Textile manufacturers concerned on climate bill

A U.S. House of Representatives bill on climate change and energy passed by a seven-vote margin, and textile lobbyists vow to work on a Senate version that answers manufacturers’ concerns. The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) opposed the bill, “because it will significantly increase energy costs for domestic manufacturers and not those of its overseas competitors,” says Cass Johnson, president of NCTO. The bill provides a border adjustment tax to offset the advantage to countries without a carbon tax, but President Obama indicated reluctance to add that provision. Follow the House version H.R. 2454 at www.house.gov.