beach towel

China is the world's leading supplier of home textiles(including beach towel) , with exports in 2004 rising 24 percent to reach $4.7 billion. The elimination of quotas on certain home textile products in January 2005 helped accelerate export growth even further. Overseas shipments (including beach towel) in the first five months of 2005 amounted to $2.2 billion soaring 40 percent year-on-year. Home textile (including beach towel) exports from China surged dramatically in the first half of 2005 due in part to the removal of quotas on certain products in January. However, suppliers are looking at the rest of the year with cautious optimism as limits on exports to the US and the EU could hamper growth rates considerably. While the EU lifted quotas on all home textiles in 1998, the US removed the caps on towels, drapery and table linen in 2002 and those on bed linen and quilts in 2005. According to China customs statistics, total home textile (including beach towel) exports from the country rose by a modest 24 percent in 2004. However, shipments in the first five months of 2005 soared nearly 40 percent to reach US$2.2 billion from a year ago. But even more remarkable export growth is evident in certain product categories to some of the country's key markets. 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.