“It says the objective of the proposed organisation will be to maximise the business opportunities created through phasing out of quota system last year..Since the proposal has come from the world’s largest apparel exporter, smaller nations, including the least developed countries (LDCs), are examining both positive and negative aspects of the issue carefully. ..”font size=”1″>Analysts say China might be trying to unite all Asian apparel exporters to strengthen their capacity to negotiate with the EU and the USA in case any embargo is imposed on garment exports of any of the member countries of this proposed federation .Sceptics, however, are smelling rat in the Chinese proposal. They argue that China might be trying to create a platform with a motive of demobilising the negotiating strength of the emerging apparel exporting nations, which are actually its rivals in the international market. .Currently, China dominates the US$ 400 billion global textile and clothing market. Smaller nations, such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Philippines are also emerging as potential apparel exporting countries” . “Host country China is currently facing export impediments from the EU and the USA..China National Garment Association is organising a roundtable discussion Tuesday in Beijing where many of the apparel manufacturing countries are taking part, local exporters said .”The idea is to tap maximum benefits from global textile and clothing market,” said Tipu Munshi, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) .Munshi told this correspondent from China over telephone that Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Nepal and Bangladesh also discussed among themselves, on the sideline, about the prospect of a pending Bill in the US Congress to allow duty and quota free access of apparels of 15 LDCs Sri Lanka included on Tsunami ground) to the US market .”We might work together if we could make a win-win situation,” observed Mir Nasir Hossain, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) .He told the FE that many Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and China produced cotton and had a strong textile base. On the other hand, Bangladesh and Nepal do not grow cotton, he said..”Possibly, we could complement each other. China might come to Bangladesh and invest in textile mills and take the benefit of our easy access to many global markets,” said Ghulam Faruq, a former BGMEA leader .The formal meeting will take place between April 4 and 6 in Beijing and informal discussions have already started, Munshi said .”We belong to the LDC group and China and India are emerging developing nations. So there are some conflicts of interest,” Nasir said .Source: The Financial Express .

Date:4/3/2006

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