Pillowtex fall puts focus on China

[Abigale Applewhite]

Posted on Thu, Aug. 14, 2003

Pillowtex fall puts focus on China
Textile leaders, politicians want U.S. to resurrect trade limits
TONY MECIA
Staff Writer

The demise of Pillowtex Corp. and the powerful imagery of its 4,800 jobless N.C. workers is giving new fuel to textile-industry leaders and politicians who want to torch expanded trade with China.

But despite their demands to curb foreign imports, it may be politically too late to undo a decade of free-trade agreements that are dropping import-export barriers around the globe.

When Kannapolis-based Pillowtex announced last month that it was closing -- the largest mass layoff in N.C. history -- politicians revived their calls for President Bush to impose protections for manufacturing. Among them: resurrecting limits on certain imports from China, and pressuring the growing manufacturing powerhouse to let market forces determine the exchange rate of its currency, the yuan.

This week, textile executives meeting in Greensboro and Spartanburg said they share those goals, and pledged to flex their muscles politically, by signing up workers to vote and increasing their lobbying with members of Congress. Although textile leaders have traditionally voted Republican, they said that support is not ironclad.

"The best place to send a message to Washington is at the ballot box," said Jim Chesnutt, president of National Spinning Co. Inc. of Washington, N.C., at the Greensboro meeting Monday.


http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/6528375.htm

[chimpymustgo]

1. Trade, NAFTA, jobs lost may be Dems best issue.

Which helps Gephardt and Edwards.

[duid12]

2. maybe

>>a *decade* of free-trade agreements

There is the hope that democrats will get ahead of this issue, but democrats, and clinton in particular, do not exactly have clean hands on this one....

Has Dean made any statements on the offshore job losses?

[revcarol]

3. It helps DK the most.

He has been a leader, not a follower, on this issue.