Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 415/2

28 October 2005

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 443/2005

Colombia :Provisional Safeguards Measures on Imports of Certain Textile and Clothing Products from Mainland China

The Colombian Government has recently imposed provisional safeguard measures, in the form of additional tariffs, against imports of certain textiles and clothing (T & C) products from the Mainland China.

DETAILS

2. In a notification filed by the Colombian Government to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (a copy is at Annex (pdf format)), the Colombian Government has initiated investigations on several types of Chinese T & C imports for the purpose of determining whether product-specific safeguard actions¹ should be imposed against the products concerned. While investigations are still ongoing, preliminary determinations have been made that some of the products under investigation have caused or threatened to cause market disruption to the extent that delay of action would cause damage difficult to repair. As such, provisional safeguard measures as follows have been adopted: 

1. application of additional tariffs ranging from 61% to 91% to certain fabrics, made-up and clothing articles exported from the Mainland on or after 17 August 2005; and
   
   
2. application of an additional tariff of 88% to knit socks and hosiery exported from the Mainland on or after 6 September 2005.
   

The notification stated that the above provisional safeguard measures will apply for the duration of the investigations and until the adoption of the definitive measures. The duration of these provisional measures will be added to the total period of application of the definitive measures.

3. In addition to the products mentioned above, there are also other types of Chinese fabrics and made-up articles as well as socks and hosiery under investigation, but they are not subject to the provisional safeguard measures.
   

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact Miss S Y TANG at telephone number 2398 5405.

Yours faithfully,

(Ms Charmaine LO)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

¹ Paragraph 16 of China's Accession Protocol to the World Trade Organization (WTO) provides a product-specific safeguard mechanism under which any WTO member could apply quotas as well as tariffs to all kinds of Chinese products until 2013 if such products are imported in such increased quantities or under such conditions as to cause or threaten to cause market disruption in the importing member.

Note : While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.