NCTO: China Has Not Earned Market Economy Status

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) continued its call for the Obama administration to reject China’s request that it should be designated a market economy under the World Trade Organization (WTO).  China is seeking a formal designation as a market economy on December 11, 2016, the 15th anniversary of the country’s accession to the WTO.  Currently, the U.S. Commerce Department treats China as a non-market economy when calculating anti-dumping margins and other trade remedies.

“Treating China as a market economy would defy logic,” said NCTO President & CEO Augustine Tantillo.

“China’s chronic misallocation of investment to expand its state-owned enterprises in the textile supply chain and in other industrial sectors where there is an excess of global capacity invariably leads to Chinese dumping and other non-free-market economic practices,” Tantillo continued.

“Those actions hurt the global economy and should not be rewarded by the United States,” Tantillo added.

Tantillo also noted NCTO’s support for recent statements by the Obama administration at the WTO expressing the fact that China’s market reforms since joining the WTO have fallen short of expectations.

NCTO is a member of the Manufacturers for Trade Enforcement (MTE) coalition.

On July 11 and 12, MTE held briefings on Capitol Hill to explain why China does not meet the standard of a market economy.  The PowerPoint accompanying those events may be found here.

To learn more about why China should not be granted market economy status, visit MTE’s website at www.tradeenforcement.org.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.  Visit our website at www.ncto.org.

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CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

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NCTO Lauds Congressional Actions Encouraging DOD to Buy U.S.-Made Textiles, Clothing, & Footwear

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) lauded recent congressional actions to preserve critical requirements for the Department of Defense (DOD) to buy U.S.-made textiles, clothing, and footwear.

Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down an amendment to the defense appropriations bill (H.R. 5293) that would have permitted DOD to ignore the Berry Amendment and fund the purchases of foreign-made athletic shoes.  NCTO supported a “NO” vote on the measure.

In May, U.S. Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC) and Niki Tsongas (D-MA) each offered amendments that were adopted by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) during its markup of H.R. 4909, the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that stopped attacks on the integrity of the Berry Amendment.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has led efforts to protect the Berry Amendment during that body’s consideration of the NDAA (S. 2943).  Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Angus King (I-ME) also have worked hard to make sure DOD buys American.

“Laws requiring DOD to buy U.S.-made textiles, clothing, and footwear are pro-jobs and strengthen America’s national security,” said NCTO President and CEO Augustine Tantillo.

“We thank all members of the House and Senate who have voted and worked to preserve the integrity of the Berry Amendment,” Tantillo continued.

“The U.S. textile industry looks forward to working with our friends in the House and Senate to make sure the Berry Amendment is kept whole as Congress completes its work on important legislation to authorize and fund America’s armed forces,” Tantillo finished.

The Berry Amendment (10 USC 2533a) is a law requiring DOD to buy U.S.-made textiles, clothing, footwear, hand tools, measuring tools, and food.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile, clothing, and footwear supply chain was 592,000 in 2015.
  • It is estimated that DOD annually procures 8,000+ different textile items for use by the U.S. military and other allied organizations, and this figure rises to more than 30,000 line items when individual sizes are factored into the item mix.

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CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

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NCTO Praises Senate Passage of American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, by unanimous consent.  Because the House of Representatives passed an identical bill by a vote of 415-2 on April 27, H.R. 4923 will be sent to President Obama for his expected signature into law.

Endorsed by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), H.R. 4923 reforms the process by which Congress will consider future Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) legislation.  Through the MTB, Congress temporarily suspends or reduces tariffs on certain imported products not made in the United States to help American manufacturers reduce costs, create jobs, and compete in the global marketplace.

“This is a big win for U.S. manufacturing,” said NCTO President and CEO Augustine Tantillo.  “We thank the Senate for moving the House bill quickly,” he continued.

“NCTO also would like to thank Finance Committee Chairman Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), and the many other members of the House and Senate who worked so diligently to secure this victory for American workers,” Tantillo added.

“The MTB is essential to American competitiveness because U.S. textile manufacturers reinvest the duty savings to boost jobs and innovation,” Tantillo finished.

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CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

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U.S. House Passes American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act; NCTO Urges Immediate Senate Consideration

2016 04 27 NCTO Press Statement on House Passage of ACMA

 

PRESS STATEMENT

U.S. House Passes American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act

NCTO Urges Immediate Senate Consideration

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, by a vote of 415-2. 

Endorsed by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), H.R. 4923 reforms the process by which Congress will consider future Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) legislation.  Through the MTB, Congress temporarily suspends or reduces tariffs on certain imported products not made in the United States, helping American manufacturers reduce costs, create jobs, and compete in the global marketplace.

“We thank the House for passing this bill and urge the Senate to take it up immediately,” said NCTO President and CEO Augustine Tantillo. 

“It is crucial for the Senate to move quickly so that the long-stalled MTB process can be restarted,” Tantillo continued.

“The MTB is essential to American competitiveness as U.S. textile manufacturers reinvest the duty savings to boost jobs and innovation,” Tantillo finished.

 

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NCTO Urges Swift Floor Action on American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act

2016 04 20 NCTO Press Statement on W&M Markup of AMCA

 

April 20, 2016

CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

 

PRESS STATEMENT

NCTO Urges Swift Floor Action on American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act

 WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means marked up H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act.

Endorsed by the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), H.R. 4923 reforms the process by which Congress will consider future Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) legislation.  Through the MTB, Congress temporarily suspends or reduces tariffs on certain imported products not made in the United States, helping American manufacturers reduce costs, create jobs, and compete in the global marketplace.

“We thank Ways and Means for marking up this measure and call for the bill’s swift consideration on the House floor,” said NCTO President and CEO Augustine Tantillo.

