BEIJING, April 15 (UPI) -- China, responding to international pressure to curb its surging textile exports, may raise export tariffs on some of its garment items.
Europe and the United States separately are urging China to slow down its exports, which are hurting their domestic industries and other exporters.
Gao Yong with the China Textile Industry Association indicated tariffs may be raised on items whose export volumes had jumped in the past two months, while maintaining or lowering the tariff on other items, the Financial Times reported Friday.
He expects a decision on the issue within a month.
China announced a modest tariff increase in December to coincide with the expiration of a decades-old global quota system, but it appears to have had little effect, the report said.
For example, the U.S. Commerce Department said imports of cotton knit shirts and blouses from China rose 1,250 percent in the first quarter, while cotton trousers surged 1,500 percent over the same period.
The European Commission, meanwhile, is expected to decide later this month whether to limit textile imports from China.
