Implementation of Trade Restrictions for Textiles and Apparel
NSIAD-84-18
Published: Nov 04, 1983. Publicly Released: Nov 14, 1983.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the current administration of the Multifiber Arrangement (MFA), an international agreement that provides the legal framework for regulating textile trade.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should direct the Chairman, CITA, to arrange with the Bureau of the Census to begin collecting data compatible with MFA categories on a quarterly basis. If the Census Bureau finds that information obtained from domestic manufacturers on a voluntary basis is not sufficient for statistical validity, then the Secretary of Commerce should request Congress to enact legislation making such response mandatory. |
Closed – Implemented
Commerce directed the Census Bureau to draft legislation requiring mandatory quarterly reporting of domestic production data compatible with MFA categories. Legislation was referred in the 1985 session to the House and Senate committees. H.R. 2721 was passed. The Census Bureau received Office of Management and Budget approval and began to collect data for the first quarter of 1987.
|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should direct the Chairman, CITA, to ensure that documentation is included in OTA files when a consultation request is made and, to the extent practical, in the disruption statements, indicating why other major suppliers have not been the subjects of requests. |
Closed – Implemented
Documentation was included in OTA files when a consultation request was made indicating why other major suppliers have not been the subjects of requests.
|
| Department of Commerce | The Secretary of Commerce should direct the Chairman, CITA, to include either the disruption statement itself or an abbreviated discussion of the justification for the consultation request in the Federal Register notice. |
Closed – Implemented
The Chairman, CITA, included an abbreviated discussion of the justification for the consultation request in the Federal Register notice.
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Topics
Clothing industryData collectionImport regulationInternational agreementsInternational tradeInternational trade restrictionMarketingProgram managementCensusSurveys