XN000022-1986-03-08 — Page 7

SATURDAY, MARCH 8,

1986

PEKING MEETING OF TEXTILE EXPORTERS ENDS

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THE FIVE-DAY MEETING OF 23 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, EXPORTERS OS TEXTILES AND CLOTHING IN PEKING ENDED TODAY (SATURDAY).

THE MEETING STARTING MARCH 4 WAS TO ASSESS THE DEVELOPMENT IV WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING AND THE PERSPECTIVES AND PROSPECTS FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF THE MFA.

MINISTER OF THE MEETING WAS INAUGURATED BY MR ZHENG TUOBIN J FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

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AT THE MEETING, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES EMPHASISED THAT THE MULTILATERAL COMMITMENTS BY THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES INCLUDING THOSE UNDERTAKEN BY GATT MINISTERS IN 1982, REQUIRED SUBSTANTIAL LIBERALISATION OF RESTRAINT ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' EXPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING AND THE PHASING OUT OF THE RESTRICTIVE AND DISCRIMINATORY REGIME GOVERNING THEIR EXPORTS OF THESE PRODUCTS TO THE DEVELOPED MARKETS.

IT WAS NOTED THAT THE GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES WERE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN PREPARING FOR A NEW PROGRAMME OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VIEW TO LIBERALISING ALL SECTORS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND STRENGTHENING THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM. IN THIS CONTEXT THEY EMPHASISED THAT THE PRESENT TRADE REGIME IN TEXTILES

AD TO BE LIBERALISED BOTH IN THE REMOVAL OF RESTRAINTS AND BE PHASED OUT OVER AN AGREED TIME FRAME UNDER STRENGTHENED GATT DISCIPLINE.

IT WAS AGREED THAT MODALITIES FOR THESE OBJECTIVES WILL CONSIST OF PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER GROWTH RATES, NON-DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, REDUCTION OF RESTRAINTS AND COVERAGE, REMOVAL OF AMBIGUITIES, EFFECTIVE SURVEILLANCE, PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR SMALL SUPPLIERS, NEW ENTRANTS, COTTON AND WOOL BASED EXPORTERS, AND MOST FAVOURABLE TREATMENT FOR THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE TRADE INTEREST OF ESTABLISHED DEVELOPING SUPPLIERS AND A PHASE OUT SYSTEM.

IT WAS NOTED THAT DESPITE POSITIVE TRENDS IN KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SOME IMPORTING COUNTRIES WERE BOTH AT MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL LEVELS PRESSING THROUGH NUMEROUS DEVICES FOR A CONTINUATION OF RESTRICTIVE RATHER THAN A LIBERALISED REGIME FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES' EXPORTS OF TEXTILES AND CLOTHING. I WAS AGREED THAT SUCH ATTEMPTS BE UNITEDLY RESISTED. IT WAS FURTHER AGREED THAT ANY MODALITIES FOR LIBERALISATION AND PHASE OUT SYSTEM SHOULD ENSURE EQUITY, NON-DISCRIMINATION, NON-RECIPROCITY AND OTHER CLEARLY LIBERAL CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

THE DJELOPING