U.S. allows 9% rise in imports of RI textiles
U.S. allows 9% rise in imports of RI textiles
JAKARTA (JP): The U.S. government has agreed on a new quota
allowing Indonesia to increase its textile and textile product
exports to that country by nine percent in 1994-95, a report said
yesterday.
A Suara Pembaruan correspondent yesterday quoted U.S.
officials in Washington as saying that Indonesia can increase its
exports of textiles and textile products to the United States by
nine percent to 542.5 million square meters in 1994-95 from 497
million square meters in 1993-94.
The agreement will apply until the end of 1995.
The increase represents an unprecedented hike because past
bilateral agreements stipulated that export quotas could only be
expanded by a maximum of six percent from the previous period.
The Washington-Jakarta textile agreement was achieved after
the third stage of negotiations which started last Thursday. The
two countries failed to reach agreement during the first
negotiation in Washington in April and the second in Bali in
June.
In the meantime, Indonesia's diplomatic corps in Washington
have confirmed the report.
"Yes, the United States has agreed to expand our export
quota," said Gusmardi Bustami, a trade attache in the Indonesia
embassy, as quoted by Suara Pembaruan.
Indonesia exported about US$1.2 billion worth of textiles and
textile products to the United States last year.
Categories
The nine percent increase covers several specified increases
in the exports of textiles and textile products.
The highest increase falls on the export quota of women's and
girls' suits, which jump by 95 percent to 350,000 pieces,
followed by men's and boys' suits which grow by 84 percent to
250,000 pieces.
Suara Pembaruan also reported that the new agreement had
formed a new, combined category from other categories of
products, including men's cotton shirts, boys' knitwear, women's
shirts and girls' knitwear. The export quotas of this new
category, according to the report, will increase by 15 percent.
Similar treatment is also being given to men's and boys'
cotton trousers which will be combined with the women's and
girls' cotton pants. The quota of this category is to increase by
10 percent.
Similarly, formal wear of both gender groups is to be merged
with cotton-based sleep wear which is to increase by 10 percent.
The report also cited that exports of cotton and synthetic-
fabric garments, cotton shorts and trousers, and cotton jackets
will increase by an average of five percent over the previous
year. (hdj)