Retailers rip into Chinese textile quotas

[lovuian]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1554388,00.html

Up to 70m items of clothing stuck in transit
· Surge in exports from China

Heather Long and Naomi Scherbel-Ball
Tuesday August 23, 2005
The Guardian


British retailers and importers called last night for immediate action to lift curbs on cheap Chinese clothes coming into the country as it emerged that millions of pounds worth of garments are sitting in ships off the British coast as a result of a new European-wide quota on Chinese textiles.
With the US negotiating its own deal to protect textile jobs, retailers here are warning that protectionist measures will not save jobs and mean that consumers could face higher prices this autumn.

snip...

"Retailers were told about the restrictions after the goods were shipped out of China," said Alisdair Gray, of the British Retail Consortium. "China is such a crucial market. Retailers have invested there for the long-term. You can't get the levels of quality and customer service elsewhere like you can in China."

Retailers argue that the timing of the quotas was unrealistic. "We're working six to 12 months in advance. We placed our orders before Christmas in the expectation that there would not be a quota and now we find that we can't get our goods," Mr Neale said.

more...
You have to give the EU a pat on the back that they know too much of a good thing is wrong!!!

[Sgent]

1. Arg....

I hate quota's.

If we want to support domestic producers, pay the factory $10/shirt or whatever the cost difference is so they can be competitive. At least that way everyone knows what's going on and the money transfer is clear.

[Maple]

2. They all knew this

before China joined the WTO. The agreement specifically mentions it in fact.

[aquart]

3. So?

People whose will is overridden may not always accept the override. Something we might want to consider.

[cornermouse]

4. Cheap is the operative word.

They're made out of flimsy material. And one shirt I tried on had about 3 inches difference in the length of sleeve due at least partially to the fact that the had apparently set the sleeve in deeper (less shoulder on one side).

[durablend]

6. Well that's what they mean by "quality"

Item falls apart in a short period of time meaning you have to buy another one...a definite "win" where the retailer is concerned.

[mom cat]

5. Free Trade..ha! ha!