Outdoor Industry Association and Snowsports Industries of America are working together to solve problems arising from the recent three-year, U.S.-China apparel agreement and the included exemption on ski and snowboard pants. The two organizations have drafted a joint letter which includes a ski and snowboard pant definition. This letter was sent to Jim Leonard, Chairman of the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements and Scott Quesenberry, Special Textile Negotiator at the US Trade Representative. A meeting of Leonard, Quesenberry and both OIA's and SIA's trade counsels is scheduled for April 6th.
The letter requests a reconsideration of certain rulings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that are holding up the delivery of certain technical outerwear pants. OIA and SIA describe these rulings as “unduly restrictive interpretations” and “at odds with the original intent of the exclusion.”
In addition, the two industry organizations included a new, slightly broader definition of ski/snowboard pants. OIA and SIA both agree that these modifications can be made without undermining the intent or effect of the original exclusion.
The issue began in January of last year when existing trade quotas were removed from all apparel coming out of China, a change that was ten years in the making as part of Chinas entry into the WTO. In the following months, many apparel vendors placed an unprecedented number of orders with third-party Chinese manufacturing companies. In late June, the Department of Commerce placed quotas on apparel imports from China. Those quotas, which were quickly filled when larger vendors and retailers aggressively moved to secure deliveries, then turned into an embargo (See BOSS_0535). OIA and SIA worked together to end the embargo and protect the industry through the winter. However, some of the restrictions placed on trade are still having an effect on outerwear, particularly pants.
