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The European Union's trade chief rejected the EU textile industry's demand for restrictions on imports from China, saying China should not be denied gains from the end of decades-old quotas.

“Safeguards would only be used as a last resort if large-scale trade disruption is being clearly demonstrated,” EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said Wednesday.

Euratex, which represents textile and clothing companies including Marzotto SpA and Chargeurs SA, wants the EU to limit annual growth in imports from China including pullovers, suits and jackets to 7.5 percent after a four-decade quota system ended Jan. 1.

The decision on whether or not “to impose defensive measures would be a complex one that requires careful analysis of a series of factors, and not one that should be resorted to lightly nor automatically,” Mandelson said.

China in January recorded a 46.5 percent increase to US$1.43 billion in textile and garment exports to the EU compared with the same month a year earlier, the Brussels-based Euratex said March 10.

China may increase textile and garment exports 15 percent to more than US$110 billion this year to meet demand from the EU and United States, a group associated with the Chinese Agriculture Ministry said March 9.

The EU accounts for about 20 percent of global textile and clothing imports, while the United States accounts for around 24 percent.

Last year, the EU became China’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade exceeding US$150 billion, according to Chinese statistics.