Before the end of 2004, in anticipation of the lifting of quotas on apparel imports, many large American clothing companies placed rush orders in China for billions of dollars worth of goods which flooded into the United States after the global quotas were lifted. This has set off a reaction throughout the world that may lead China to increase tariffs and curb exports, and the U.S. to impose safeguards to reduce the number of garments coming from China in the near future including enacting new quotas and antidumping legislation.
See "Furor Over China Imports Makes Future Supply Uncertain", Tracie Rozhon, The New York Times, April 20, 2005