Polish footwear and textile imports to be brought to heel
The Polish parliament or ‘Sejm’ – has just passed a new law which it is hoped will stem the tide of cheap footwear and textile imports entering the country from the Far East.
Under the new ruling, any business sector that considers it is being put at a serious competitive disadvantage by imported goods can call upon the government to impose quotas. As such, it is likely to be of particular interest to the country’s footwear producers, who have seen their industry decimated over the past few years by Far Eastern producers.
The procedure can be initiated by any company or other organisations such as industry chambers, but must be supported by a minimum of 25% of the domestic producers of the imports in question. The businesses must also be able to prove that the imports are a having a serious impact on their trade, and the Minister of Industry has 30 days to accept or refuse the application.
If the application is accepted, the investigation will last for no more than 90 days, during which time the government has the right to request additional information from the industry concerned. It is envisaged that during the investigation, negotiations would be conducted between the Minister of Industry and his counterpart in the exporting country If, however, he considers the existing level of imports is having a damaging effect on domestic production, he can adopt appropriate measures straight away. The protective measures may be taken for a maximum period of three years.
The new law has been now passed to Senate and is expected to come into force in the second half of 2001 year.
