Commercial Information Circulars

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

Ref : EIC 230/5/4/10 

5 February 2005

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 43/2005

European Union (EU) *: Introduction of Community Surveillance on Imports of Certain Footwear Products

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 95/2003 of 3 April 2003, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation to introduce Community surveillance measures on imports of certain footwear products. In particular, some footwear products originating in the mainland of China will be subject to prior Community surveillance. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No.117/2005 (the Regulation), a copy of which is attached (pdf format) to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

2. As foreshadowed in Commercial Information Circular No. 95/2003, Community import quota on certain footwear products originating in the mainland of China was completely abolished on 1 January 2005. In anticipation of a substantial increase of imports of footwear products subsequent to the quota liberalisation, the Commission has enacted the Regulation announcing that:
   1. certain footwear products (listed in Annex I (pdf format) of the Regulation) originating in the mainland of China would be subject to prior Community surveillance starting from 1 February 2005 until 31 January 2006 at the latest. Statistical information collected aims to provide a clear picture of the early effects of the removal of the import quota;
   2. as a result of the measure in sub-paragraph (a) above, the release for free circulation in the Community of the products concerned shall be subject to the presentation of a surveillance document issued by the competent authorities of the Member States (listed in Annex II (pdf format) of the Regulation). The surveillance document is issued automatically without charge and for any quantities requested within five working days of presentation of an application by any Community importer. Surveillance documents issued shall be valid throughout the Community; and
   3. in order to get an overall view of the trend in imports of footwear, a retrospective statistical surveillance system for imports of certain footwear products (listed in Annex III (pdf format) of the Regulation) from all sources is established. The competent authorities of the Member States shall notify the Commission of the total quantities imported and their value after the products are released for free circulation.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

 

(Miss Sandra SOU)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.