and the US. Japan has exceptionally not imposed ATC quotas or utilized any transitional safeguards under the ATC, contributing thus to the dominance of China in this major market for T&C (more below). As regards implementation, many constraints on T&C trade remain to be removed by developed countries at the fourth stage of integration. In particular, products which are more sensitive or have higher value added are left to this stage. All these imply extensive back-loading, and hence a more sudden impact (or harder shock) on T&C trading at the beginning of 2005 (WTO 2001 and Nordas, 2004). In addition, ATC safeguard measures have been frequently utilized by many developed and, to a much lesser extent, developing countries. This shows a lack of will to liberalize T&C trade.
With few exceptions, moreover, the T&C sectors in most developed and developing countries have not been well prepared for the quota phasing out, and the consequent dislocations and increases in competition.
Meanwhile, MFN import tariffs averaged 9.4 per cent for textiles and 16.1 per cent for clothing among OECD countries. Those rates are considerably higher than the average tariff of 6.2 per cent on all manufactured products (UNCTAD, 2002). Additionally, the current tariff peaks can be punitive, ranging from 30 to 40 per cent of the value of the imported T&C items. T&C import tariffs are higher among developing countries, too, averaging 18.1 per cent for textiles and 23 per cent on clothing; the rate on all manufactured goods was 13.5 per cent in the early 2000s. www.51lunwen.org/bylwfy/There are also steeper tariff peaks in developing countries, including among the large T&C exporting countries in ASEAN and South Asia (OECD, 2004, pp. 45-46).
