| China cries foul as EU plans probe into textile imports { April 29 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1093640.cmshttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1093640.cms
China cries foul as EU plans probe into textile imports REUTERS[ FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2005 11:54:01 PM]
BEIJING: China reiterated its opposition to any measures by the US and Europe to restrict its booming, multi-billion dollar textile exports, seeing them as a violation of free trade principles and existing trade protocols.
“Our position is already well known,” Zhang Lei, a spokeswoman at the ministry of commerce said, when asked about US and EU moves to start proceedings that could limit Chinese textile exports in an effort to protect their domestic industry.
Ms Zhang said that statements by officials that efforts to restrict exports were a violation of free trade, smacked of protectionism and threatened the principles of the WTO. In Washington, officials said that a government committee had agreed to consider a request from the US textile industry for “safeguard action” limiting imports of seven types of textile and clothing products from China.
The committee for implementation of textile agreements said it will launch 30 days of public soundings before spending 60 days deciding whether quotas should be re-imposed.
An EU executive commission said it was opening a 60-day review of nine categories of Chinese textile imports to see whether restrictions should be enforced.
The textiles trade on both sides of the Atlantic complains that thousands of jobs have been lost since the full force of China's textiles industry was unleashed with the end of the 31-year-old global quota system on January 1.
"China is firmly opposed to limitations imposed by other countries," Trade Minister Bo Xilai said while in Jakarta on Monday.
"China does not bear the main responsibility for the phenomenon of steep rises in the exports of Chinese textiles in certain markets," he said.
"This decision is against the usual position of free trade, of the EU government and threatens the long-term stable development of the China-EU textile trade," commerce ministry spokesman Chong Quan said Tuesday as the EU signalled its dissatisfaction with China's export boom.
"We hope that the EU can acknowledges fully the negative influence on bilateral trade relations when it imposes limits on Chinese textile products."
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