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China warns US: Handle textile imports carefully

BEIJING - China has warned the United States that booming bilateral trade ties will be "seriously" hit if Washington abused special safeguard measures to impose an import quota on the communist giant's fabric products.

The US government's action encouraged industries to abuse special safeguard measures on Chinese fabric products, which permit import restriction under easy conditions, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Chong Quan said.

The US Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements, accepted an appeal from domestic industry on imports limitation of certain cotton yarn, accusing export growth of such products of disrupting the US market.

It is the seventh such application adopted by US authorities since last month, following re-imposed import quotas on bathrobes, bras, socks and certain textiles, and another six restriction applications on cotton and fabric textiles, including trousers and shirts.

"Chinese government has strived to solve the problem through enhancing exchange and cooperation," Chong said, "however, the US government ignored that."

Some US industrial organizations require restrictions on Chinese textile products based on an assumption, damaging the free trade of textile products, and will extend import quotas in another way, he said.

(Asia Pulse/PTI)

Nov 25, 2004

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