CITA Updates its Official Textile and Apparel Import Data for China (Official March 2005 Data Added)

As a result, March 2005 year-ending data (YE Mar 2005), for the 12-month period of April 1, 2004 - March 31, 2005 is now available for the China-origin textiles and apparel subject to safeguard proceedings, as listed below.

Similar February 2005 year-ending data (YE Feb 2005), for the 12-month period of March 1, 2004 - February 28, 2005, is also listed below.

(March 2005 monthly data for single categories is alsoavailable; see BP Note below.)

Actual Quota Level for Any China Safeguard Implemented in May or June Would Not be Full 12-Month Level but Would be a Prorated Portion through End of Year

If any China safeguard quotas implemented in June 2005. If any China safeguard quotas are implemented in the month of June 2005, the quota would be expected to be effective for exports on or after the June date of implementation through December 31, 2005. (Exports before the June date of implementation would not be subject to quota.)

The 12-month quota quantity would equal the YE March 2005 quantity plus 7.5% (or 6% for wool products). However, since the actual quota level would be prorated to the end of the year, through December 31, 2005, the actual quota level would be a fraction of the 12-month quota quantity. (For example, a China safeguard quota implemented in June 2005 would be set at a level approximately half (6 months) of the 12-month quota quantity.

If any China safeguard quotas implemented in May 2005. The same is true for any China safeguard quotas that are implemented in the month of May 2005. The quota would be expected to be effective for exports on or after the May date of implementation through December 31, 2005. (Exports before the May date of implementation would not be subject to quota.)

The 12-month quota quantity would equal the YE February 2005 quantity plus 7.5% (or 6% for wool products). However, since the actual quota level would be prorated to the end of the year, through December 31, 2005, the actual quota level would be a fraction of the 12-month quota quantity. (For example, a China safeguard quota implemented in May 2005 would be set at a level approximately 7/12 of the 12-month quota quantity.

Below is 12-month YE data for the China categories subject to safeguard proceedings, as well as the 12-month quota quantity (which would need to be prorated through December 31, 2005), as follows:

('O' denotes official import data from Census. Data is in dozen, except for category 301 which is in kilograms (kg), and category 620 which is in square meters (m²).)

OTEXA's official YE, etc. March 2005 data from Census (under 'Major Shippers' reports) available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/msrpoint.htm

OTEXA's preliminary import data reflecting official March 2005 monthly data, available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/prelimadmin/prelimdata.htm

BP Notes

1. CITA has previously stated that a China safeguard quota limit would end either: (1) on December 31 of the year in which the consultations were requested, or (2) in cases where three or fewer months remained in the year in which consultations were requested, the limit would end 12 months after the request for consultations. (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/22/03 news, 03052210, for BP summary of CITA's procedures for requesting and imposing China safeguard quotas.)

1. In ITT's Online Archives or 04/20/05 news, 05042010, BP listed the possible February 2005 YE 7.5% quota levels for China merged categories 338/339, 347/348, and 352/652. However, the listed quota levels would be expected to be reduced to prorate the actual quota level through December 31, 2005.
2. The below table, which reflects OTEXA data as of May 11, 2005, contains January, February, and March 2005 official monthly data and April 2005 preliminary monthly data for single categories only (preliminary data is not provided for merged categories), as follows: