DOCSLIB.ORG

An Asian Look at the Evolving Global Textiles & Clothing Trade After

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Asian Look at the Evolving Global Textiles & Clothing Trade After University of New South Wales University of New South Wales Faculty of Law Research Series 2009 Year 2009 Paper 16 The Statistics Tell a Story; An Asian Look at the Evolving Global Textiles & Clothing Trade after Quota Expiry Umair Ghori∗ ∗University of New South Wales This working paper is hosted by The Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) and may not be commer- cially reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder. http://law.bepress.com/unswwps-flrps09/art16 Copyright c 2009 by the author. The Statistics Tell a Story; An Asian Look at the Evolving Global Textiles & Clothing Trade after Quota Expiry Umair Ghori Abstract Textiles and clothing is a sector of critical importance to developing and least developed countries in terms of employment and export earnings. Majority of these countries are forced to be over-reliant on this sector for lack of better al- ternatives. With the end of quotas in 2005 and the resulting increase in compe- tition, many countries are facing serious adjustment challenges including pref- erence erosion, loss of market share in the prime export markets of the US and EU, heightened competition from China and other countries possessing compar- ative advantage in this sector, reduction in average prices of exports (amongst others). There were numerous case studies that attempted to predict the effects of quota elimination. However, in light of the available statistics and figures, many of the pre-elimination predictions have proven to be inaccurate. Many countries that were predicted to be “winners” have not as successful as anticipated earlier and many countries that were predicted as “victims” have emerged as survivors and posted respectable growth rates. This article highlights the evolving global trade in textiles and assesses the pre-elimination estimates in light of the available statistics. “The Statistics Tell a Story; An Asian Look at the Evolving Global Textiles & Clothing Trade after Quota Expiry.” Umair Hafeez Ghori ∗∗∗ CONTENTS INTRODUCTION [2] I. BRIEF HISTORY LEADING UP TO QUOTA-EXPIRY [3] II. TRANSITION TOWARDS QUOTA ELIMINATION [5] III. OVERVIEW & SCOPE OF THE ARTICLE [10] IV. CASE STUDIES [13] i. China [13] (a) US-China [18] (b) EU-China [24] ii. South Asia/SAARC [29] (a) India and Pakistan [34] (b) South Asian LDCs [47] iii. Far-East/ASEAN [61] (a) Cambodia [68] (b) Indonesia [74] (c) Malaysia [81] (d) Philippines [87] (e) Thailand [93] (f) Vietnam [103] V. CONCLUSION [114] ABSTRACT Textiles and clothing is a sector of critical importance to developing and least developed countries in terms of employment and export earnings. Majority of these countries are forced to be over-reliant on this sector for lack of better alternatives. With the end of quotas in 2005 and the resulting increase in competition, many countries are facing serious adjustment challenges including preference erosion, loss of market share in the prime export markets of the US and EU, heightened competition from China and other countries possessing comparative advantage in this sector, reduction in average prices of exports (amongst others). There were numerous case studies that attempted to predict the effects of quota elimination. However, in light of the available statistics and figures, many of the pre-elimination predictions have proven to be inaccurate. Many countries that were predicted to be “winners” have not as successful as anticipated earlier and many countries that were predicted as ∗ Sessional Lecturer, University of New South Wales (e-mail: [email protected]). The author thanks Prof. Ross Buckley for his valuable guidance and support. All responsibility for views, omissions and errors rests solely with the author. Hosted by The Berkeley Electronic Press “victims” have emerged as survivors and posted respectable growth rates. This article highlights the evolving global trade in textiles and assesses the pre-elimination estimates in light of the available statistics. INTRODUCTION Textiles and agriculture represent key concerns of the developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs) in the WTO. Most such countries have traditional agrarian backgrounds and, unlike industrialized nations, rely on agricultural output for sustaining economic activity. Within these countries, the textiles sector engages large amounts of labor and, with low initial capital and relatively simple technology required, traditionally represents the first step on the road to industrialization.1 The global trade in textiles achieved a milestone in January 2005, with the abolition of quotas. This was a major shift in an area vital to the economies of the developing countries and LDCs as trade in textiles and clothing may offer the only feasible route to industrialization for many of these countries. These countries are vulnerable to changes in global financial and trading patterns and rely on textiles industries for providing employment to their populace. Most developing countries, particularly in Asia, are forced to be overly reliant on textiles industries due to economic constraints and for lack of better alternatives. The textiles and apparel sector has fewer barriers to entry and does not require huge capital investment or highly skilled workers. Yet, this sector has also been the subject of extensive protectionist policies since the beginning of the industrial revolution. 