Growth in textile and clothing exports would slow following a surge early this year that triggered calls for safeguard measures against Chinese producers, a commerce ministry official said.

Zhang Zhigang, vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said Chinese textile makers would focus on adding value to their output rather than boosting trade volume.

“We are not trying to aim at increasing the quantity of textile products,’’ said Zhang. Following the end of quotas regulating the global trade Jan. 1, China's January-February clothing exports rose 28.1 percent year on year to US$9.34 billion. Textile exports alone were up 34.6 percent to US$5.26 billion.

The increase triggered calls for the imposition of safeguard measures by textile and apparel producers in the United States and Europe.

Zhang insisted the jump in exports was only temporary and repeated warnings against a rise in protectionism.

“This is a short-term phenomenon. It will not be like this for a long time,” he said, adding that “initial progress has been made” in capping textile and clothing exports by introducing duties on garments and proposing a minimum pricing system for manufacturers.

Gao Yan, chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said 415 textile and clothing makers, accounting for half of Chinese exports to the United States and Europe, had agreed to the pricing scheme. Gao also predicted the growth in textile exports would fall over the next three years.

(Shenzhen Daily March 30, 2005)