Thomaston Mills, USA Manufacturer, has Bed Sheets in stock for Hospitals and Health Centers During the Covid-19 Crisis

Thomaston Mills, a producer of quality linens for the hospitality, healthcare and retail sectors since 1899, is one of the largest remaining manufacturers of bed linens in the USA. With over 100 years of experience in the textile industry, Thomaston Mills has been honored to be a known as a quick turnaround supplier during difficult times.

Now, with the ramp up of beds in hospitals and the conversion of hotels to shelters and healthcare facilities, they are ready with large quantities of bed and bath supplies. The company workforce is following CDC guidelines and is prepared with strategies to quickly ship product. They have thousands of flat, fitted, draw and surgical sheets and pillowcases in stock, available for immediate purchase. Towels, washcloths and hand towels are also in inventory ready for quick shipment. Thomaston plants in Georgia and South Carolina have millions of yards of fabric available to use for manufacturing all custom requirements which can be shipped in as little as 1 week.

GSA schedule contracts are available for companies looking to supply government facilities.

Thomaston hopes everyone stays healthy and safe during this difficult time and wants to thank all of the healthcare workers for their service.

For more information, please contact:

Timothy Voit
Chief Marketing Officer
Email: tvoit(at)thomastonmills(dot)com
Web: thomastonmills.com
135 Greenwood Avenue
Wyncote PA 19095 USA
Phone: 1-877-474-3300 ext 2336

About Thomaston Mills
Thomaston Mills prides itself on crafting quality linens with a focus on its customers. A leading manufacturer of quality linens since 1899, they are one of the largest manufacturers of Hospitality and Healthcare bed linens in the USA.

USTR to Consider China 301 Exclusions for Medical Care Products

In imposing tariffs on goods from China as part of the Section 301 action, the United States determined to not impose tariffs on certain critical products such as ventilators, oxygen masks, and nubilators. In addition, over the past year, USTR granted exclusions for a large number of health-related products. Notably, the imposition of tariffs on certain Chinese imports has not resulted in an overall decline in the availability of needed medical equipment and supplies. In fact, U.S. imports in 2019 of all critical medical and pharmaceutical products were up over 20 percent since 2017, before Section 301 tariffs were imposed.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, USTR and the Department of Health and Human Services worked together to ensure that critical medicines and other essential medical products were not subject to additional Section 301 tariffs, including parts needed for MRI devices, combined PET/CT scanners, certain radiation therapy equipment, air purification equipment, and parts of homecare beds; sterile electrosurgical tools; digital clinical thermometers; and more.

In a notice scheduled for publication in the March 25, 2020, Federal Register the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting public comments on possible further modifications to remove duties from additional medicalcare products.

Coalition of Iconic American Apparel Brands & Textile Companies Heeds Call of Nation to Produce Medical Face Masks

A coalition of iconic American apparel brands and textile companies, responding to the urgent call of the White House for medical supplies, have come together to build a supply chain virtually overnight and fast-track the manufacturing of medical face masks to help hospitals, health care workers and citizens battling the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Parkdale Inc.-- the largest yarn spinner in the U.S. headquartered in North Carolina—helped lead the effort to build the coalition with Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom and six other companies to set up a manufacturing supply chain and begin ramping up production of the masks.

The coalition consists of iconic American brands such as Hanesbrands and Fruit of the Loom, often competitors in the marketplace, who are banding together for the greater good of a nation facing one if its most monumental challenges.

American Giant, Los Angeles Apparel, AST Sportswear, Sanmar, America Knits, Beverly Knits and Riegel Linen are also part of the coalition working tirelessly to respond to a national emergency in the nation’s time of need.

Dr. Peter Navarro, assistant to the President and director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, worked with the coalition and helped expedite the production of these masks. The first face masks have been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The companies expect to begin production on Monday and will make the first deliveries by mid-week.

They are dedicating their assets, resources and manufacturing capacities to create a high output of facemasks. Once fully ramped up in four to five weeks, the companies expect to produce up to 10 million facemasks per week in the United States and in Central America.

If companies are interested in dedicating resources to help the cause, please reach out to the National Council of Textile Organizations at kellis@ncto.org.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.

The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.

U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.

Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives for a United States-Republic of Kenya Trade Agreement

On March 23, 2020, the Office of the United States Trade Representative published in the Federal Register (85 FR 16450) Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives for a United States-Republic of Kenya Trade Agreement.

