1
in the US textiles industry in detail, came to the
conclusion that the American textiles and clothing industry
may be considered sound despite an increase in imports (with
a corresponding increase in domestic consumption). In the
previous year, the Commission did not recommend any import
restrictions.
b) The American Imports Association (Textile Group) gives the
following comment:
-
During the period between 1961 and 1968, the internal
production of textile products and imports, generally
speaking, developed along parallel lines. The year 1969
will probably be a new peak year for the US textiles
industry.
The only sales difficulties are in certain fields (sweaters
and certain types of shirt), which would not justify any
global restrictions on exports.
The introduction of export restrictions in the U.S.A. would
tend to amount to a realization of pre-election promises
(given to the Southern States, in particular) than an
overcoming of real economic difficulties ("no economic
case").
The new U.S.Administration needs international negotiations
in order to demonstrate its good-will to the Congress and
textiles industry.
Moreover, in the case of a failure of the international
negotiations on national restrictions on exports, the U.S.
Government would be determined to block the motions for im-
port quotas in Congress (because of the danger of creating
a precedent for other fields of industry).
Owing to the instability of the private Agreement on the