05 LC 28
2070
Senate
Resolution 156
By:
Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Thomas of the 54th, Cagle of the 49th, Smith of the
52nd, Bulloch of the 11th and others
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Committee on the Implementation of Textile Agreements to 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 Georgia´s largest manufacturing employer; and
WHEREAS,
the People´s Republic of China is a signatory to the rules set by the World
Trade Organization governing fair trade between sovereign nations and 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 People´s Republic of China have
benefitted 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 filed have
been severely disrupted with China´s share of the United States import
market for those nonquota products growing to more than 70 percent since the
beginning of 2002; and
WHEREAS,
independent studies and polling from the United States importing and retail
community show that China could capture from 50 to 90 percent of the total
United States market share in textiles and apparel in short order unless the
United States 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 Secretary of the Senate 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.