European Apparel and Textile Organisation
24 rue Montoyer – B – 1000  Brussels
phone: + 32.2.285.48.81 – Fax : +32.2.230.60.54
e:mail : william.lakin@euratex.org
Web-site : www.euratex.org

Representatives of the Chinese, EU Japanese and US textile and apparel industries organise inaugural meeting in Tokyo January 25th 2007

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European Apparel and Textile Organisation - 24 rue Montoyer – B – 1000 Brussels
Web-site: www.euratex.org

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday February 2nd 2007

Representatives of the Chinese, EU Japanese and US textile and apparel industries organise inaugural meeting in Tokyo January 25th 2007

A NEW FREE TRADE AREA?

On January 25th 2007 representatives of the textile and apparel industries of China, the EU, Japan and the USA met in Tokyo for the inaugural workshop of the Apparel and Textile Quadripartite Meeting.

EURATEX, the European Apparel and Textile Organisation, was represented by its Honorary President, Filiep LIBEERT and by its Director General, Bill LAKIN. The meeting was ably chaired by Mr. Masaki SAKURAI, Vice-President of the Japanese Textile Federation.

The Agenda featured an in-depth discussion of the post-ATC era, and an exchange of views as to the prospects for tariff reductions and the elimination of non-tariff barriers in the textiles and clothing arena, followed by a description of the efforts made by the authorities of each country or region to secure meaningful free trade agreements with other countries. This led to a proposal that the parties present at the meeting should work towards a quadripartite free trade agreement covering the USA, Europe, Japan and China by 2012.

Speaking on his return to Brussels, Filiep LIBEERT stressed the ambitious nature of the free trade proposal. “The achievement of this joint EU-Japan industry initiative, by outlawing unfair trade practises wherever they occur, by removing customs duties and eliminating all non-tariff barriers, would provide far-reaching opportunities for Europe’s textile and apparel manufacturers whose export performance although standing at €40 billion remains hamstrung by high tariffs and non-tariff barriers on too many markets” he said “We are confident that our authorities and other industries will draw inspiration from this initiative and bring it to early fruition”. EURATEX President Michele TRONCONI expressed his satisfaction at the outcome of the meeting. “It is clear that the bringing together of small delegations of major players in the textile and apparel trade has enabled participants to focus on the issues and to express and exchange their views in some considerable detail. The substantive outcome of this first meeting and the free trade initiative offer scope for real progress in the future, even if we recognise that the WTO status and policies of the four partners may not always coincide.”

Agreement was reached in Tokyo to reconvene in Beijing in March 2008. Future meetings have also been scheduled for Brussels (2009) and the USA (2010).
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For further information contact:
William LAKIN - Director General
Tel : +32.2.285.48.82
Fax : +32.2.230.60.54
E-mail : william.lakin@euratex.org