China's textile exports to the European Union next year will not be greatly affected by China's quota usage in advance this year, Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai told the China Central Television (CCTV) in a recent interview.

China will only use a small number of quotas beforehand that may merely concern the export of pullovers, trousers and bras, Bo said.

A total of some 24 million pieces will be exported to the European Union in advance this year, only accounting for 3 percent of the total export of pullovers, trousers and bras next year, and 1.7 percent of the total volume of the seven categories once blocked in EU customs, according to Bo.

The exports of seven kinds of textile products next year are expected to hit 1.4 billion pieces, he said.

Millions of Chinese items, including sweaters (pullovers), trousers, blouses, T-shirts, bras and tons of flax yarn, were impounded at European ports in the summer because they exceeded import quotas agreed to by both sides in June.

The agreement reached by the Chinese and EU sides in early September increased the total quota by 187 million pieces, with China's share of 43.50 million pieces, accounting for 23 percent.

The agreement says the two sides will take respective responsibility for the licences issued on their own, so the European Union will solely take on the 80-million-piece quota additionally issued by itself, which naturally increased China's textile export this year, according to Bo.

The two sides will split the 87 million unlicensed pieces blocked in EU customs, he said.

For those with licenses, the side that issued the licence will take responsibility, so China need not answer for the additional licenses issued by the European Union, he said.

In terms of those products having reached the agreed limit, China promises in the September agreement not to issue licenses any more, Bo said.

China will not shoulder any responsibility if unlicensed cargo is found in ports in the future, he said.

Source: Xinhua