74 Representatives Press USTR on Vietnam & Textile Provisions of TPP
Trans-Pacific Partnership talks involving Vietnam are "particularly important" because it's the second-largest exporter of apparel to the U.S., 74 members of Congress said in a May 1 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. The letter noted that Vietnam's exports to the U.S. grew 15,000% in the past ten years, fueled by textiles.
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"Without strong textile rules in the TPP, state-subsidized producers in Vietnam could easily overwhelm U.S. and other producers in the Western Hemisphere and around the world, destroying billions of dollars of export markets," the letter said.
Key objectives of the TPP negotiations, the legislators said, should include: yarn-forward rule of origin, market access rules including extended phase down/phase out periods, and customs enforcement rules should be updated to include electronic tracking of yarns and fabrics.