U.S. threatens quotas on sock imports from China

Saturday October 23, 3:30 AM

U.S. threatens quotas on sock imports from China

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration threatened on Friday to restrict imports of hundreds of millions of dollars of socks from China, despite retail group charges that the move was politically motivated.

The decision, coming just a few weeks before the U.S. presidential election, follows Democratic party criticism that the Bush administration has not been aggressive enough in helping the rapidly dwindling U.S. clothing and textile industries cope with increased competition from China.

Industry groups are filing additional petitions asking the administration to restrict billions of dollars of other clothing and textile shipped by their chief rival.

Jim Jochum, assistant secretary of Commerce for import administration, said the Commerce Department would impose emergency restrictions on cotton, wool and man-made fiber socks from China early next year unless the two sides can negotiate an agreement that makes that unnecessary.

"It's clear to us that imports from China have surged dramatically," Jochum said. "In fact, from 2001 through the last 12-month period that we have information for ... imports have increased 4,200 percent."

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The Laugh-In administration

It will be harder for the GOP to make their sock puppet figureheads.

no medical care for the frost bite. What will they protect us from next?

speaking at a 'conference' in Saipan a few years ago (sweatshop paradise for the textile manufacturers), telling the local politicians how they were a shining example of republican values.

socks will no longer be sold as a pair - only one sock will be allowed in from China instead of a set of two.

stock up while you can!