2 1 See Kitty G. Dickerson, Textile Trade: The GATT Exception , 11 St. John’s J. Legal Comment. 393, 393 (1996); Kitty G. Dickerson , Textiles and Apparel in the Global Economy 318–319 (2d ed. 1995); Michael Murawski, Lacking Support: China Suffers a Textiles Trade Let Down by Politics and Poor Preparation in the EU, 30 Suffolk Transnat’l L. Rev. 141, 144 (2006) ; Ratnakar Adhikari & Yumiko Yamamoto, The Textile and Clothing Industry: Adjusting to the Post-Quota World in Industrial Development for the 21st Century: Sustainable Development Perspectives 183– 184 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2007). 2 The earliest recorded attempt at regulating textiles trade was in the late seventeenth century when the British prohibited Indian cloth from being imported in order to foster the rising English textiles industry. The industrialisation age saw the UK emerging as the undisputed leader in textiles production and in line with the prevalent economic policy of mercantilism, trade regulation assured that exports were higher than imports to increase national wealth (See: Dickerson , Id at 319; See also Pietra Rivoli , Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy 152–156 ( 1st ed. 2005 ); Textiles and clothing assumed a symbolic status of independence, self-reliance, employment for the masses and progress. A very famous example is of Mahatma Gandhi (the founding father of India and the leader of the independence movement from the British). He followed his famous non-violent policies of civil disobedience and adopted the swadeshi policy which involved 2 http://law.bepress.com/unswwps-flrps09/art16 I. BRIEF HISTORY LEADING UP TO QUOTA-EXPIRY While the history of protectionism in textiles trade stretches back for centuries into the age of mercantilism, it is interesting to note that similar trends permeated global multilateral trade in the post-World War II period. Until 1 January 2005, trade in textiles and clothing was subjected to a sector-specific treatment in international trade law. The foundations for this “discrimination” were laid in the early 1950's with the Voluntary Export Restraints (VERs) imposed on Japan in the post-war years due to US concerns about the impact of cheaper Japanese exports on domestic manufacturers. 3 This was the genesis of the institutionalized protectionism in textiles and apparel trade which continued for the remainder of the twentieth century. The self-centered protectionist concerns voiced by the US and subsequently by European industry interests were about the threat to domestic textile industries from low-cost, low- wage competition from producers in developing countries. The constant demands by industry associations for protection manifested itself first in the Short-Term Agreement Regarding International Trade in Textiles (STA) 4 and then the Long-Term Arrangement Regarding Cotton Textiles (LTA) 5. The LTA was an enhanced reinforcement of the STA and represented the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially goods of British origin. Gandhi emphasized that khaddi (homespun cloth) should be adopted by all Indians as their dress instead of British-made textiles. 3 VER is an agreement whereby the exporting country agrees to limit / control exports so that the importing country does not impose restrictive trade measures like quotas, high tariffs etc. Martin Wolf writes that in the history of VERs, “Textiles appear to have been the leading sector” to cover “new exporters, new products and new fibres.” However, VERs have not just been limited to textiles and clothing but have also been employed as an export restraint measure on automobiles, steel and consumer electronics ( See Martin Wolf, Why Voluntary Export Restraints? An Historical Analysis, 12(3) the World Economy 286 (1989) . 4 The STA was effective from October 1961 to September 1962 and allowed one year restrictions on designated categories of cotton textiles. It is noteworthy that only cotton textiles were targeted in the STA (defined as a textile product in which 50% or more of the fibre content is cotton). Other textiles such as manmade fibres and wool did not fall within the ambit of the STA (Dickerson, supra note 1, at 406-407; See generally Vinod K. Aggarwal , Liberal Protectionism: The International Politics of Organized Textile Trade , (1st ed. 1985). 5 The LTA was concluded at the expiry of the STA and it came into force on 1 October 1962. The LTA went beyond the scope of the STA and its period of effectiveness was 5 years. It was renewed again in 1967 and in 1970. At each renewal, there was a progressive increase of restrictions encompassing a wide range of cotton products ( See Sanjoy Bagchi , International Trade Policy in Textiles – Fifty years of Protectionism 48 (1st ed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Preference Erosion and Multilateral Trade Liberalization*
