National Council of Textile Organizations Board adopts new resolutions on trade agreements at Annual Meeting. At National Council of Textile Organizations third annual meeting in Washington, DC, from May 14-17, the NCTO Board took the following actions:
- Trade Agreements: Adopted a new position regarding support for free trade agreements which takes into account the impact that current WTO DOHA Round negotiations and Vietnam's final WTO accession agreement will have on the viability of current and upcoming free trade agreements.
The Board advised that it would not support, and could actively oppose, upcoming FTAs and other trade legislation, if the WTO negotiations cited above compromise the integrity and intended trade benefits of current and future agreements. As a result of the Board decision, NCTO delayed a decision on the Peru and Colombia trade agreements.
- CAFTA Fixes: Noting the closure of several US pocketing plants and sharply reduced pocketing orders (down an average of 65 percent from pre-CAFTA levels) for remaining US producers, NCTO strongly urged the US government to immediately convene the CAFTA Working Group and implement the rule change for pocketing and linings agreed to during CAFTA ratification.
The Board also urged the US Congress to move quickly on legislation implementing these fixes as well as tariff issues associated with 'rolling implementation'.
- Announced that NCTO had initiated a 'Bring the Hill to Mill' campaign with the objective of bringing every member of Congress with textile facilities into a textile mill for a briefing on textile trade issues over the next three months.
- NCTO elected the following officers to serve during the 2006-2007 year:
a. NCTO Chairman: Smyth McKissick, President, Alice Manufacturing Company
b. NCTO Vice Chairman: D. Harding Stowe, President and CEO, R.L. Stowe Mills
c. NCTO 2nc Vice Chairman: Wally Darnielle, President and CEO, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association
NCTO is US lobbying group of councils, organizations and business groups dedicated to the survival and prosperity.
National Council of Textile Organizations
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