Duty-Free Access Subject of Sub-Committee Hearing
Congress urged to not consider proposal to extend duty free status.
Compiled by staff
Published: Nov 18, 2009
Testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Trade, David Hastings, chairman of Mount Vernon Mills urged the committee to keep in mind that the United States' manufacturing sector is hurting badly and not to take action that could potentially cause further job losses in this country.
Testifying on behalf of the National Council of Textile Organizations, Hastings specifically urged the Subcommittee not to consider a proposal to extend duty free status to apparel imports from Bangladesh and Cambodia as a part of broad trade preference reform. If the status is extended, Hastings said, Mount Vernon's Trion facility, one of the country's largest producers of combat fabric, and many others, will be forced to close.
Hastings offered three solutions to the trade preference situation. He said Congress must pass Andean trade preference extension immediately; take action against China; and the U.S. government should do more to support manufacturing.
"I also do not think we should abandon our free trade and preference program partners in order to reward countries that barely pay their workers or engage in predatory and illegal subsidy schemes," said Hastings.
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Tagged: Extension
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