25, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) called on the Obama Administration to utilize today’s visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to highlight the urgent need for substantial economic and trade policy reforms by China in order to help level the playing field for U.S. textile producers and other U.S. manufacturers.
From 1997-2008 the U.S. textile and apparel industry took a major hit at the hands of China’s economic policies, and hemorrhaged more than a million jobs, according to the council. In a release, the NCTO said that despite China’s continued unfair practices, since 2009 the industry has had steady growth in the key economic indicators of output, exports and investment, and is now the third largest exporter of textiles and apparel in the world.
NCTO urges White House to push China on reforms
“President Obama has an historic opportunity to work with the Chinese president on these important economic reforms to create a level playing field for U.S. textile manufacturers so that we are able to continue to maintain growth and be a substantial contributor to the U.S. economy."
Augustine Tantillo
President, NCTO
“U.S. textile producers are world-class competitors but we have no desire to compete with foreign governments,” said NCTO President Augustine Tantillo. “President Obama has an historic opportunity to work with the Chinese president on these important economic reforms to create a level playing field for U.S. textile manufacturers so that we are able to continue to maintain growth and be a substantial contributor to the U.S. economy. NCTO strongly urges the president to capitalize on this important state visit.”
Tantillo urged President Obama to press President Xi on issues that directly affect the U.S. textile industry.
"The domestic textile industry has long fought for changes to China's predatory trading practices, including currency manipulation, illegal subsidizes and intellectual property infringement,” he said. “On behalf of the U.S. textile industry, I implore President Obama to address these critical issues with President Xi and urge immediate policy reform.”
Tantillo went on to cite the recently filed World Trade Organization (WTO) case by the United States that challenges China's export subsidy program as an illegal policy and specifically names textiles as a key benefactor of this program.
Source: NCTO