. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/C/W/578 
4 May 2007 
 (07-1855) 
Council for Trade in Goods Original:   English 
  
 
INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU 
GUATEMALA COMMUNIQUÉ 
 
Communication from Indonesia
 
 
The following communication, dated 27 April 2007, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Indonesia, on behalf of the members of the ITCB that are also Members of the WTO. 
 
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INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU Council of Representatives 44th Session Guatemala 16-19 April 2007 
 
Guatemala Communiqué
 
 
The ITCB Council of Representatives, meeting at its 44th Session from 16-19 April 2007 in 
Guatemala City, discussed the prospects and issues re lated to trade in textiles and clothing, including 
the state of trade in the sector  post the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC);  textile-related 
market access issues under the Doha Development Agenda (DDA);  the ro le of origin rules; and other 
non-tariff issues facing members' trade. 
 The Council expressed appreciation for the pr esence and valuable contributions of the 
representatives of business associations – United Stat es Association of Importers of Textiles and 
Apparel and the National Retail Federation, the Eu ropean Foreign Trade Association;  Brazilian 
Textile and Apparel Industry Association;  Ch ina Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of 
Textiles;  China National Textile and Apparel Counc il;  and Guatemala's apparel and Textile Industry 
Commission. 
 
The Council welcomed Vietnam's accession to  the World Trade Organization (WTO) and 
thanked the Governments of the Dominican Republic  and Nicaragua for their participation in the 
session.  The participation of the representatives of the WTO, UNCTAD and ITC was also highly 
appreciated. 
 
The Council conducted a wide-ranging review of the state of DDA negotiations pertinent to 
trade in textiles and clothing and expressed confid ence in the efficacy of the Swiss formula for 
addressing the tariff peaks and tariff escalation.  It underscored that any sectoral initiatives are to be 
undertaken on a non-mandatory basis in accordance with the mandate.  The Council re-affirmed its 
expectation that the modalities to be adopted shou ld deliver on the development dimension of the 
Round. 
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  The Council stressed that special and differentia l treatment is an integral part of the NAMA 
negotiations and called for addressing the concerns of small, vulnerable economies;  recently acceded 
Members;  and least developed countries. 
 On the issue of non-tariff barriers, the Counc il expressed its concern.  It discussed the 
proposals by some WTO Members for an agreement on labelling of textiles and clothing products and 
stressed that such measures should not impose unnecessary burden on businesses. 
 
 Regarding the challenges likely to be faced by non-reciprocal preference-receiving Members as a consequence of MFN tariff liberalization, the Council noted that a balanced solution should be 
found.  It observed that to facilitate market a ccess, origin rules should be made simple and 
transparent.   Looking back at the development of trade in the post-ATC period, the Council noted that it was premature for full evaluation of the effects of th is momentous event.  It requested the Secretariat 
to continue closely monitoring pertinent developm ents and report on a regular basis.  The Council 
urged that major developed economies that had lo ng restrained textile and clothing imports from 
developing countries reject protectionist pressures and help strengthen confidence in the multilateral 
trading system.   The Council reviewed emerging issues in the fields of social, environmental and security 
concerns.  It expressed the need to ensure that developments in these areas do not result in erecting 
unnecessary barriers to developing countries' exports and decided to proactively follow discussions 
taking place in these issues.   The Council reiterated its resolve to con tinue and strengthen co-ordination among its 
members and to deepen its dialogue with other textile and clothing exporting developing economies 
having a shared interest in trade in the sector.  In this regard, it emphasised the importance of 
constructive actions aimed at strengthening the positiv e effects of the textile and clothing sector to 
further the development needs of its members, in cluding through improvements in the conditions on 
access to markets.  
 The Council expressed profound gratitude to th e Government and people of Guatemala for 
hosting the session and for their generous hospitality .  His Excellency, Mr. Luis Oscar Estrada, 
Minister of Economy of Guatemala, inaugurated the session.  His Excellency Ambassador Gusmardi Bustami, Chairman of the ITCB, presided over th e session.  Mr. Evelio Alvarado served as the Vice-
Chairman. 
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