“It is crucial for Congress to move quickly so that the long-stalled MTB process can be restarted,” Tantillo continued.

“The MTB is essential to American competitiveness,” Tantillo added.  “U.S. textile manufacturers reinvest the duty savings to boost jobs and innovation.”

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News from 13th Annual NCTO Annual Meeting Held April 12-14, 2016 in Washington, D.C.

State of the Textile Industry PowerPoint

State of the Textile Industry Speech

 

April 14, 2016

CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

PRESS STATEMENT

NCTO Elects New Chairman for 2016


WASHINGTON, D.C. –
Robert H. Chapman III, Chairman, CEO and Treasurer of Inman Mills was elected to serve as Chairman of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) for 2016 at the group’s 13th Annual Meeting held April 12-14 at The Capital Hilton hotel located in Washington, D.C.  Inman Mills is a family-owned textile company headquartered in Inman, SC that manufactures yarns and fabrics – www.inmanmills.com.

Elected as NCTO Vice Chairman for 2016 was William V. McCrary Jr., President & CEO of William Barnet and Son LLC.  Barnet is a global fiber, yarn and resin manufacturer.  The company’s head office is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina – www.barnet.com.

2016 State of the Textile Industry Speech and PowerPoint

Before turning over his gavel to Chapman, outgoing 2015 NCTO Chairman Jeff Price delivered the 2016 State of the Textile Industry address.  Price is President, Specialty Fabrics Division, of Milliken & Company – www.milliken.com.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 579,000 in 2015.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76 billion last year, a nearly 14% increase since 2009.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel are up 38% over that same time period, reaching $27.75 billion in 2015.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2 billion in 2014, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Welcomes U.S.-China MOU to Terminate Chinese Export Subsidies

2016 04 14 NCTO press statement on US China MOU to terminate Chinese export subsidies

 

April 14, 2016

CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

 

PRESS STATEMENT

NCTO Welcomes U.S.-China MOU to Terminate Chinese Export Subsidies

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) applauded today’s announcement of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and China with respect to an agreement by China to terminate export subsidies under its “Demonstration Bases-Common Services Platform”.

“We thank the Obama administration for working diligently to construct an arrangement to eliminate these subsidies which directly damage U.S. manufacturing jobs, output and investment,” said NCTO CEO & President Augustine Tantillo.

“There is no doubt that China’s rise to become the world’s largest exporter of textile and apparel products has been aided by a pervasive series of illegal state-sponsored subsidies,” Tantillo continued.

“These subsidies are clearly inconsistent with the rules of the World Trade Organization, and they are unfair to domestic textile manufacturers and the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers they employ,” Tantillo added.

“Our companies must play by free-market rules, and it is time that Chinese textile manufacturers do the same,” Tantillo concluded.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • S. employment in the textile supply chain was 579,000 in 2015.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76 billion last year, a nearly 14% increase since 2009.
  • S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel are up 38% over that same time period, reaching $27.75 billion in 2015.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2 billion in 2014, the last year for which data is available.

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NCTO Welcomes RFT-MII Announcement

2016 04 01 RFT MII Announcement

 

April 1, 2016
For Immediate Release

CONTACT:  Lloyd Wood
(202) 822-8028
lwood@ncto.org

NCTO Welcomes RFT-MII Announcement

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced today that Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) was selected to lead the Revolutionary Fibers & Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute (RFT-MII).

The RFT-MII is a collaborative effort between government and the private sector to accelerate the development of the next generation of highly functional textiles from both a commercial and military perspective.

Total funding is expected to be almost $320 million.  The Department of Defense (DoD) has committed $75 million, a figure matched by almost $250 million in money and other in-kind contributions from the U.S. textile industry and other sources.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) welcomed the announcement.  “We are pleased that the RFT-MII has gone from concept to reality,” said NCTO President Augustine Tantillo.  “This investment in advanced manufacturing will add to the substantial ongoing efforts associated with innovation in fiber and textile science in the United States.”

“This long range investment will help the United States maintain its current position as the most innovative and technically advanced textile industry in the world,” Tantillo added.

“We expect that it will ultimately spur jobs and investment in our sector while also making our military stronger,” Tantillo finished, as he noted that domestic industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products to our warfighters.

President Obama announced the formation of the RFT-MII on March 18, 2015 as part of his National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) initiative.  The NNMI brings together industry, academia and federal partners to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, by promoting a robust and sustainable manufacturing research and development infrastructure.

There are 579,000 jobs in U.S. fiber, textile and apparel production.  Sector exports were $27.75 billion last year.  Capital investment within industry totaled $2 billion in 2014, an increase of 50 percent since 2009.

NCTO represents domestic textile manufacturers and related industry.  See www.ncto.org.

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NCTO Submits Testimony to U.S. International Trade Commission on Impact of TPP

On February 15, 2016, NCTO submitted testimony to the U.S. International Trade Commission on the potential impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on the U.S. textile industry.

NCTO ITC TPP Submission 2016 2-15

U.S. Dept. of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Studying U.S. Textile Sector

The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is undertaking a comprehensive study on the health, competiveness, and the contribution of the U.S. textile, apparel, and footwear industry to the U.S. economy.  Among the topics included are:

  • Current issues and challenges, and what can be done to support the industry.
  • Effectiveness of the Berry Amendment and other Buy-American provisions.

The U.S. Department of Commerce conducted a similar assessment in 2003, “U.S. Textile and Apparel Industries: An Industrial Base Assessment.”  A link to that study is below.

The U S Textile and Apparel Industries – An Industrial Base Assessment