Garment makers from 20 nations meet in Bali
Garment makers from 20 nations meet in Bali
NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): President Soeharto opened the 10th convention of
the International Apparel Federation here yesterday, with a hope that
the textile and garment trade would gradually be freed from non-tariff
barriers under the new multilateral trading system resulting from the
Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.
"Textile and garments contribute greatly to economic development in
Indonesia and many other developing countries," the President noted at
the two-day conference, attended by more than 300 delegates from 20
countries.
He pointed out that textile and apparel trade, under the present
Multi Fiber Arrangement, is hindered by non-tariff barriers (quota
restrictions) imposed by major importing countries which want to protect
their domestic industries.
The President talked proudly of the impressive progress made by
Indonesia's textile and garment industries which have now become one of
the country's largest foreign exchange earners.
"But our industry is still highly vulnerable because it still depends
mainly on imported cotton fiber and machinery," he conceded.
The President reiterated the importance of exports to the economies
of most developing countries.
"Hindering exports from the developing countries amounts to the
closing of jobs to thousands of job seekers," he said.
The President mentioned the grave impacts of high unemployment,
saying that a rapid growth of labor force which is not matched by the
creation of adequate jobs would cause massive restlessness with all its
far-reaching implications.
He asked for global cooperation in coping with unemployment problems.
He argued that in current world, which has become smaller due to the
economic, globalization process, problems in one country could easily
spill over to another.
The President welcomed the new multilateral trading system which will
be administered by the World Trade Organization starting next year. He
said that it was his hope that international trade would truly be more
open.
The conference, which will end, today is being convened under the
theme Towards the creation of a global market.
The main objective of the conference, according to IAF's President
Takashi Onishi, is to enhance common perception about the challenges and
changes brought about by advances in technology, production and
marketing.
Delegates attending the meeting came from such developed countries as
the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain and Australia and developing ones such
as Malaysia, Peru and Colombia. (vin)