The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will begin monitoring certain textile and apparel imports from China, at the request of the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The agency will provide statistical reports every two weeks on the volume, value, unit value and import market share of textile and apparel items that are covered by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Concerning Trade in Textile and Apparel Products. Data will be compiled for each applicable item at the three-digit textile and apparel category, as well as the 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading level. The agreement between the U.S. and China took effect in late 2005, and is due to expire on December 31, 2008. Ways and Means has expressed concern over a potential surge in textile and apparel imports from China, following expiration of the MOU. Such a marked increase occurred following the 2005 termination of import restrictions under the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Textiles and Clothing. The ITC will provide its first report to the committee on December 1, examining Chinese imports from January 1, 2003 to the most recent month available. After that, the ITC will provide reports to the committee every two weeks, as the data become available, until the committee terminates or amends its request. The agency will also publish an annual compilation of the data.
U.S. International Trade Commission