Textile disputes with EU, India

Following progress in textile talks between EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and China's top textile negotiator, Gao Hucheng, the EU has set an end-of-May deadline for China to resolve the trade dispute through informal consultations or face restrictive measures at the World Trade Organization, the Associated Press reported. Under formal WTO talks, Beijing must curb its textile exports 15 days after the start of formal negotiations, according to an EU Trade Commission spokesperson. Meanwhile, state media reported that at least 20 leading Chinese silk exporters have banded together to challenge an anti-dumping case by India, citing Wang Yu, secretary-general of the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Textiles. The report said China has one month to respond to the case, which involves 100 Chinese exporters and US$180m worth of products.