floor mats

China is the world's leading supplier of home textiles (including floor mats), with exports in 2004 rising 24 percent to reach $4.7 billion. The elimination of quotas on certain home textile products (including floor mats) in January 2005 helped accelerate export growth even further. Overseas shipments in the first five months of 2005 amounted to $2.2 billion soaring 40 percent year-on-year. However, the steep rise in exports raised an alarm in the US and the EU, resulting in safeguard actions from the two regions. While China agreed to limit exports of bed and table linen to the EU, the US has begun investigating the surge in shipments of drapery. If the quotas are reinstated, the limits could be determined by the last quarter of the year. Similar action on bed linen is also possible from the US, as exports in the line increased by 77.6 percent in the period January to May 2005 from a year ago. China exported about $5 billion worth of living room furniture (including floor mats) in 2004. This figure accounted for approximately 30 percent of all furniture exports from the country. In terms of volume, overseas shipments comprised an estimated 15 million coffee and end tables, 7 million sofas and 5 million entertainment units.