RI blames industrial states for unhealthy textile trade<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (JP): Industrialized countries impose protectionist
\nmeasures on textile and clothing imports from developing nations,
\naffecting the growth of their industries, an Indonesian minister
\nsaid here yesterday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo said: "The
\nworld apparel trade is still in an unhealthy condition."<\/p>\n
"There are still many restrictions imposed by importing
\ncountries which hamper the growth of the industry in emerging
\ncountries like Indonesia," he said in his keynote address to the
\n13th International Apparel Convention at the Hong Kong Convention
\nand Exhibition Center here.<\/p>\n
"Importing countries are still imposing various forms of
\nprotection which contradict the Agreement on Textiles and
\nClothing (ATC) reached in the Uruguay," he told the two-day
\nmeeting attended by about 400 representatives of 25 associations
\ngrouped in the International Apparel Federation (IAF).<\/p>\n
He said major importer countries, particularly the United
\nStates and European countries, continued dictating to exporting
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
"The implementation of the ATC has so far been disappointing,"
\nsaid Tunky, who had just arrived from a three-day trade
\nministers' meeting at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
\n(APEC) forum in Montreal, Canada.<\/p>\n
He explained that the ATC, aimed at liberalizing the world's
\ntextile and clothing trade, promised more business opportunities
\nand jobs for developing countries.<\/p>\n
The minister said the protectionist measures imposed by
\nimporting countries included anti-dumping actions which have been
\ntaken not just on the basis of trade issues such as production
\ncosts as they should be, but also on labor rights or
\nenvironmental considerations.<\/p>\n
"It is important for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to
\nreview and tighten the guidelines on when and whether a product
\nis dumped," he said.<\/p>\n
Tunky also urged developed countries to understand the
\nproblems faced by developing nations in boosting their economies.<\/p>\n
"The textile and garment industry plays an important role in
\nboosting our economy. It generates billions of dollars in revenue
\nand helps create jobs," he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's textile and garment exports, according to the
\nCentral Bureau of Statistics, increased by 5.6 percent to US$6.55
\nbillion in l996 from $6.2 billion in 1995.<\/p>\n
Free trade<\/p>\n
IAF's president, Sunyoto Tanudjaja of Indonesia, said at the
\nopening of the meeting yesterday that many developing countries
\nwere looking forward to freer trade in textiles and clothing
\nafter the abolition of import quotas and tariff barriers by the
\nyear 2005 as promised by the WTO.<\/p>\n
Developing countries had made serious attempts to raise their
\nworker's living standards by raising minimum wages in the recent
\nyears and improving working conditions, he said.<\/p>\n
"For free trade in the textile and clothing industry to
\nflourish, major importing countries have to take a more
\nenlightened approach towards their trading partners in the
\nexporting countries," said Sunyoto, who is also president of
\npublicly listed PT Great River International,<\/p>\n
Sunyoto said that world trade should be in a win-win
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
Companies in developed and developing countries had benefited
\nfrom trade cooperation strategic alliances such as joint
\nventures, licensing agreements and multi-sourcing, he said.<\/p>\n
At yesterday's meeting were Hong Kong's Acting Secretary for
\nTrade and Industry Tam Wing Pong, Richard Hughes from the WTO,
\nEttiene Reuter, the head of the European Commission office in
\nHong Kong, Italian designer Nino Cerruti and Indonesian designer
\nIwan Tirta.<\/p>\n
The IAF, headquartered in London, groups various countries,
\nincluding the United States, Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, South
\nKorea, Pakistan, India and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Today's meeting will discuss new technological developments
\nand Asian market prospects.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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