WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. textile makers are fighting White House efforts to normalize trade relations with Vietnam.

The administration is pushing the U.S. Senate to approve such normalization by Nov. 18 when U.S. President George Bush is due in Hanoi to open the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, The Washington Post said Monday.

The White House has offered unique protections for domestic textile makers: A twice-yearly Commerce Department review of "whether there is sufficient evidence to initiate an anti-dumping investigation of any textile or apparel goods from Vietnam" and anti-dumping penalties that could be applied "retroactively" to retailers so they would be encouraged to buy from Bangladesh and Cambodia, not Vietnam.

But the U.S. textile lobby is not satisfied.

"We're pretty upset," Eric Autor, vice president of the National Retail Federation, told the Post.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have blocked a vote on the normalization measure.

Source: politicalgateway.com