Dresses could be next victim of import fiasco
European Union trade commissioner Peter Mandelson's attempts to alleviate the strain on quotas of clothing sourced from China are not likely to succeed, according to reports from news agency AFX.

According to the report, legal adviser to the Brussels-based Foreign Trade Association Stuart Newman said the Chinese authorities' initial reaction to the proposal of borrowing some of next year's quotas to support already-filled categories has been negative.

Newman said that the only real solutions to the early filling of clothing import quotas was either lifting them or borrowing parts of next year's quota and the 2007 quota. He said that only six of the 10 textile products bound by the quota agreement ratified by China and the EU in June are still unfilled and that Chinese exports of dresses were likely to be the next category to reach its quota limit.

It is understood that EU officials are set to arrive in Beijing tomorrow to begin talks with Chinese officials over the relaxation of quotas for this year.

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