The Sino-US textile agreement?has taken effect as of
January 1, 2006, imposing quotas on a total of 21 types of clothing
and textiles from China by 2008.
After seven rounds of talks, the United States and China in
November, 2005 signed a three-year agreement on textile trade,
imposing quotas on Chinese textile products but clearing a major
obstacle to bilateral trade.
A total of 21 types of clothing and textiles have been placed
under the import restrictions, including cotton trousers. The
agreement provides for a progressive increase in imports of major
textiles and apparel products from China -- by 10 to 15 percent in
2006, 12.5 to 16 percent in 2007, and 15 to 17 percent in 2008.
Meanwhile some ten kinds of Chinese textile and apparel products
exported to the European Union have also been put under quota
restrictions, according to an agreement reached by the two sides in
June 2005.
"The two textile agreements eliminate most uncertainties faced
by Chinese clothing enterprises when exporting goods to two of the
most important overseas markets," said Mei Xinyu, a research fellow
with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.
On the basis of the two textile agreements, the Chinese Ministry
of Commerce has drafted regulations on the textile quota
application process, and from 2006, Chinese textile and apparel
companies will try to get those quotas through the new system.
In terms of the textile export to the United States, thirty
percent of the agreed quota in 2006 is distributed through public
bidding, according to the regulation of the Ministry of
Commerce.
In December 2005, thousands of qualified textile enterprises in
China joined the first bidding for export quotas on 21 categories
of textiles to the United States in 2006.
The heated on-line bid has caused congestion on the official
website for bid invitations. In response, the government has
prolonged the bid period by another 24 hours. Insiders attribute
the fierce competition to a half-year block on some kinds of
products to the United States.
Following the elimination of the global textile quota on January
1, 2005, the United States and the European Union claimed that the
surge of textile imports from China had disrupted their domestic
market.
Both of them put restrictive measures against some categories of
Chinese textile products since mid-2005, arousing strong objection
from China. China started to hold rounds of negotiations with them,
which resulted in the two textile agreements.
Quota bid will surely increase cost of Chinese textile
exporters, so under new circumstances, Chinese textile enterprises
need to accelerate industrial upgrading and enhance self-innovation
capability so as to meet the new challenges, insiders
suggested.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2006)