US quota rates have already exceeded 50 per cent by 30 June because of the imports from low-cost countries such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Macao, the Philippines, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. .
.
US quotas could be more rapidly filled in 2004, since less flexible rules will apply this year before the definitive removal in textile limits. .
.
The US administration recently reminded importers and exporters that the embargo may be decided until after the end of the year, since dates of export are taken into account and not dates of entry into the United States. .
.
The US administration was reported to have officially warned US importers that the charges against the limits would be date of export and not date of entry and shipments exported until the end of 2004 in excess of US limits will not enter the US territory. .
.
As a consequence, US embargoes may be placed in January 2005, for instance, on products shipped before the end of 2004. .
.
In addition, exporting countries will obviously not have the possibility to negotiate a removal in the embargos against quota reductions in the following year, since there will be no quotas in 2005. .
.
Proper documentation will also be required for all these products exported before December 31, including visa, electronic visa transmission or necessary certifications..
.
In order to anticipate possible embargoes by the end of the year, importers and exporters should take account of fill rates on issued visas and not on US cleared imports, as a result. .
.
In addition to this difficulty with export dates, the United States officially confirmed that it would reject any demand for carry forward in this last quota year. .
.
Source: Agencies.
Date:7/31/2004
Source: