Important EU message for importers & traders on blocked textiles
08 Sep '05
3 min read
The other half of the quantities needed are being provided by an unilateral increase of the import levels through the provision of additional quantities.
In order to avoid any possible further problems of blockages this year, and to provide with sufficient room to ensure that all the goods effectively shipped before 20 July and those for which a valid import licence had been issued by the date of signature of the Minutes (5 September), a number of measures have been taken:
- the additional quantities provided by the EU have been rounded up in order to have an extra security margin
- a reserve of 2073 tons in category 2, which China agreed to provide from the 2005 levels as an additional amount as part of the deal, has been constituted; such a reserve can be used by the Commission to transfer from category 2 into other categories amounts that may be necessary
- flexibility provisions allowing 5 % of advance use, 7 % of carry over, and 4 % of inter-category transfers among certain product categories, have been introduced.
These flexibility provisions will be available also in 2006 and 2007, thus enabling a better management of the agreed levels.
The deadline for importers to request the issue of import licences for goods shipped from China before 20 July has been extended till 20 September, in order to avoid that the number of pending licenses may evolve with time and to enable a proper management of the import licensing system. After that date, no such requests will be considered.
A facility for Outward Processing Traffic has been introduced and will be immediately available for use by industry, in accordance with the normal rules in force within the EU.
The implementation of the Agreed Minutes will be done in close contact between the Commission and the Chinese authorities. An Administrative Arrangement to ensure a smooth management of the MoU of between the Commission and China's Ministry of Commerce is also being finalised.
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