To conclude, taking into consideration all above main criteria, the strongest case for an immediate EU action would be on category 6 (men trousers), which is furthermore a very sensitive product for EU weavers and spinners as still completely manufactured in the EU and the preferential Pan Euro Med Area.
SIGL DATA – state of licensing, July 2008
The state of the double checking system’s statistics in July concerning the export licenses given by China and the import licenses authorized by the EU –SIGL- is clearly more alarming than the situation as regards actual import statistics on 31 April 2008.
According to the state of SIGL statistics one can claim that all categories of products concerned by the double check would exceed the guidelines consultations’ thresholds for the implementation of a safeguard.
In three cases (dresses, trousers and blouses), annual thresholds are already very much exceeded and it is clear that well before the end of the year, all other categories of imported products will have exceeded the respective consultation threshold (even if for flax yarns, it will be within the limits).
NCTO BRIEFS KEY EMBASSIES ON CHINA THREAT
On June 25th, NCTO President Cass Johnson briefed more than one dozen embassies from major exporting countries on the threat from China regarding the expiration of safeguards and asked for their assistance in letting Congress and the Administration know that action must be taken to safeguard their export markets. Johnson distributed information to each embassy showing how vulnerable their export markets were and detailing China’s behavior during the 2005 quota removal.
Ex Source: NCTO press materials, 30 June 2008
