FRT
02-01-2008, 07:10 PM
U.S. Textile Mill output hits record low
WASHINGTON, DC — Data released by the U.S. Federal Reserve on Jan. 16 showed that U.S. Textile Mill output fell by 12.1 percent in 2007. The drop in output was the largest since the U.S. government began publishing output data on the topic in 1972. From its peak in Dec. 1997, U.S. Textile Mill output has plunged 44.85 percent. Output in other sectors of the industry declined, too, with U.S. Textile Product Mill output falling 4.9 percent and U.S. Apparel output falling 2.5 percent in 2007. From its peak in April 2000, U.S. Textile Product Mill output is down 17.71 percent. U.S. Apparel output has fallen 59.8 percent since Dec. 1994. “A flood of subsidized imports, especially those from China, is crippling the U.S. textile industry,” said Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AM*TAC). “The decline in U.S. output directly is tied to the loss of market share, and the loss of market share then directly is tied to the loss of hundreds of thousands of U.S. textile and apparel manufacturing jobs.” In contrast to the apparel assembly sector, where labor represents a substantial por*tion of a product’s cost, textile production is just the opposite, Tantillo added. It is heavily automated, capital intensive and engineering driven, he said.
That is why “subsidy schemes and illegal trade practices are the main reasons why China and other predatory exporters are able to take away market share away from highly efficient and productive U.S. textile producers,” he said.
“While tax cuts and education are important, it also is critical to the health of the U.S. textile industry for the U.S. government to counter the aggressive subsidy schemes and illegal trade practices of China and other predatory exporters,” Tantillo said.
“Without specifically address*ing the $428 billion annually disadvantage to U.S. producers and service providers caused by foreign value-added (VAT) taxes and rampant currency manipu*lation by China, among other problems, the playing field for U.S. manufacturers cannot be leveled,” he added.
Since China joined the World Trade Organization in December 2001, employment in the U.S. textile and apparel sector has fallen from 886,900 to 522,800 — a loss of 364,100 jobs and a decline of 41 percent.
WASHINGTON, DC — Data released by the U.S. Federal Reserve on Jan. 16 showed that U.S. Textile Mill output fell by 12.1 percent in 2007. The drop in output was the largest since the U.S. government began publishing output data on the topic in 1972. From its peak in Dec. 1997, U.S. Textile Mill output has plunged 44.85 percent. Output in other sectors of the industry declined, too, with U.S. Textile Product Mill output falling 4.9 percent and U.S. Apparel output falling 2.5 percent in 2007. From its peak in April 2000, U.S. Textile Product Mill output is down 17.71 percent. U.S. Apparel output has fallen 59.8 percent since Dec. 1994. “A flood of subsidized imports, especially those from China, is crippling the U.S. textile industry,” said Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AM*TAC). “The decline in U.S. output directly is tied to the loss of market share, and the loss of market share then directly is tied to the loss of hundreds of thousands of U.S. textile and apparel manufacturing jobs.” In contrast to the apparel assembly sector, where labor represents a substantial por*tion of a product’s cost, textile production is just the opposite, Tantillo added. It is heavily automated, capital intensive and engineering driven, he said.
That is why “subsidy schemes and illegal trade practices are the main reasons why China and other predatory exporters are able to take away market share away from highly efficient and productive U.S. textile producers,” he said.
“While tax cuts and education are important, it also is critical to the health of the U.S. textile industry for the U.S. government to counter the aggressive subsidy schemes and illegal trade practices of China and other predatory exporters,” Tantillo said.
“Without specifically address*ing the $428 billion annually disadvantage to U.S. producers and service providers caused by foreign value-added (VAT) taxes and rampant currency manipu*lation by China, among other problems, the playing field for U.S. manufacturers cannot be leveled,” he added.
Since China joined the World Trade Organization in December 2001, employment in the U.S. textile and apparel sector has fallen from 886,900 to 522,800 — a loss of 364,100 jobs and a decline of 41 percent.