WASHINGTON, March 23: The governors of the three largest textile-producing states in the United States have called for federal action to stem rampant layoffs and plant closings they blame largely on competition from cheaper Asian imports.

South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley called on Friday for aggressive enforcement of trade agreements and a cash infusion from Washington to retrain laid-off workers who have been losing their jobs as US consumers and merchants snap up Asian textiles.

Textile executives also blamed trade agreements that they say favour foreign countries with cheap labour.

The comments were made at a small college campus in Dallas, North Carolina during what was dubbed a “textile summit.” State officials were joined by about a dozen experts who shared prescriptions to help the hemorraghing of the textile industry.

They called for more federal money to research new textile technologies, guarantee bank loans to textile companies and attract new industries to economically depressed areas.

“Every day, every month that we delay, another plant closes and more jobs are lost,” Easley said.

“Equity demands that the government act to help textile workers.”

North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia together account for about two-thirds of the US textile work force.

The Carolinas have lost nearly 200,000 textile jobs since 1997, leaving some rural counties with unemployment rates nearly triple the national average.

The governors acknowledged they have little control over the industry’s fate.

But they said they hope to compel the Bush administration to aid the struggling industry, just as it has helped the steel and airline industries in recent months.—AFP