“Apparel and fabric exporting businessmen based in Istanbul’s Osmanbey,
Merter and Laleli neighborhoods organized a sector meeting in Istanbul
on Saturday to discuss issues about maintaining sustainability in the
sector.
” “..
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review after the
meeting, Osmanbey Textiles Businessmen Association, or OTÝAD, Chairman
Ali Ulvi Orhan said the association members launched an emergency plan
to substitute the loss in the Middle Eastern markets that comprise 50
percent of the their total exports. “We are now more focused on the
domestic market, as well as northern markets like Russia, the other
eastern bloc countries and Commonwealth of Independent States,” he said.
” “..
Due to the additional taxation issued in early 2011 on imported fabrics
and apparel, as 20 percent and 30 percent respectively, Orhan expects a
slash in the domestic demand for their products, as the taxation on the
basic raw material will directly affect their market prices. ” “..
“This taxation is supposed to protect the local producers against
foreign brands; however, the foreign brands will not be as much
adversely affected as us,” he said. ” “..
The idea behind the tax was that it would boost purchases from domestic
producers, he said. “It brings up other issues, certain types of fabrics
that we need to maintain seasonal trends are not produced in Turkey.” ” “..
LC Waikiki Chairman Vahap Küçük who also attended the meeting, said the
protectionism never worked out for countries, on the contrary it further
increased consumer prices and damaged both the producers and the
consumers. ” “..
“Iran is the best example here. They have been applying protective
methods for so long; still the country is one of our chief export
markets. Our products are cheaper than those presented by local
producers; therefore consumers prefer our products over ones made
locally.”
” “..
Also speaking to the Daily News, Istanbul Textiles and Apparel
Exporters’ Union, or ÝTKÝB, Chairman Hikmet Tanrýverdi said according to
the union’s data the Middle East crisis did not cause an irreparable
loss to the overall apparel export sector. “But it stopped a great many
new investments planned in the region, although the physical loss it
cost, according to our figures it is between $500,000 and $600,000 that
chiefly stems from Libya.”
” “..
Orhan, on the other hand, said the effect of the crises could not be
solely measured by the physically losses and there were further,
invisible, losses. “Libya is our gateway to many other African markets.
Therefore, the crisis in the country halted our exports to many other
countries.”
”
Date:4/18/2011
Source:www.yarnsandfibers.com