[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 105 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. J. RES. 105

Calling on the President to take all necessary steps under existing law 
  and international trade agreements to respond to the serious injury 
 currently being experienced by the United States textile and apparel 
                   industry, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2002

Mr. Coble (for himself, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Graham, Mr. Taylor 
    of North Carolina, Mr. Taylor of Mississippi, Mrs. Clayton, Mr. 
Everett, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Frost, Mr. Price 
of North Carolina, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Jones 
      of North Carolina, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Thompson of 
    Mississippi, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Goode, Mr. Shows, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
 Collins, Mr. Watt of North Carolina, Mr. Deal of Georgia, Mr. McHugh, 
  Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Clement, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
Hilliard, Mr. Etheridge, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Evans, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, 
 Mr. Hilleary, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Riley, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Pickering, 
and Mr. McGovern) introduced the following joint resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the President to take all necessary steps under existing law 
  and international trade agreements to respond to the serious injury 
 currently being experienced by the United States textile and apparel 
                   industry, and for other purposes.

Whereas 964,000 Americans continue to be directly employed by the United States 
        textile and apparel industry, resulting in nearly $36,000,000,000 in 
        annual compensation to workers in this sector;
Whereas the United States textile and apparel sector accounted for 
        $48,300,000,000 of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) in calendar 
        year 2001;
Whereas according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the textile and apparel 
        industry was one of the most productive in the United States during the 
        decade of the 1990s, experiencing significant productivity growth in 
        practically all major product sectors;
Whereas the United States textile and apparel industry is a major employer in 
        many depressed rural areas, as well as a key provider of jobs in a 
        number of major inner-city locations, such as New York City, Los 
        Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas;
Whereas the United States textile and apparel industry is a critical supplier to 
        the United States Armed Forces, providing a stable domestic supply of 
        vital items such as uniforms, parachutes, chemical and biological 
        protective gear, and sophisticated carbon fibers necessary for missile 
        and satellite guidance systems;
Whereas surging imports from low-wage foreign suppliers, along with massive 
        currency devaluations by numerous major exporting countries, have 
        combined to overwhelm trade controls established pursuant to 
        international agreements, resulting in the most severe and prolonged 
        economic crisis the United States textile and apparel industry has ever 
        faced;
Whereas imports of textile and apparel products into the United States have 
        increased by 107 percent since 1993 and totaled 32,800,000,000 square 
        meter equivalents in calendar year 2001;
Whereas the value of imports of textile and apparel products into the United 
        States during the 7-calendar year period ending in 2001 surged by 71 
        percent, and during that same period the United States accumulated a 
        $340,000,000,000 trade deficit in the textile and apparel sector alone, 
        despite the fact that prices of imported garments have actually been 
        falling;
Whereas exports of textile and apparel products from the United States are often 
        stymied by prohibitive tariff and nontariff barriers of many countries, 
        such as the People's Republic of China, India, and Brazil, which 
        represent enormous untapped markets for United States textile and 
        apparel manufacturers;
Whereas many major textile and apparel exporting countries, through illegal 
        second-country transshipment, falsification of import documents, and 
        mislabeling of garments, have benefited from increased shipments to the 
        United States, valued at billions of dollars, above limits agreed upon 
        under bilaterally negotiated international agreements;
Whereas the United States textile and apparel workforce has experienced an 
        unprecedented level of job displacement affecting hard-working, 
        reasonably paid textile and apparel workers in the United States, with 
        146,000 jobs lost in 2001 alone and 675,000 jobs lost during the 7-
        calendar year period ending in 2001;
Whereas 488,000 of the textile and apparel jobs lost over that 7-year period 
        were held by women;
Whereas the substantial contraction in this industry has undermined an essential 
        source of jobs, as well as critical health insurance benefits for women 
        and minorities, including immigrants;
Whereas dozens of United States textile and apparel companies have been forced 
        into bankruptcy or liquidation, and more than 200 plants in the United 
        States in this sector have permanently closed since 1997;
Whereas although overall consumer prices in the United States rose 33 percent 
        during the 1990's, apparel prices actually fell during that period, so 
        that the United States textile and apparel sector experienced the first 
        decade of deflation since the 1930s; and
Whereas many Americans recognize the need to improve the enforcement of United 
        States trade laws and international agreements to provide an effective 
        response to the injury that the textile and apparel industry has 
        sustained: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be referred to as the ``Textile and 
Apparel Recognition Act''.

SEC. 2. ACTION BY THE PRESIDENT.

    The Congress calls upon the President--
            (1) to ensure vigorous enforcement of United States trade 
        laws with respect to trade practices resulting in harm to the 
        United States textile and apparel industry, using all remedies 
        available under those laws;
            (2) to ensure vigorous enforcement of current international 
        trade agreements with respect to the United States textile and 
        apparel industry, including all existing safeguard remedies 
        available to the United States textile and apparel industry 
        under the World Trade Organization and the North American Free 
        Trade Agreement;
            (3) to ensure vigorous enforcement of existing quota and 
        tariff regulations to prevent further illegal circumvention of 
        the United States textile import restraint program;
            (4) to deny requests from trading partners of the United 
        States for unilateral liberalization by the United States of 
        its textile and apparel market other than that provided for 
        under existing international trade agreements; and
            (5) to implement strategies to open foreign markets so as 
        to provide equitable access for goods exported by the United 
        States textile and apparel industry.

SEC. 3. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    The President shall--
            (1) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
        this joint resolution, and
            (2) not later than 1 year after such date of enactment,
 report to the Congress on actions taken to carry out paragraphs (1) 
through (5) of section 2, and on the results of those actions.

SEC. 4. CURRENCY DEVALUATIONS.

    (a) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this joint resolution, and not later than the end of each 
1-year period thereafter, the President shall report to the Congress on 
the ability of the United States textile manufacturing sector to 
compete with the textile industry in other countries when foreign 
currencies are devalued.
    (b) Future Negotiations.--The President, in conducting negotiations 
to enter into trade agreements with other countries, shall take into 
account potential foreign currency devaluations so that such countries 
do not receive the benefit of reduced tariffs while at the same time 
making their exports more cost-competitive on the international market 
through such currency devaluations.
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