China opposes US to impose fabric import quotas

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 21, 2003

China opposes US to impose fabric import quotas

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Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Ma Xiuhong summoned US Ambassador to China Clark Randt for an emergency meeting on Thursday, expressing deep regret and firm opposition to the US decision to impose import quotas on Chinese fabric products.

The United States decided on Monday to request negotiations on imports from China of knit fabrics, bras, dressing gowns and robes as safeguard measures, which could trigger the imposition of import quotas.

The US decision will negatively impact China-US trade and harm the interests of the United States itself, Ma said, adding that US exports of raw fabric materials, finished products and textile machinery to China surged in recent years.

China hopes the United States fully recognize the negative impact on normal trade between the two countries caused by abusing safeguard measures on fabric products and urges the United States to withdraw its wrong decision, Ma said.

Since September last year, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce had pointed out many times that the US textile industry had failed to prove in its application for restrictions that the reduction of US textile products was the result of imports from China, Ma said.

The US decision did not conform to the US Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements' procedure on special safeguards against Chinese textile products and garments, and to the contents of the working group report on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ma said.

"The US administration's decision to request negotiations regardless of the fact runs against the WTO principles on free trade, transparency and non-discrimination," Ma said.

"As a WTO member, China reserves the right to appeal to the relevant organizations of the WTO to safeguard the interests of Chinese industries," she added.

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