Ahmedabad, renowned as India’s hub for cotton textiles, and Surat, leading in polyester textiles, are feeling the effects.
In Gujarat, the textile industry has been grappling with a surge in fabric imports from China, prompting local industry leaders to voice their concerns to the union textiles minister. According to sources, Chinese suppliers are offering cotton-like fabrics at nearly half the price of Indian cotton textiles, significantly impacting domestic manufacturers. Ahmedabad, renowned as India’s hub for cotton textiles, and Surat, leading in polyester textiles, are feeling the effects.
The industry has been seeing a notable increase in imports, especially before the last Diwali. Some Chinese suppliers are even under-invoicing their goods to evade duties, which is detrimental to our industry. We’re urging for restrictions on Chinese fabric imports.”
China is flooding the Indian market with polyester and synthetic fabrics, offering them at prices much lower than domestic alternatives. This has led to a decline in demand for cotton textiles due to their higher costs, forcing local manufacturers to incorporate polyester blends to remain competitive. Imposing restrictions on Chinese imports is crucial.
The industry’s plea comes amidst ongoing efforts to address challenges faced by domestic textile sectors, including recent initiatives to prioritize cotton supply for MSME spinning mills and the imposition of anti-dumping duties on Chinese products like hydraulic rock breakers.
News source: The Times of India