I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5026
To require the President to take certain actions to enforce the textiles and 
apparel safeguard with respect to imports from the People’s Republic 
of China. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 8, 2004
Mr. LEVIN (for himself, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. HOYER, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. MATSUI, 
Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. SPRATT, and Mr. CLYBURN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To require the President to take certain actions to enforce 
the textiles and apparel safeguard with respect to im-
ports from the People’s Republic of China.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Textiles and Apparel 
China Safeguard Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Since January 1, 2001, the United States 
textiles and apparel industries have lost 345,000 
jobs. 
(2) Under the terms of the Agreement on Tex-
tiles and Clothing of the World Trade Organization, 
on January 1, 2005, the United States will be re-
quired to eliminate all quotas on textiles and apparel 
products maintained against other World Trade Or-
ganization members, including the People’s Republic 
of China. 
(3) Job losses are expected to continue, and to 
accelerate after the elimination of United States 
quotas, with at least one study estimating that an 
additional 630,000 United States jobs in the textiles 
and apparel sector will be lost by the end of 2006. 
(4) Many analysts believe that the People’s Re-
public of China’s dominance of the United States 
textiles and apparel market will grow after the elimi-
nation of quotas, with some studies indicating that 
imports from the People’s Republic of China will ac-
count for more than two-thirds of total United 
States consumption by 2006. 
(5) President Clinton negotiated the right to 
use a special textiles and apparel safeguard as an in-
tegral part of the agreement allowing the People’s
Republic of China to join the World Trade Organi-
zation. The safeguard allows the United States to 
impose quotas on exports to the United States of 
textiles and apparel products of the People’s Repub-
lic of China if such exports result in or threaten dis-
ruption of the United States market. 
(6) The current Administration delayed in ap-
plying the special textiles and apparel safeguard by 
failing to implement it for 17 months after the ac-
cession to the World Trade Organization of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China. During this delay, exports 
to the United States of textiles and apparel products 
of the People’s Republic of China increased substan-
tially, while significant numbers of United States 
textiles and apparel workers lost their jobs. 
(7) When the executive branch finally issued 
procedures to implement the safeguard on May 21, 
2003, those procedures severely restricted the ability 
of the United States textiles and apparel industries 
and their workers to employ the safeguard in ways 
not required by the Accession Agreement of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organi-
zation. 
(8) To date, the executive branch has refused to 
self-initiate a case under the special textiles and ap-
parel safeguard, notwithstanding the significant in-
crease in exports to the United States of textiles and 
apparel products of the People’s Republic of China 
and concurrent job losses in the United States in the 
textiles and apparel industries. 
(9) Large bipartisan groups of Members of the 
House of Representatives and Senate urged the 
President to support a special session of the World 
Trade Organization to discuss the impact that expi-
ration of textiles and apparel quotas will have on 
trade and employment in this sector throughout the 
world. 
(10) Despite studies showing major employment 
loss in the United States and disruptions in trade 
throughout the world, the President did not support 
such a special session at the World Trade Organiza-
tion and has not created a comprehensive plan to 
address the expiration of the quota regime. 
(11) As part of the Doha Round negotiations of 
the World Trade Organization, the President has 
proposed to eliminate textiles and apparel tariffs. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REGULATIONS. 
The President shall, upon the enactment of this Act, 
modify the procedures for considering requests from the 
public for safeguard actions on imports of textiles and ap-
(3) meet the requirements for applying safe-
guards on such imports, as modified under section 
3. 
SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF QUANTITATIVE LIMITATIONS. 
If, within 90 days after consultations under section 
4 are initiated, an agreement described in section 4 is not 
reached, the President shall impose the quantitative limi-
tations provided for in the Accession Agreement referred 
to in section 3 on imports of all textiles and apparel prod-
ucts that were the subject of the consultations.
Æ
(1) Since January 1, 2001, the United States 
textiles and apparel industries have lost 345,000 
jobs. 
(2) Under the terms of the Agreement on Tex-
tiles and Clothing of the World Trade Organization, 
on January 1, 2005, the United States will be re-
quired to eliminate all quotas on textiles and apparel 
products maintained against other World Trade Or-
ganization members, including the People’s Republic 
of China. 
