Apparel Importers Want Obama to Drop Tariffs, Discriminatory Treatment

(World Trade Interactive)

A trade association representing U.S. textile and apparel importers has called on the incoming Obama administration to eliminate tariffs on such goods, avoid discriminatory treatment of imports and improve the transparency of trade policymaking in this sector. The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel stated in a recent white paper that the January 1 removal of the remaining quotas on imports from China signals “a transformative moment” that “compels a complete re-thinking of apparel trade policy.” The group’s recommendations include the following.

• Eliminating tariffs – Both quotas and high tariffs on textile and apparel products have imposed a costly burden, particularly on consumers with low incomes. Now that quotas have been scrapped, and given the ongoing economic downturn, the elimination of tariffs “must be a top priority.”

• Avoiding discriminatory treatment – The discriminatory treatment of imported textiles and apparel that has marked decades of trade agreements and unilateral preference programs should be discontinued in favor of “simple, user-friendly and uniform rules premised on real business practices.” Apparel products should no longer be excluded from development programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences. The domestic textile industry should be required to follow the rules (e.g., standing to bring trade remedy cases) set forth in U.S. trade laws.

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