Concerned about Chinese toys that contain lead flooding the market? We ain’t seen nothin’ yet, folks! “According to an agreement between China and the EU, exports of China's textile products to the EU countries will not be subject to any quantity limits starting this year, and textile export quotas to the US will be abolished in 2009” (CCTV, Jan. 11, 2008).  

Let me repeat: In 2009, all quotas on Chinese textile exports to the U.S. will be abolished.  

What does this mean to us? According to Bloomberg (2008), “When the U.S. lifts quotas on Chinese textile imports in 2009, ‘ China is likely to demolish the competition,' says Cass Johnson, president of the textile council.” 

Columbia is already feeling the pinch, as “Chinese textiles are displacing products in domestic as well as export markets, says Ivan Amaya, president of the Colombian Association of Textile Producers. Textile imports from China have risen more than fivefold since 2001, according to Amaya” (Bloomberg, 2008). Martin Reano, general manager of the textiles committee of Peru's industrial lobby, the National Industry Society, in Lima says, “the Chinese sell their wares at prices that don't even cover the cost of the raw material. No one can compete with that.''  

Now the U.S. is about to be flooded with Chinese textiles that are so cheap, that our local manufacturers simply will not be able to compete. This equates to loss of jobs, and increased consumer risk. 

How can we protect ourselves? One of the ways to protect U.S. manufacturers is to tighten free trade definitions on the import market. “Product-specific safeguards can be invoked up to 2013...these can be implemented by the International Trade Commission (ITC), which is composed of three Republicans and three Democrats appointed by the US president and confirmed by the senate” (TDC, 2008). Another is to impose anti-dumping provisions to “curb Chinese imports if the prices of goods can be shown to be less than those offered by domestic producers for the same items. The ITC can determine whether anti-dumping duties should be imposed on the imported goods” (TDC, 2008).

There you have it folks. The bottom line is, China is getting ready to flood the market with cheap textiles, and the local U.S. producer is dependent on the ITC, “which is composed of three Republicans and three Democrats appointed by the U.S. president, and confirmed by the Senate,” to stem the tide, at least up until 2013. 

Be prepared for more Americans to go hungry. Globalization – gotta love it! As I have stated in previous articles, now is the time to start becoming more independent. It is clear that the war on the middle class is not going away, just getting stronger. If we are to survive, we need to tighten our belts, dig in, and do as much as we can for ourselves. That includes making our own clothing, growing our own food, getting off the grid, and for goodness sake, BUY AMERICAN!

Copyright 2007, Barbara H. Peterson

References: 

Bloomberg. 2008. Retrieved from:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=ar_m7AGPgNlA&refer=home 

CCTV. 2008. Retrieved from:
http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20080111/102186.shtml 

TDC Trade. 2008. Retrieved from:

http://sme.tdctrade.com/sme_content.aspx?contentid=605193&src=sme_tm&sec=Antidumping&w_sid=194&w_pid=903&w_nid=11606&w_cid=605193&w_idt=1900-01-01&w_oid=207&w_jid=

USA Fabric Mills. 2008. Retrieved from: http://www.apparelsearch.com/World_Clothing_Industry/United_States/Fabric_Mills_USA.htm