CITA Updates its Official and Preliminary Textile and Apparel Import Data for China, Etc

The updated posting reflects, among other things, the addition of official Census data for February 2005, and the addition of preliminary U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data for March 2005 and the two-week period of March 27, 2005 - April 9, 2005.

Six reports have been updated, variously, for this new data - three biweekly reports titled U.S. imports by category, China, and World; and well as three additional reports titled U.S. imports by category, U.S. imports by country, and U.S. imports by merged category.

The biweekly reports contain data for single categories only. The below table pertains to imports of China textiles and apparel, and lists selected data for the categories that CITA self-initiated safeguard quota proceedings for (338/339, 347/348, 352/652) as well as the categories that are the subject of domestic industry petitions for safeguard quotas (currently 340/640, 345/645/646, 349/649, 350/650, 620, 638/639, and 647/648).

A comparison of official January 2005 data with official February 2005 data indicates that imports continued to rise (except for categories 350 and 646). A comparison of preliminary data for March 13-26, 2005 with preliminary data for March 27-April 9, 2005 also indicates that imports continue to rise (except for categories 345 and 650). It is also useful to compare official total 2004 imports with official February 2005 and official January 2005 imports.

('O 'denotes official import data from Census, while 'P' denotes preliminary import data from CBP. Data is in dozen, except for category 620, where the data is in square meters.)

One of the additional reports contain data for merged categories only. The below table pertains to imports of China textiles and apparel, and lists selected data for the merged categories that CITA self-initiated safeguard quota proceedings for (338/339, 347/348, 352/652) as well as the merged categories (except 620) that are the subject of domestic industry petitions for safeguard quotas (currently 340/640, 345/645/646, 349/649, 350/650, 620, 638/639, and 647/648).

The below table compares official total 2004 import data with official January plus February 2005 import data, and also indicates the percentage increase in imports when comparing January - February 2005 official data to January - February 2004 official data.

The last column, titled '12 months ending February 28, 2005,' indicates total official imports for the twelve month period of March 1, 2004 - February 28, 2005.

(If CITA imposes a safeguard quota on a China category or merged category, it will be based on more current "12 month ending " quantity, plus up to 7.5% (i.e., beginning on the date that China receives a request for consultations regarding a safeguard quota, China must restrict its shipments to the U.S. of the subject product(s) to a level no greater than 7.5% (6% for wool product categories) above the amount entered during the first 12 months of the most recent 14 months preceding the request. In addition, the U.S. is expected to implement this level as a quota limit.)

('O' denotes official import data from Census. Data is in dozen, except for category 620, where the data is in square meters.)

(See CITA reports for details on the product coverage, including certain exceptions.)

(See ITT's Online Archives, or 04/06/05 news, 05040630 for BP summary of CITA preliminary import data for January 2005.)

Preliminary import data available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/prelimadmin/prelimdata.htm