    WPS3730 Preference Erosion and Multilateral Trade Liberalization* Public Disclosure Authorized Joseph François Tinbergen Institute (Rotterdam) and CEPR Bernard Hoekman World Bank, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris and CEPR Miriam Manchin Tinbergen Institute (Rotterdam) Public Disclosure Authorized Abstract: Because of concern that OECD tariff reductions will translate into worsening export performance for the least developed countries, trade preferences have proven a stumbling block to developing country support for multilateral liberalization. We examine the actual scope for preference erosion, including an econometric assessment of the actual utilization, and also the scope for erosion estimated by modeling full elimination of OECD tariffs and hence full MFN liberalization-based preference erosion. Preferences are underutilized due to administrative burden—estimated to be at least 4 percent on average— reducing the magnitude of erosion costs significantly. For those products where preferences are used (are of value), the primary negative impact follows from erosion of EU preferences. This suggests the erosion problem is primarily a bilateral concern. Public Disclosure Authorized Keywords: preference erosion, GSP, WTO, Doha Round, trade and development JEL codes: F13. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3730, October 2005 The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the view of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent.
    [Show full text]
  • The Global Apparel Value Chain, Trade and the Crisis
    WPS5281 Policy Research Working Paper 5281 Public Disclosure Authorized The Global Apparel Value Chain, Trade and the Crisis Public Disclosure Authorized Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries Gary Gereffi Stacey Frederick Public Disclosure Authorized The World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized Development Research Group Trade and Integration Team April 2010 Policy Research Working Paper 5281 Abstract This paper examines the impact of two crises on the has been the big winner, although Bangladesh, India, global apparel value chain: the World Trade Organization and Vietnam have also continued to expand their roles phase-out of the quota system for textiles and apparel in the industry. On the firm side, the quota phase-out in 2005, which provided access for many poor and and economic recession have accelerated the ongoing small export-oriented economies to the markets of shift to more streamlined global supply chains, in which industrialized countries, and the current economic lead firms desire to work with fewer, larger, and more recession that has lowered demand for apparel exports capable suppliers that are strategically located around the and led to massive unemployment across the industry’s world. The paper concludes with recommendations for supply chain. An overarching trend has been the process how developing countries as well as textile and apparel of global consolidation, whereby leading apparel suppliers suppliers can adjust to the crisis. (countries and firms alike) have strengthened their positions in the industry. On the country side, China This paper—a product of the Trade and Integration Team, Development Research Group (Global Trade and Financial Architecture project supported by DFID)—is part of a larger effort to explore the effects of the world economic crisis on global value chains.
    [Show full text]
  • ICES- El CENTER El CENTER IF Excellence
    ICES- El CENTER El CENTER IF EXCEllENCE RESEARCH GRANTS & ' WORKING PAPER SERIES #1 AY2006-0J COMMENTS ARE WELCOME COMPARISON OF PRCAND VIETNAM'S RESPONSES TO THE ELIMINATION OF US TEXTILE AND APPAREL QUOTAS: ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES Joseph Pelzman Department of Economics George Washington University Washington, DC 20052 and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Beer Sheva, ISRAEL [email protected] and [email protected] 1 COMPARISON OF PRC AND VIETNAM'S RESPONSES TO THE ELIMINATION OF US TEXTILE AND APPAREL QUOTAS: ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES I. INTRODUCfiON International trade in textiles and apparel has, as of January 1, 2005, been set free from the very intricate Multi-Fibertextile and apparel quota Arrangement (l\I1FA). This event has raised many uncertainties about the new international trade climate and has placed enormous pressure on Olina as the expected clear cut beneficiary of this hberalization.' Other countries considered to be major contenders include Vietnam which also has a large population employed in the textile and apparel (T&A) sector. Since the old quota system had provided a certain degree of market certainty to competing T&A producers, will the new free trade environment lead to a shake out where mass producers with large economies of scale dominate the new reality? The removal of T&A quotas will create opportunities for Vietnam and Olina along with other developing countries, but it will also expose them to additional competition from each other. The outcome of this competition will depend on the demand in the US, the ability of the exporting countries to differentiate their exports and on their ability to transfer additional resources to expand domestic output in the direction of the new 'free market signals' and away from rent seeking objectives.
