Redwood attacks China textile restrictions
Conservative shadow deregulation secretary John Redwood has attacked the government’s position on the textile dispute between the EU and China.
Mr Redwood is demanding an explanation on why the government allowed the EU to impose quota restrictions on the textile trade, which mean Chinese imports are restricted for the remainder of the year.
Thousands of garments manufactured in China are piling up in warehouses across Europe after China exceeded its 2005 quotas.
Mr Redwood has written to cabinet office minister John Hutton to ask what the government plans to do about goods imported from China by UK wholesalers and retailers, which now cannot be sold legally in the UK.
Mr Hutton will shortly be giving a speech on the need to deregulate business, but the shadow deregulation secretary said the textile dispute was further evidence of the government failing to turn its words into actions.
“I would like to know when the government plans to practise what it preaches?” he wrote. “Every time there is another speech on the need to deregulate business and people suffer instead from another bout of intrusive control.”
He wants the government to estimate the costs to British business of having to cancel orders of the Chinese garments, and asked whether it will be offering compensation to them.
The government has previously recognised that the cutting of agricultural and industrial tariffs could help reduce poverty in developing countries, and Mr Redwood is questioning why it has “gone back on its words”.
“I do hope the UK government takes urgent action to remove these destructive controls,” he added.
The European Commission has sent trade officials to Beijing to seek a solution to the standoff, which comes after trade commissioner Peter Mandelson imposed fixed limits on ten types of Chinese cloth in June to stop the European market from being flooded by cheaper imports.
Imports of sweaters, trousers and women’s blouses from China have all reached their limit according to EU customs officials.
