Excise Policy News
- France wants delay to China textile quota lifting
Date: 21-Jun-2007 Sources: (Shenzhen Daily)
FRANCE wants to push for an extension of quotas on Chinese textile imports that are due to expire at the end of this year, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday.
'Europe must help us and must stop being naive about globalization,' Fillon told reporters during a visit to a textiles factory in northern France.
'We will fight to push back the 2008 date for the lifting of quotas on Chinese textiles, like the United States.'
Paris wants the European Union to do more to protect industry and workers from the fallout from globalization. China and the European Commission said last week they would stick to a 2005 accord under which the quotas expire at the end of 2007.
Christine Lagarde, who was appointed French economy minister Tuesday, said in Tourcoing: 'The EU must return to negotiate with China in the framework of the WTO (World Trade Organization) for more protection, notably on the subject of Chinese textiles.'
In 2005 a surge of Chinese clothing and textiles prompted the European Commission, which represents EU member states in world trade talks, to negotiate quotas with China.
But the quotas quickly filled up, leaving goods impounded in ports and new limits had to be negotiated.
Sponsor Results:
