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United States Of America : Quota Likely To Be Re-Impose On Some Clothing From China |
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2003-6-27 8:26:00
If United States will have evidence that increase in imports is hurting textile producers, US will re-impose quotas on some clothing from China, said a top U.S. trade official.
The United States was required to eliminate import quotas on Chinese apparel in 29 categories when Beijing joined the World Trade Organization in late 2001. But under the terms of its entry into the world trade body, Beijing agreed to allow the United States to temporarily reimpose quotas if imports surged dramatically.
U.S. Commerce Undersecretary Grant Aldonas said "The (import) safeguard is there for a reason and the Chinese should not be under any illusion that we're not going to exercise our rights".
U.S. textile producers fear China could capture 65 percent to 75
percent of the U.S. apparel market in just a few years if trends continue. They plan to file petitions soon asking for "safeguard" quotas to be imposed.
Aldonas said the Bush administration would not hesitate to impose quotas in any case where it was confident it could defend that action before the WTO.
"We really want the facts to be there" before the United States seeks consultations with China on voluntary restrictions or imposes quotas on its own, he said.
Aldonas dismissed suggestions that U.S. safeguards would open the door for Chinese retaliation, saying Beijing would have no right to take that action under the agreement.
Meanwhile, the United States and other developed countries are required to eliminate all remaining quotas on textile imports by the beginning of 2005.
Although developing countries pushed hard for that provision in the
1994 Uruguay Round world trade pact, many are having second thoughts about eliminating the quota system.
They worry that with increased competition from China they will lose their current share of the U.S. market.
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