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Kodak to close production of black & white photographic paper
Rochester: Eastman Kodak Co will soon stop making black-and-white photographic paper, bringing to a close a century-old tradition.

The paper had by now become a specialty product for fine-art photographers and hobbyists and was rapidly being supplanted by digital-imaging systems. Kodak said yesterday it will discontinue production of the paper at the end of this year, but will continue to make black-and-white film and chemicals for processing.

The paper is manufactured at a plant in Brazil and the shutdown is part of a three-year overhaul to eliminate 12,000 to 15,000 jobs by 2007 in order to shrink the company's work force to around 50,000.
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EU and China settle textile dispute
Beijing: As part of a deal signed last week to end a trade dispute with the EU, China will hold the growth rate of its exports of pullovers, trousers and blouses to the European Union below 10 per cent this year, state media has reported.

The growth of Chinese exports of sheets and tablecloths will be held below 12.5 per cent, the report said.

A surge in Chinese textile exports ever since a worldwide quota system ended on January 1, sparked US and European complaints that the flood of low-priced goods was threatening their own producers.

The Chinese government said the limits allowed by the agreement with the EU were higher than the 7.5 per cent growth rate previously proposed by the Europeans.
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