The Council for Trade in Goods, on 1 July 2008, agreed to come back to a new textiles proposal from Turkey at its next meeting after differing views were expressed about it by delegations.
Turkey reiterated its proposal tabled at the previous meeting calling for an examination of trade in textiles since the end of quota arrangements in 2005.
It proposed compiling studies on the subject by some international organizations, and discussing their findings in a WTO workshop. Turkey said it had been consulting on this proposal with a number of delegations, including China.
Chinese Taipei, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jordan, Mauritius, Morocco and Tunisia supported the proposal. The European Union said that while there is no question about turning back the clock on textiles liberalization, it would be constructive for members to exchange views on trade in textiles.
The United States said the Turkish proposal on textiles had evolved into something more modest, and, as such, believed the paper should no longer be a cause of concern to other delegations.
China maintained its systemic concern that no sector should be singled out, adding this concern remained with the new proposal from Turkey.
It said the best forum for seeking changes in textile rules would be the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Market Access. India, Thailand, Pakistan and Hong Kong, China shared China's systemic concern.
Turkey said it would continue bilateral discussions on its proposal. The Chair, Amb. Karen Tan (Singapore), encouraged delegations to consult with each other on this issue.
On another subject, the United States said it would submit before the next meeting an updated waiver request on the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA).
It also has outstanding waiver requests on two other preference programmes: the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act.
Paraguay reiterated its objection to the granting of these waivers, and urged the United States to end what it said was trade discrimination due to the non-inclusion of Paraguay in ATPA.
The next meeting of the Goods Council is scheduled for 18 November 2008.
source:fibre2fashion.com
