U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis said Monday he will vote for President Bush's Central American trade agreement because it will protect the Upstate's beleaguered textile industry and reign in China's abuses of open American markets.

"It is a reasonable risk and I think that it's going to work out," the 4th District Republican said. "Now, it's not perfect. It's not going to bring all the (textile) jobs back. But I think that it's going to put us in a better position to compete with China."

Inglis had expressed doubts about the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, saying the measure needed better assurances that China would not be able to use trade loopholes to sneak goods into the United States duty free.

Those concerns have been addressed by the Bush administration and industry officials and Inglis said he now supports the pact, which will create duty-free markets for American businesses in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.