The US Commerce Department will start tracking and releasing timely data on imports of apparel and textiles. Carlos M. Gutierrez, Commerce Secretary, says the new procedure will provide reports every other week on textile and apparel imports. The new monitoring system should be in place by the first week of April.

The decision came after North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole has requested the release of this information.

The expiration of global textile trade quotas at the end of 2004 is expected to disrupt the US textile and apparel industry, which blames job losses of the past few years on competition from low-wage countries.

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