|
Main policy areas
|
Remarks
|
|
General
|
- Cotton is covered under the AoA, but cotton products are covered
under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing.
|
|
Tariff quota administration
|
- A few countries such as China have TRQ for its imports.
|
|
Tariffs
|
- Most tariffs on cotton are low but cotton textiles and clothing are
highly restricted in many developed and some developing countries in
order to protect domestic industries.
|
|
Amber box
|
- Several major producers/exporters strongly resent the trade distorting
domestic support provided in a few developed countries (e.g. United
States and EU), where (relatively high-cost) production and exports
are aided by support measures;
- Support provided in developing countries is traditionally low (due
to general liberalisation reforms, financial constraints etc.) and not
affected by reduction commitments; mostly ad hoc intervention
in domestic markets.
|
|
Export subsidies
|
- Direct and indirect export subsidies/refunds are used in the both
developed and developing exporters such as EU.
|
|
Export credits
|
- applied by few selected countries including US
|
|
State Trading Enterprises
|
- Most STEs are importers;
- While still operating in selected countries in Asia (in particular
China), STE interference in the sector has been progressively scaled
back over recent years.
|
|
Export restrictions and prohibitions
|
- To ensure the domestic inputs for the textiles industry, some countries
such as Pakistan set up certain restrictions when domestic production
was low.
|
|
Food security
|
- Millions of small farmer rely on cash income from sales and exports
of their cotton.
|
|
Environmental measures
|
- Issues raised related to biotech cotton but no agreed measurements
to deal with.
|
|
Rural development
|
- Very important for local community development as millions of smallholders
rely on cotton for their livelihoods.
|