    [Show full text]
  • International Trade and Development
    United Nations A/60/225 General Assembly Distr.: General 12 August 2005 Original: English Sixtieth session Item 52 (a) of the provisional agenda* Macroeconomic policy questions International trade and development Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report covers recent developments in the international trade and the trading system, including the implications for developing countries of multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha work programme since the WTO General Council Decision of 1 August 2004. Consensus has emerged that the Doha negotiations should fulfil their development promise and be concluded expeditiously, by no later than 2006, so as to contribute to the timely implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. The report identifies the interlinkages between different negotiating areas and the Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has provided valuable support to developing countries in trade negotiations and development. The São Paulo Consensus of the eleventh session of UNCTAD held in São Paulo, Brazil, from 13 to 18 June 2004, further enhanced the mandate of UNCTAD to support developing countries, especially the least developed countries, in their efforts to ensure gains in development from the international trading system and trade negotiations. * A/60/150. 05-45993 (E) 080905 *0545993* A/60/225 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 59/221 of 22 December 2004, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary- General, in collaboration with the secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to report to it at its sixtieth session on the implementation of that resolution and on developments in the multilateral trading system.
    [Show full text]
  • Views of Sourcing Personnel, Which Will
    FINISHED GOOD SOURCING DECISIONS IN THE US APPAREL INDUSTRY AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON TEXTILES AND CLOTHING DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Ann Richards Glenn, M.S. ***** The Ohio State University 2006 Dissertation Committee: Professor Leslie Stoel, Advisor Professor Loren Geistfeld Approved by Professor Neal Hooker Professor Catherine Montalto Advisor College of Education and Human Ecology ABSTRACT January 1, 2005 brought the elimination of quantitative restrictions to trade in the apparel industry. Because apparel products are produced in almost every country around the world, the elimination of trade barriers has important implications for apparel sourcing decisions. The research in this dissertation assesses the impact of quota release using two methodologies: interviews of sourcing personnel, which will give a micro-economic view of imports at the company level, and econometrics, which will be used to give a macro-economic view of impacts on the industry. The combination of these two methodologies will give a holistic look at the reduction of trade barriers and their impact on the apparel sourcing decision. The qualitative data consisted of transcripts from interviews of six sourcing personnel. New themes that emerged from the data included vendor relationships, security of country and natural barriers, such as weather phenomena. External environmental barriers, such as economic, political/legal, and socio-cultural barriers, found in previous research were confirmed by the qualitative data. The quantitative data used for this research was collected from various US and international agencies. OLS regression revealed all variables (difference in GDP, geographical distance, duty, real exchange rate, and quota) to be significant.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessing the Impact of the Phasing-Out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on Apparel Exports on the Least Developed and Developing Countries
    UC Santa Barbara Other Recent Work Title Assessing the Impact of the Phasing-out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on Apparel Exports on the Least Developed and Developing Countries Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6z33940z Author Appelbaum, Richard P. Publication Date 2004-05-10 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California DRAFT VERSION ONLY – MAY NOT BE CITED OR QUOTED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR Assessing the Impact of the Phasing-out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on Apparel Exports on the Least Developed and Developing Countries report by Richard P. Appelbaum Center for Global Studies Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research University of California at Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106 phone: (805) 893-7230 fax: (805) 893-7995 web: www.isber.ucsb.edu email: [email protected] May 10, 2004 Acknowledgements This project was conducted in part for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and in part for sweatshop Watch (under a grant from the University of California’s Institute for Labor and Employment). I wish to especially acknowledge the assistance of Joe Conti and Francesca deGiuli, who gathered and analysed much of the research collected for this report. 1 Assessing the Impact of the Phasing-out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on Apparel Exports on the Least Developed and Developing Countries Abstract On January 1, 2005, the Multifiber Arrangement (MFA), which establishes quotas on different categories of apparel and textile imports to the US and the EU, will be fully phased out.
