U.S. Re-Imposes Quotas on Chinese Clothing

Associated Press ^ | May 13, 2005 | Martin Crutsinger

[AntiGuv]

A good start.

[Donald Meaker]

Do the US Army berets count against the quota?

[TheBattman]

I thought the berets were made of wool.... or is that covered too?

[southernnorthcarolina]

Until and unless U.S. consumers decide they care where their clothes (and other items) come from, U.S. manufacturers will continue to suffer, or go out of business.

I'm as guilty as anyone. Though this probably falls into the "too much information" area, here's an inventory, by country of origin, of what I'm wearing at this moment:

Tee shirt: Lesotho
Cargo shorts: Bangladesh
Belt: China
Boxers: Indonesia
Socks: no idea
Workboots: Czech Republic

I can't say I'm proud of this array of garments. But on the other hand, I didn't check the country of origin of any of these items before purchasing them. Should I have? Probably. Would I have paid ten percent more for U.S.manufactured goods, given the chance? Maybe. Twenty percent more? Doubtful. A moot point, in any event.

[The Duke]

What - are Don Tyson and Haliburton making underwear now?

[Torie]

A bad start. Granted, it will not be as economically costly as the steel quotas which were a disaster. The sooner the textile industry dies in the US, the better. It will soon be manned by illegals in any event, to the extent it isn't already.

[Torie]

Proping up low valued industries is not the way to move American workers over time into the jobs with the highest competitive advantage in the world economy. It is Luddite. Government can help with the transition costs for those at the bottom of the pay scale, that need to move on of course.

[Realism]

Check this out! Be sure and view the comments on this article. Take a few deep breaths first.

RMB is not cause of US trade deficit

[AntiGuv]

You can't possibly think that I would take Chinese government propaganda seriously, do you? LOL

[AntiGuv]

I haven't any problem with the obsolescence of uncompetitive industries so long as they have a level playing field to compete upon.

[Torie]

Well what is "level" is in the eye of the beholder. That typically is an excuse for protectionism. Textiles per force cannot be made in the US economically. It is low skilled and labor intensive.

[AntiGuv]

You inspired me to look!

Sandals: China
Jeans: Mexico
Belt: USA (yes!)
Boxers: Thailand
Shirt: Turkey

Yup, prolly TMI.. =)

[infidel dog]

"The sooner the textile industry dies in the US, the better????" A true globalist, this Torie.

[Torie]

Yep. It is what anneals and strengthens. Without being willing to compete, without constrainst on the right to freely contract, we will slowly fade away. Protectionism is so dysfunctional and stupid, with the ill effects so rapidly manifested now, that it will I suspect not ever be employed again, except for the short term, on the edges, to curry favor with special interests the executive wants to curry favor with, and pander to.

That seems to be what this one is about. Textiles are in the red zone in some places.

[AntiGuv]

We have a free-floating currency; China has a pegged currency. That is not level, even by China's own admission.

[Torie]

China is subsidizing us. Good.

[AntiGuv]

For the moment, yes. But the party will end; it's only a matter of when.

[infidel dog]

Ee-yeah. China is subsidizing us. Well, it's been a pleasure, but I really have to get back to planet Reality now....

[superiorslots]

Torie
US workers are the most productive in the entire world and I would say some of the most innovative but how in the world can you compete with 30 cent per hour jobs from china???
That's right you can't

[Torie]

The sooner the better of course. Subsidies distort.