Wool Fabric Legislation Introduced in House

March 28, 2008 - Reps. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.) and Melissa Bean (Ill.) introduced a bill (H.R.4831) to extend the American Wool Trust and temporary duty reductions and suspensions on certain wool products.

The current wool program represents a carefully crafted compromise supported by the three segments of the wool production chain--the domestic wool mills, the fabric manufacturers and U.S. wool producers. The legislation is best known in the sheep industry for the wool programming that the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) provides on wool product development, quality improvement and wool market expansion.

"Over the last seven years of the program, the wool fabric provisions have been deemed a success by all involved parties. As the temporary duty treatment on wool fabric expires in 2009, it is timely that suit manufacturers, mills and producers support an extension of the wool legislation," commented Peter Orwick, ASI executive director. "If the legislation is not extended, industry would return to the severe political battles regarding legislation that existed in the late 1990's."
Staff contact: Peter Orwick, ext. 33

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