RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TMB/6/Rev.1*
8January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0041)
Textiles Monitoring Body
EIGHTH MEETING OFTHE TMB
Note bytheChairman
Revision
1. TheTextiles Monitoring Body meton4-5December 1995.
2. TheTMB authorised itsChairman toprovide WTO Members withthefollowing information.
3. Pursuant toparagraph 9ofArticle 6,theTMB reviewed anotification bytheUnited States
ofabilateral agreement concluded onimports ofcotton andman-made fibre underwear
(UScategory 352/652) fromtheDominican Republic. According tothisnotification atransition limit
of18million dozen wasagreed fortheperiod 27March-31 December 1995, andaspecific limitof
9million dozen, aswellasaGuaranteed Access Level1of30million dozen weresetfor1996. The
levelenvisaged inparagraph 8ofArticle 6(therollback level) was16,442,148 dozen. Themeasure
wasagreed forathree-year period. Annual growth forthespecific limitwassetat6percent.
4. TheTMB observed thatnogrowth ratewasprovided forwithrespect totheGAL. However,
according toindications given bytheUnited States Government, theGALcanbeincreased onrequest.
Therefore, itistheTMB’sunderstanding that,attherequest oftheDominican Republic, theGAL
would beincreased bynolessthan6percentannually.
5. TheTMB recalled thatatitssecond meeting, when reviewing theaction taken bythe
United States against imports ofcategory 352/652 fromCosta RicaandHonduras under paragraphs 2
and3ofArticle 6,action taken atthesame timeasthatonimports ofthesame product from the
Dominican Republic, ithadfound thatserious damage, asenvisaged inthese provisions, hadnotbeen
demonstrated. TheTMB hadnot,however, reached consensus ontheexistence ofactual threat of
serious damage (G/TMB/R/2, paragraph 16).
6. TheTMB noted that,whilst thetotalleveloftheagreed restraint wassubstantially above the
rollbacklevel,thatportionoftherestraintwhichwasavailableunconditionallytotheDominicanRepublic
(i.e.thespecific limit) waslower thanthatrollback level.
7. Theninth meeting oftheTMB isscheduled for18-20 December 1995.
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8. Thefullreport ofthismeeting willbecirculated atalaterstage.
1Guaranteed Access Levels (GALs) arequantities ofproducts ofacategory thatacountry canexport tothe
United States provided theactual product shipped qualifies forsuch treatment, inter alia,bybeing made of
"UScomponents".
*English andSpanish only/Anglais etespagnol seulement/Inglés yespañol solamente