R VIMAL KUMAR
TIRUPUR, JULY 5
Garment exporters in Tirupur knitwear cluster can heave a sigh of relief as the ‘unofficial curbs’ on the imports of Chinese goods were ‘lifted’ by the customs department, with clearances commenced yet again on July 3.
The Navjeevan Express has carried a story prior to the relaxation, on how the imposition of unofficial check on the imports from China had spelt a cascading effect on the garment production chain due to factors beyond the control of Tirupur entrepreneurs. The story received good attention from many segments of society.
Also Read: http://navjeevanexpress.com/tirupur-garment-cluster-in-catch-22-situation-over-chorus-for-boycott-of-chinese-products/
The manufacturers were forced to buy many of the accessories like zips, buttons, labels, tags, and badges, among few other items, from China only because that the foreign buyers had been insisting the same with China being considered as ‘nominated source’ of accessories purchase. The high quality of the products, cheaper prices, and faster delivery were the reasons which prompted foreign buyers to fix Chinese accessories for the garments sourced from India as well as from other nations.
‘Avoid knee-jerk reactions’
While thanking the government machinery for the lift of the unofficial ban, Tirupur Exporters Association president Raja M. Shanmugam was of the view that such knee-jerk reactions – ban on any imports all of sudden – should be avoided in the future.
“It is a fact that Chinese products have dominance in many industrial sectors. We need to accept reality. In the production of garments ‘meant for exports’, we have no other choice when the foreign buyers make it mandatory to source certain accessories from China alone. So, any sudden curb on Chinese imports can do more harm than good to the exports from India,” pointed out Shanmugam.
Customs officials were not immediately available for their comment.
(R Vimal Kumar is formerly Principal Correspondent with The Hindu and now a freelance journalist)
