21 Dec 2004

Fiji garment industry hopes pinned on US constitutional challenge

4:47 pm on 21 December 2004

The President of Fiji's Textile Clothing and Footwear council says a legal challenge in the US could allow an extension to the global quota allocation to the US.

Fiji's quota allocation to the U.S. is due to expire at the end of the year.

Mark Hallabe says the CEO of foreign affairs, Isikeli Mataitoga, has just returned from talks in the US.

And he says Mr Mataitoga told him a legal challenge was possible.

"Apparently they've locked in these discussions into a constitutional issue. And I believe they have a strong chance of delaying this process for another 12 months to 18 months. But that's yet to be proven, as it's still not happened yet."

Mark Hallabe says despite Fiji's expiry date, if a US judge believed there were grounds for an extension, a legal stay order would take effect.