Leaders of the US textile industry and the textile and apparel industries in 54 countries are
planning a summit meeting in Washington Jan. 25-26, to map plans to pursue new strategies following
the removal of virtually all import quotas on textiles and apparel. Participants are members
of the Global Alliance for Fair Textile Trade (GAFTT), which has been supporting the so-called
Istanbul Declaration that, among other things, called for a three-year extension of quotas and
urged the World Trace Organization (WTO) to analyze and identify solutions to problems GAFTT
members say will result from the end of quotas. With the question of worldwide
quotas now a moot point, the summit meeting will address new ways collective actions can address
trade problems. The coalition members will call on the WTO to address the adverse economic
impact of the quota removal on both developing nations and developed nations and unfair trade
practices. It also will strongly recommend use of the safeguard mechanism in the Chinese accession
to the WTO agreement to impose new quotas on Chinese imports where it can be demonstrated they are
disrupting or threatening to disrupt markets.
January 2005
