Editorial: Global Textiles and Clothing: A Crisis of Unprecedented Proportions?

Two sets of trade figures released recently suggest that the strong are getting stronger. One set of figures relates to China and the other to Turkey.

Chinese textile and apparel exports in the first three months of 2004 were up by almost 25%, year-on-year. The increases were achieved despite a new export drawback policy1 which is increasing the cost of production and exports. The figures for Turkey, relating to the first four months of 2004, show textile and apparel exports to be up by 20%, year-on-year.

Both countries rank among those most likely to succeed after the elimination of quotas on January 1, 2005?as highlighted by the editorial director of Textiles Intelligence at a number of international conferences in recent months. Although the final elimination of quotas under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) is still some six months away (see page 102), the latest figures seem to support the adage that nothing succeeds like success?or the prospect of it.

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