BEIJING, (AFP) - China's textile sector is looking to shift some production offshore as it braces for the announcement this week of more limits on its exports to the United States, industry insiders said. A ruling by Washington on safeguards against five categories of Chinese clothing is set to add new urgency to the strategic rethink underway among mainland textile makers. Edward Cheung, an analyst with Hong Kong-based Tai Fook Research, said major Chinese manufacturers are considering moving

Sounding optimistic, US Trade Representative Robert Portman says textile disputes between US and Chinese were on the verge reaching an agreement but not there as yet, Tuesday.Coming out from the fifth round of meeting between US & Chinese trade representatives, he announced to reporters that the process of working through product coverage issues, growth rates was currently on, and "We're inching closer, but we're not there yet."US & Chinese trade representatives have embarked on a missio

South Africa Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa has stated that the government will not invoke World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules to stop importation of cheap Chinese clothing into South Africa, Sunday. He was no convinced that such an action (under Article 16 A of the WTO) be taken against China, even though huge pressure had built up in South Africa for the government to go for safeguards on the issue of clothing and imports from China.However, he agreed to review tariffs on raw mat

Apparel exporters have demanded changes in the proposed new reimbursement scheme which will replace the current duty entitlement passbook scheme (DEPB) by 2005-end. They want the new scheme to factor in all local levies incurred during production and marketing of the products. As per the current proposal, some levies- the rural development cess, the textile committee cess and the mandi fee- that account for 2.5% of the cost of the products, are not to be neutralised under the scheme, which env

In order to ensure that all the seven stages of textile chains are implemented, domestic textile manufacturers have sought Government policy guidelines.Noting that the industry was yet to be exploited to its fullest potential, Phoenix Logistics Chief Yuichi Kashiwada said that all the stages include cotton production, ginning, spinning, knitting and bleaching, weaving and garment making be included.Kashiwada was speaking to the press ahead of Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s visit of his factory on

The Ministry of Agriculture limited cultivation of transgenic cotton in order to preserve the cultivation of wild, native cotton in the country, Paulo Barroso, a researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company (Embrapa), explained in an interview with the Radio Nacional, Saturday.An administrative order signed last week by the minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues, prohibits the cultivation of transgenic cotton in northern Bahia; the Serid?region, which covers parts of the states

South Africa Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa has stated that the government will not invoke World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules to stop importation of cheap Chinese clothing into South Africa, Sunday. He was no convinced that such an action (under Article 16 A of the WTO) be taken against China, even though huge pressure had built up in South Africa for the government to go for safeguards on the issue of clothing and imports from China. However, he agreed to review tariffs on raw

In spite of Washington's announcement earlier this year to limit imports of Chinese combed cotton yarn, shipments have not exceeded quota limits. Accordingly, should Washington agree to reapply safeguard measures, the quota will be lower than set for 2005. Total US imports of both combed and carded varieties have declined this year whilst plummeting in September. South Korea, Thailand and India have increased shipments in 2005. Earlier this year, Washington decided to impose a quota on imports

Sponsored by China National Textile and Apparel Council, jointly organized by the Sub-Council of Textile Industry of CCPIT, Messe Frankfurt Hong Kong and China Textile Information Center, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics opened on October 26 in Shanghai as scheduled. It will last to October 29, 2005. 1530 exhibitors from 25 countries or regions appeared at the exhibition, among which 964 are from Mainland China and 567 from the overseas. The total exhibition area reaches 63,000 square meter

Some Chinese shoemakers are likely to suffer following charges from the European Union (EU) that they have dumped cheap footwear onto the EU market. This is according to several of China's top shoemakers, some of whom are preparing for inspections from the European Commission over this issue. And Zhang Guiping, an official with Liuxin Industrial Ltd, a shoe company based in Jiangsu Province, said European buyers at the 98th Chinese Export Commodities Fair, held in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province,