U.S. May Limit Chinese Imports
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration, struggling to deal with America’s surging trade deficit with China, announced yesterday it would begin negotiations aimed at broad restrictions on imports of Chinese clothing and textiles.
Critics said such new limits could cost American consumers billions of dollars in higher clothing costs. Supporters said a comprehensive deal imposing limits on Chinese imports was needed to protect an American textile and apparel industry that has been left reeling with the expiration of global quotas at the start of this year.
Several Republican lawmakers from textile states have demanded that the administration agree to begin talks with China in return for their support for the just-passed Central American Free Trade Agreement, which squeaked through the House by a slim two-vote margin. The office of U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman announced that a negotiating team would travel to San Francisco for talks next Tuesday and Wednesday.
