Amid global concern on surging Chinese textile exports, the shipment of Chinese textile products grew steadily in the first quarter of 2005 with the total value touching $22.4 billion."The export value reached $22.4 billion during the period, growing 19.1% year-on-year. However, the growth rate dropped 5.6% year-on-year," the ministry of commerce (MOC) said here.The export of textile yarn, fabric and products grew 24.8% and that of clothes grew 15.9%. The rate of growth for all products was lower than the first quarter of 2004.Meanwhile, Bo Xilai, Chinese commerce minister, urged the European Union (EU) not to exaggerate the textile issue during his meeting with EU's Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in Paris, the MOC said yesterday.Bo stressed that limitation on Chinese textile products would not only harm their interests but also damage the interests of EU importers, retailers and consumers.Mandelson said that some EU member states had expressed concern over the surge of China's textile exports, adding that EU would take quick actions to slow down the surge momentum.Bo said EU's inquiry of China's nine textile categories was not abundant in procedure. "The exports increase of some textile categories does not disorder the importing countries' markets," Xinhua news agency quoted Bo as saying.Stating that China was a responsible country, Bo said the Chinese government had taken a series of measures to control the increase of textile export to the EU.