    [Show full text]
  • Liberalizing Quotas on Textiles and Clothing: Has the ATC Actually Worked?
    Liberalizing Quotas on Textiles and Clothing: Has the ATC Actually Worked? June 2004 Joseph F. Francois Dean Spinanger [email protected]) ([email protected]) Tinbergen Institute (Rotterdam) Institute of World Economics, Kiel and CEPR Abstract: We explore the evolution of market access conditions in the textile and clothing sectors (T&C). Working with bilateral trade data on textile and clothing trade, underlying tariffs, and the coverage of quotas under the WTO’s Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) we first develop a non-linear least squares estimation framework for calculating the tax equivalent of ATC quota restrictions on bilateral trade. We also compare these non-tariff barrier estimates to earlier estimates for the years since the inception of the ATC, to gauge the extent to which the ATC has actually led to quota liberalization. Keywords: Market Access, Textiles and Clothing, WTO accession, quotas, ATC, non-tariff barriers 1. Introduction The Ministerial Declaration at Punta Del Este that launched the Uruguay Round stated that the "Negotiations in the area of textiles and clothing shall aim to formulate modalities that would permit the eventual integration of this sector into GATT on the basis of strengthened GATT rules and disciplines." In plain language, this means that quotas on textiles and clothing were to be eliminated. The negotiations launched at Punta Del Este led to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC), an attempt to end almost 40 years of discriminatory protection in violation of the basic precepts of the GATT system. The textile and clothing (T&C) sectors had previously been treated as a special case within the world trading system, with their own regulatory framework.
    [Show full text]
  • Textiles and Clothing: Reflections on the Sector's Integration Into the Post
    ¾ Textiles and clothing: Reflections on the sector’s integration into the post-quota environment by Eckart Naumann tralac Working Paper No 1/2005 March 2005 The views presented in this paper are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of tralac (Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa). Any errors are the author’s own. tralac (Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa) p.o.box 224, stellenbosch, 7599 south africa c.l.marais building, crozier street, stellenbosch (t) +27 21 883-2208 (f) +27 21 883-8292 (e) [email protected] © Copyright Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa 2005 The views presented in this paper are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect those of tralac (Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa). Any errors are the author’s own. tralac (Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa) p.o.box 224, stellenbosch, 7599 south africa c.l.marais building, crozier street, stellenbosch (t) +27 21 883-2208 (f) +27 21 883-8292 (e) [email protected] © Copyright Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa 2005 Abstract This paper tracks developments of the global textile and clothing quota regime from its early stages in the 1960s to the final integration of the sector into world trade on 1 January 2005. This is followed by a brief analysis of trends in the textile and clothing trade, focusing on key markets in general, and that of the United States in particular, while highlighting the importance of the sector for developing countries. With the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) likely to cause substantial shifts in both trade and production within the sector, with a resultant range of economic impacts, the paper concludes by outlining key outcomes that can be expected in the post-quota environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Turkish Apparel Economy a Case Study of Manufacturers in Istanbul and Their Industry
    TURKISH APPAREL ECONOMY A CASE STUDY OF MANUFACTURERS IN ISTANBUL AND THEIR INDUSTRY BSc in Industrial Economy - Logistics Frej Johansson Programme: Industrial Economy – Logistics Engineering Swedish title: Turkisk klädekonomi – En fallstudie av tillverkare i Istanbul och deras industri English title: Turkish apparel economy – A case study of manufacturers in Istanbul and their industry Year of publication: 2020 Author: Frej Johansson Supervisors: Daniel Ekwall, Jonas Waidringer, Sara Lorén Examiner: Bo Månsson Key words: Turkey, Istanbul, textile, apparel, manufacturing, export, economic development, SWOT, FDI, supply chain management, China, Bangladesh. _________________________________________________________________ Abstract This paper describes textile production in Istanbul, Turkey. From its historical background to the challenges of today. The respondents have told about how they work, talked about competition, communication, achievements, investments and much more. The purpose was basically to find out how important the textile industry, with focus on apparel, is in the economy of Turkey today. Also how this industry can develop, and what it will take to reach such development. The empirical material comes from experienced people in the field and is analyzed with the SWOT model besides other marketing and logistics related theory. Used method is a qualitative approach with semi structural interviews. Companies and associations in Istanbul have responded. These contributors are a mix of senior managers, specialists, officials, employees and entrepreneurs. An interview guide was developed after a pre-study in Sweden. Findings of the study shows that these companies are competing for international customers, but also working together for their industry and country. Some important factors to become successful is experience, research, innovation and customer care.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects
    U.S. International Trade Commission COMMISSIONERS Stephen Koplan, Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun, Vice Chairman Marcia E. Miller Jennifer A. Hillman Charlotte R. Lane Daniel R. Pearson Robert A. Rogowsky Director of Operations Robert B. Koopman Director, Office of Economics Address all communications to Secretary to the Commission United States International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 www.usitc.gov U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects Investigation No. TA--2104-15 Publication 3726 October 2004 This report was principally prepared by Arona M. Butcher, Chief, Country and Regional Analysis Division Thomas Jennings, Project Leader Walker Pollard, Project Leader Office of Economics Soamiely Andriamananjara, Kyle Johnson, and Selamawit Legesse Student Interns Melissa Gilbert and Shakira Van Savage Office of Industries Queena Fan, ID Coordinator Laura Bloodgood, Heidi Colby-Oizumi, Eric Forden, Cynthia Foreso, Vincent Honnold, Christopher Johnson, Timothy McCarty, Douglas Newman, Michael Nunes, Laura Polly, and Karl Tsuji Office of the General Counsel William Gearhart Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements Donnette Rimmer and Jan Summers Office of Publishing Primary Reviewers James Fetzer and Robert Wallace Supporting assistance was provided by: Patricia M. Thomas, Office of Economics PREFACE On June 28, 2004, the United States International Trade Commission (the Commission), instituted Investigation No. TA-2104-15, U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economywide and Selected Sectoral Effects. The investigation, conducted pursuant to section 2104(f) of the Trade Act of 2002 (the Trade Act), was in response to a request from the United States Trade Representative (see appendix A).
    [Show full text]
  • Tncs and the Removal of Textiles and Clothing Quotas
    UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT TNCs and the Removal of Textiles and Clothing Quotas UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 2005 ii TNCs and the Removal of Textiles and Clothing Quotas Note UNCTAD serves as the focal point within the United Nations Secretariat for all matters related to foreign direct investment and transnational corporations. In the past, the Programme on Transnational Corporations was carried out by the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations (1975 1992) and the Transnational Corporations and Management Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Development (1992 1993). In 1993, the Programme was transferred to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. UNCTAD seeks to further the understanding of the nature of transnational corporations and their contribution to development and to create an enabling environment for international investment and enterprise development. UNCTAD’s work is carried out through intergovernmental deliberations, research and analysis, technical assistance activities, seminars, workshops and conferences. The term “country” as used in this study also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas; the designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In addition, the designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage of development reached by a particular country or area in the development process.
    [Show full text]
  • G/C/M/76 24 January 2006 ORGANIZATION (06-0321) Council for Trade in Goods
    WORLD TRADE RESTRICTED G/C/M/76 24 January 2006 ORGANIZATION (06-0321) Council for Trade in Goods MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 25 OCTOBER 2004 Chairperson: H.E. Ambassador Choi (Korea) I. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CTG. .............................................................1 II. MAJOR REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ATC IN THE THIRD STAGE OF THE INTEGRATION PROCESS PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 8.11 OF THE ATC.................................................................................................2 1. The ATC integration process...................................................................................................2 2. Carry Forward........................................................................................................................15 3. New Restrictions .....................................................................................................................23 4. Administrative Arrangements for Quota Administration and Implementation...............31 5. Use of Transitional Safeguard Mechanism...........................................................................36 6. Article 7 – Abiding by GATT 1994 rules and disciplines so as to achieve improved market access, ensure the application of policies for fair and equitable trading condition (AD, CVD, IP), avoid discrimination against textiles in general trade policies............................................................................................................................37 This dedicated
    [Show full text]