Chinese textile exporters are likely to face safeguard measures on additional products if China and the United States are unable to reach an agreement before October 1.

The US is due to make a decision on whether to set caps on imports of sweaters, robes, wool trousers and knit fabrics on October 1.

In addition, US industry associations last week filed new petitions to their government for curbs on cheesecloth, men's and boys' wool suits, polyester filament fabric and some man-made fiber coat imports from China.

However, the US government earlier twice postponed decisions on safeguard measures on certain categories of goods to leave more room for bilateral consultation.

Although Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai earlier this month expressed the opinion that the Sino-US textile trade dispute would soon be resolved, neither side seems optimistic about the outcome of talks that began on Monday (local time) in Washington.

China is sticking to its principles in the negotiation, Cao Xinyu, vice-chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, said in Beijing before the talks. The US has described the attitude as "intransigent."

China and the US were scheduled to have ended the talks last night.

Negotiations were jointly led by Lu Jianhua, foreign trade director with the Ministry of Commerce, and David Spooner, Washington's chief textile negotiator.

The previous four rounds of Sino-US consultations failed to break the deadlock, leaving "some substantial differences" unsettled.

In another development, online bidding for next year's quotas set by the European Union started yesterday; bidding is expected to end on Friday.

Cao said enterprises were carefully analyzing prices and prospects as they bid for 18 percent of next year's quotas.

(China Daily September 28, 2005)