On March 17, 2020, the U.S Trade Representative notified Congress of the Administration's intent to enter into negotiations with the Republic of Kenya (Kenya) for a U.S.-Kenya trade agreement. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on a proposed U.S.-Kenya trade agreement, including U.S. interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating positions. You can provide comments in writing and orally at a public hearing. The Administration's aim in negotiations with Kenya is to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers and to achieve free, fair, and reciprocal trade.

April 15, 2020 is the deadline for the submission of written comments and for written notification of your intent to testify, as well as a summary of your testimony at the public hearing.

On April 28, 2020: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will hold a public hearing beginning at 9:30 a.m., in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20508.

The TPSC invites interested parties to submit comments and/or oral testimony to assist USTR as it develops negotiating objectives and positions for the agreement, including with regard to objectives identified in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4201). In particular, the TPSC invites interested parties to comment on issues that USTR should address in the negotiations including, but not limited to, the following:

a. General and product-specific negotiating objectives for the proposed agreement.

b. Relevant barriers to trade in goods and services between the United States and Kenya.

c. Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of removal or reduction of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on articles traded with Kenya.

d. Treatment of specific goods (classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States or HTSUS) under the proposed agreement, including comments on the following:

i. Product-specific import or export interests or barriers.

ii. Experience with particular measures that USTR should address in the negotiations.

iii. Ways to address export priorities and import sensitivities in the context of the proposed agreement.

e. Fees, charges, and taxes affecting trade in goods and services between the United States and Kenya.

f. Customs and trade facilitation issues, including those related to pre-shipment inspection.

g. Sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade.

h. Transparency issues.

i. Other measures or practices, including those of third-country entities, which undermine fair market opportunities for U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and ranchers.

Fine Animal Hair Yarn, MMF Tow, Polyurethane Coated Fabric, and Certain Stretch Knits Excluded from China 301

On March 20, 2020, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced 177 new China 301 Exclusions.

57) Yarn of cashmere or camel hair, carded but not combed, not put up for retail sale (described in statistical reporting number 5108.10.8000)

58) Polyester filament tow, weighing at least 225 ktex but not more than 275 ktex (described in statistical reporting number 5501.20.0000)

59) Polypropylene fiber tow weighing at least 225 ktex but not more than 275 ktex (described in statistical reporting number 5501.40.0000)

60) Textile fabrics of woven polyester or of a blend of cotton and polyester, coated on one side with expanded polyurethane which comprises more than 70 percent of the total weight of the product, the entire thickness of the fabric measuring at least 0.8 mm but not more than 1.22 mm in thickness and weighing at least 350 g/m² or more but not more than 425 g/m² (described in statistical reporting number 5903.20.2000)

61) Circular single knitted fabric, containing by weight 96 percent polyester and 4 percent spandex, dyed (described in statistical reporting number 6006.32.0080)

Additional Days for CBP Payments due to COVID-19

Due to the severity of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced it will approve, on a case by case basis, additional days for payment of estimated duties, taxes and fees due to this emergency. Requests should be directed to the Office of Trade, Trade Policy and Programs at OTentrysummary@cbp.dhs.gov.

Analysis of China 301 Tranche 4A Exclusions

On August 20, 2019, at the direction of the President, the U.S. Trade Representative determined to modify the action being taken in the investigation by imposing additional duties of 10 percent ad valorem on goods of China with an annual trade value of approximately $300 billion as part of the action in the Section 301 investigation of China’s acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The additional duties on products in List 1, which is set out in Annex A of that action, became effective on September 1, 2019. On August 30, 2019, at the direction of the President, the U.S. Trade Representative determined to increase the rate of the additional duty applicable to the tariff subheadings covered by the action announced in the August 20 notice from 10 percent to 15 percent. On January 22, 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative determined to reduce the rate from 15 percent to 7.5 percent.

The U.S. Trade Representative initiated a product exclusion process in October 2019, and interested persons have submitted requests for the exclusion of specific products. This notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative’s determination to grant certain exclusion requests, as specified in the Annex to this notice. The U.S. Trade Representative will continue to issue decisions on pending requests on a periodic basis.

USTR received 30,283 exclusion requests relating to this list, Tranche 4A. As of March 20, 2020, exclusions were granting relating to 802 requests. 25,665 requests were denied. The remaining 3,816 are still pending.