Textile products processed on the mainland but listed as originating in Hong Kong and Macao will be exempted from mainland export tariffs, according to a notice issued by the Ministry of Commerce Wednesday.

Textile products processed on the mainland for exports but without qualified certificates of origins will have their export tariffs levied as ever.

The decision was made after two high-level meetings on the development of a closer trade relationship between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

The exemption will begin as soon as relevant sides are done with their preparations. A tariff exemption supervision team comprising officials from both the mainland and the Macao Special Administrative Region has been established to work out technical details, said the notice.

China announced last Friday a 400-percent hike on export tariffs for 74 sorts of textile products beginning June 1, 2005 in a response to a United States decision to re-impose restrictions on seven kinds of China textile and clothing imports. The European Union is also pressuring China to take more strict measures to curb textile exports to the European market.

Source: Xinhua