Wilbur L. Ross, Chairman of Burlington Industries said, “We are delighted with the Administration's decision regarding the China safeguards. The textile and apparel industries have been hurt severely by inappropriate behavior on the part of China and other exporting countries.

“There is nothing inconsistent between movement toward relaxation of trade barriers and moderation of shock waves and it is encouraging that the Administration is mindful of the textile industry's precarious condition. We believe that the real solution to the China problem is to revise the January 1, 2005 quota date to a more gradual phase in over a number of years. That would give the industry a chance to consolidate and restructure itself to cope with the inevitable globalization.”