U.S. Relations with the People's Republic of China (2005)

International Trade Administration (ITA)
Office of Public Affairs

FACT SHEET

Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreement's Determination to
Accept the Request for Investigation of Imports from China of Curtains and
Drapery (Category 369 Part and 666 Part)

On Thursday, July 14, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ("the Committee"), which is chaired by the Department of Commerce, agreed to consider a request submitted on behalf of a coalition of textile companies and a union representing textile and apparel workers for safeguard action limiting imports of curtains and drapery (Category 369 part/666 part) from China. The Committee will now solicit public comments on the request, in particular with regard to whether the U.S. market for those products is disrupted, and, if so, the role of Chinese-origin products in that disruption.

Next Steps: The Committee will publish shortly a Federal Register notice seeking public comments regarding the request, launching a 30-day period during which interested parties and stakeholders may submit comments on the request. In the past, the Chinese government as well as the textile industry, apparel industry, importers, workers and other interested parties have submitted comments for the record.

The Committee will make a determination within 60 calendar days of the close of the public comment period on whether to request consultations with China. [NOTE: The Committee has the authority to extend this phase if necessary to complete an investigation.] If the Committee is unable to make a determination within 60 calendar days, a notice will be published in the Federal Register, including the date by which it will make a determination. If the Committee makes a negative determination, this determination and the reasons therefore will be published in the Federal Register.

If the Committee makes an affirmative determination that imports of curtains and drapery from China are disrupting the U.S. market, the Committee will request consultations with China, with a view to easing or avoiding such market disruption.

As of the date consultations are requested by the United States, a quota will be put in place to limit U.S. imports from China of curtains and drapery with respect to which the Committee has reached an affirmative determination of market disruption.

Consultations with China will be held within 30 days of China's receipt of the request for consultations, and every effort will be made to reach agreement on a mutually satisfactory solution within 90 days of receipt of the request for consultations.

Requestors: The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, the National Council of Textile Organizations, the National Textile Association and UNITE HERE filed their request for safeguard action on June 22, 2005.