The European Union (EU) made a further step on Monday to launch formal consultations with China on a surge in exports of T-shirts and flax yarn.

The EU's Textile Committee, which represents the EU executive European Commission and member states, approved a proposal to evoke urgency procedure against the imports of these two categories of Chinese textile products.

The proposal was made by EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson last week. Meanwhile, there are seven other categories of textile imports from China currently under EU's investigation.

"Following the Committee's approval, the decision to launch formal consultation should be taken by the Commission on Wednesday," the European Commission said in a statement.

Mandelson said: "I am very glad that what I have proposed and the approach I am taking, this has found broad support among an overwhelming majority of our member states." "Some (countries) expressed concerns and caution," he nonetheless added.

Mandelson is scheduled to meet on Tuesday with visiting Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng, trying to reach an agreement on how to respond to surges of Chinese exports in categories of concern.

Under the rules of the World Trade Organization, all quantitative quotes on textile products should be lifted since Jan.1, 2005.

Source: Xinhua