(3) Job losses are expected to continue, and to 
accelerate after the elimination of United States 
quotas, with at least one study estimating that an 
additional 630,000 United States jobs in the textiles 
and apparel sector will be lost by the end of 2006. 
(4) Many analysts believe that the People’s Re-
public of China’s dominance of the United States 
textiles and apparel market will grow after the elimi-
nation of quotas, with some studies indicating that 
imports from the People’s Republic of China will ac-
count for more than two-thirds of total United 
States consumption by 2006. 
(5) President Clinton negotiated the right to 
use a special textiles and apparel safeguard as an in-
tegral part of the agreement allowing the People’s
Republic of China to join the World Trade Organi-
zation. The safeguard allows the United States to 
impose quotas on exports to the United States of 
textiles and apparel products of the People’s Repub-
lic of China if such exports result in or threaten dis-
ruption of the United States market. 
(6) The current Administration delayed in ap-
plying the special textiles and apparel safeguard by 
failing to implement it for 17 months after the ac-
cession to the World Trade Organization of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China. During this delay, exports 
to the United States of textiles and apparel products 
of the People’s Republic of China increased substan-
tially, while significant numbers of United States 
textiles and apparel workers lost their jobs. 
(7) When the executive branch finally issued 
procedures to implement the safeguard on May 21, 
2003, those procedures severely restricted the ability 
of the United States textiles and apparel industries 
and their workers to employ the safeguard in ways 
not required by the Accession Agreement of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China to the World Trade Organi-
zation. 
(8) To date, the executive branch has refused to 
self-initiate a case under the special textiles and ap-
parel safeguard, notwithstanding the significant in-
crease in exports to the United States of textiles and 
apparel products of the People’s Republic of China 
and concurrent job losses in the United States in the 
textiles and apparel industries. 
(9) Large bipartisan groups of Members of the 
House of Representatives and Senate urged the 
President to support a special session of the World 
Trade Organization to discuss the impact that expi-
ration of textiles and apparel quotas will have on 
trade and employment in this sector throughout the 
world. 
(10) Despite studies showing major employment 
loss in the United States and disruptions in trade 
throughout the world, the President did not support 
such a special session at the World Trade Organiza-
tion and has not created a comprehensive plan to 
address the expiration of the quota regime. 
(11) As part of the Doha Round negotiations of 
the World Trade Organization, the President has 
proposed to eliminate textiles and apparel tariffs. 
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REGULATIONS. 
The President shall, upon the enactment of this Act, 
modify the procedures for considering requests from the 
public for safeguard actions on imports of textiles and ap-
parel products of the People’s Republic of China, as pub-
lished in the Federal Register on May 21, 2003, so that 
import relief will be provided, in accordance with the Ac-
cession Agreement of the People’s Republic of China to 
the World Trade Organization, if a claim is supported by 
data showing that imports of textiles or apparel products 
of Chinese origin are, due either to market disruption, or 
to the threat of market disruption, threatening to impede 
the orderly development of trade in such products, includ-
ing products not produced in the United States if such 
products include components of United States origin. 
SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT ON TEXTILES AND 
APPAREL PRODUCTS. 
The President shall, upon the enactment of this Act, 
initiate consultations with the People’s Republic of China 
for the purpose of reaching an agreement with that coun-
try on the application of quantitative limitations on im-
ports into the United States of all textiles and apparel 
products that— 
(1) are products of the People’s Republic of 
China; 
(2) as of September 1, 2004, are subject to 
quotas under the Agreement on Textiles and Cloth-
ing of the World Trade Organization; and
(3) meet the requirements for applying safe-
guards on such imports, as modified under section 
3. 
SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF QUANTITATIVE LIMITATIONS. 
If, within 90 days after consultations under section 
4 are initiated, an agreement described in section 4 is not 
reached, the President shall impose the quantitative limi-
tations provided for in the Accession Agreement referred 
to in section 3 on imports of all textiles and apparel prod-
ucts that were the subject of the consultations. 
Æ