05 LC 19
6446/AP
House
Resolution 142 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By:
Representatives Smith of the
131st,
Smith of the
129th,
Buckner of the
130th,
Reece of the
11th,
Crawford of the
127th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Requesting
that the Committee on the Implementation of Textile Agreements approve the
safeguard petitions filed by the United States textile industry; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
quotas on imported textile products expired on January 1, 2005; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia has 92,000 citizens employed in the textile industry,
making it
Georgiás
largest manufacturing employer; and
WHEREAS,
the
Peoplés
Republic of China is a signatory to the rules set by the World Trade
Organization governing fair trade between sovereign nations and that that set of
rules allows for the implementation of textile-specific safeguards against
imports from China on the basis of market disruption or threat thereof;
and
WHEREAS,
exporters of textile products from the
Peoplés
Republic of China have benefited from practices specifically prohibited by the
World Trade Organization, including government subsidies, intellectual property
piracy, tax rebates and currency manipulation; and
WHEREAS,
these illegal and unfair practices have enabled Chinese producers to undercut
world manufacturers with artificially low prices; and
WHEREAS,
the American textile industry is the most innovative, efficient and productive
in the world, well able to compete within the sphere of legitimate, lawful
global trade; and
WHEREAS,
the American textile industry is crucial to the defense of the nation, providing
over 8,000 separate items to the Armed Forces of the United States, the ability
to do so being immediately threatened by predatory Chinese trade practices;
and
WHEREAS,
the textile product categories for which quotas have already been lifted have
been severely disrupted, with
Chinás
share of the U.S. import market for those nonquota products growing from less
than 2 percent to more than 70 percent since the beginning of 2002;
and
WHEREAS,
independent studies and polling from the United States importing and retailing
community shows that China could capture from 50 to 90 percent total U.S. market
share in textiles and apparel in short order unless the U.S. government imposes
safeguards.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the members of
this body strongly urge and request the Committee on the Implementation of
Textile Agreements to enact the safeguard provisions on textile and apparel
categories on the basis of threat of market disruption as petitioned by the
American textile industry.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Committee
on the Implementation of Textile Agreements and to the Georgia Congressional
delegation.