Aimed at better protecting US textile industry, such a marker would possibly result in additional cost and paperwork, manufacturers fear.

US authorities already selected three technologies which could be used "to help fight fraudulent foreign trading practices," Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Grant Aldonas explained at the annual meeting of the ATMI, the lobbying arm of the US textile industry.

Marking fabrics

Under the new project, US textile producers would mark fabrics before they are sent to low-cost countries and used in production of apparel. Such a "textile tracer" would help the US customs in identifying apparel made from US textiles and therefore benefiting from US preferential treatment.

If successfully implemented, the system could also be used for fighting illegal transshipments of Asian imports. Apparel producers in low-cost countries would be forced using domestic fabrics, therefore complying with US rules of origin.

The three technologies were selected by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) which is part of US Energy Department.

They are ultraviolet fluorescent marks, nanobarcodes and a DNA-based marker system.

Far from selecting one of the technologies, the US administration could finally invest in all three proposed solutions, Aldonas told US textile manufacturers.

Political ground

The use of a textile marker was suggested for the first time by Republican senator Elisabeth Dole during her election campaign in North Carolina, in 2002. She was finally elected to replace Jesse Helms, a now retired supporter of US textile protectionism.

Following November elections, the US Department of commerce and the US Trade Department asked the ORNL to investigate possible technologies. About US$60,000 were already spent in this first phase, according to domestic newspapers.

Although the textile tracer is strongly supported by US politicians from textile states, future implementation will be far from easy.

First, marking fabrics could add to already high costs. Second, an apparel is made from a large series of components. US customs could therefore meet difficulties in identifying all parts.

Third, manufacturers fear that implementing textile tracer will result in additional paperwork in an industry already drowned in formalities.