The US has seen clothing imports from China increase by a huge 125% during the first six months of this year. The US, like the EU, has blocked the import of millions of garments. And like the EU, it is the clothing importers that are clamouring for the American government to broker a deal with the Chinese that will allow them to import more cheap Chinese clothes.
But that’s where the similarities end.
Looking at the outrage from retailers over the millions of stranded trousers and bras in warehouses, it would be easy to conclude that the EU was up to its usual pork barrel protectionist tricks. But the agreement hammered out by the EU and China in June is actually more favourable to China than the limits imposed by the US government.
See also “China, US begin textile talks in Beijing, a day after Europeans’ departure” from AFX, via Forbes.com.