Not for Uncle Sam cheap China-made T-shirts and underwear in such abundant supply.
The United States government would prefer its citizens to pay more to dress up rather than have cheaper clothes seemingly dumped on American shores by the Chinese export juggernaut.
Moreover, US jobs and the domestic market need to be protected from rising and disruptive Chinese shipments.
So said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in announcing Washington's decision to impose safeguard quotas on three categories of Chinese-made garments - cotton trousers, cotton knit shirts and synthetic underwear.
The action 'demonstrates this administration's commitment to levelling the playing field for US industry by enforcing our trade agreements', Mr Gutierrez said, earning praise from US textile producers.
But what the US has really done is deal a blow to free trade while raising the cost of living for its own consumers.