Chamber of commerce doubts accuracy of Taiwan's probe into towel imports

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles has expressed its reservations over the accuracy of the results of Taiwan's investigations into towel imports from China's mainland.

　　On March 17, Taiwan's "International Trade Commission" (ITC) said it found large imports of cheap towels from China's mainland had caused material injury to the local towel industry.

　　The "ITC" found that certain toweling products from the mainland are being imported into Taiwan in such quantities that the market is disrupted for the domestic producers, the commission said in a statement.

　　The Chamber of Commerce paid close attention to the case and was disappointed by the findings, it said in a statement.

　　Since the mainland started to export towels to Taiwan in 2002, the growth rate of such exports has been dropping all the time. The year 2005 witnessed a negative growth. There was no connection between Taiwan's towel industry recession and towel trade with the mainland, the Chamber of Commerce said.

　　China's mainland is an important market for Taiwan's textile exports, and the cooperation across the Taiwan Straits in terms of textile industry will benefit both sides, the Chamber of Commerce said.

　　The Chamber of Commerce expressed its willingness to enhance cooperation and coordination with Taiwan's textile industry to help it find solutions to current difficulties, saying the two industries can solve their problems in towel trade through friendly negotiations.