U.S. Wants To Expand Trade With China But Against Textile Market 'Distortions'

The United States said Monday it wanted to expand trade with China but promised to "eliminate" any "distortions" from Chinese markets following the expiry of a global textile agreement on import quotas.

"China's exports to the United States and the U.S.' exports to China have grown very significantly . China is a very open market, we want to continue to expand that relationship," U.S. Commerce Undersecretary Grant Aldonas said. He said the U.S. would ensure no "distortions" from Chinese garment markets.

The U.S. Court of International Trade earlier froze efforts to limit Chinese textile imports into the United States on the day the global trade rules expired on January 1. An injunction issued by a special U.S. trade court stopped the U.S. administration from following up petitions from the American textile industry, which fears a likely flood of "Made in China" garments into the country.

According to World Trade Organization accession arrangements, a WTO member could carry on limiting Chinese textile imports if they caused "market disruptions" or threatened to impede "the orderly development of trade."

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005