Cass
Johnson:
202-822-8025
May
11, 2007
For Immediate Release
NCTO Urges
Congress to Ratify Pacts and Quickly Extend Andean
Trade Preferences Following Agreement on Labor
Issues Supports Inclusion of Strong Labor
Standards in FTAs
NCTO
President Cass
Johnson
stated, NCTO was pleased to hear that the
Administration and the Congress have reached
agreement on labor issues regarding the
Peru and
Panama FTAs and urges Congress to ratify these
agreements. NCTO has long supported the
inclusion of strong labor standards in free trade
agreements and looks forward to working with
members of Congress to ensure that strong labor
standards are included in future
FTAs.
The
bipartisan agreement means that Congress should
quickly extend trade preferences for
Colombia,
which is a major and growing export market for
U.S.
textile products. The Andean Trade
Preferences Act expires at the end of June and
NCTO is very concerned that the precipitous
decline in orders which occurred because of the
delayed implementation of CAFTA will repeat itself
for Colombia if
trade preferences are not quickly extended.
The
inclusion of new labor standards is a first
initial step towards building a new consensus on
trade. However, fundamental issues remain
and must be dealt with. These include the
need to take strong steps on Chinese currency
manipulation, other overseas subsidies, customs
enforcement and additional unfair trade practices
that continue to cost American
jobs.
Key
Facts about
U.S.
Textiles
One
of the largest manufacturing employers in the
United
States, the
overall textile sector employs nearly one million
workers (909,000). Textile mills alone
employ 383,000 workers.
The
3rd largest exporter of textile products in the
world more than $16 billion in
2005.
Two-thirds
of U.S.
textile exports go to developing countries.
The U.S.
textile industry exports to more than 50
countries, with 20 countries buying more than $100
million a year.
Supplies
more than 8,000 different textile products a year
to the U.S.
military.
U.S.
textile shipments totaled $75 billion last year.
Invested
more than $33 billion in new plants and equipment
over the last 10 years.
Has
increased productivity by 51 percent over the last
10 years and ranks second among all industrial
sectors in productivity increases.
Textile
workers earn 60% more than retail workers ($516 a
week vs. $245) and get health care and pension
benefits.
