Worry creases in textile industry
By Diao Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-09 09:05
The government's priority has been to curb the skyrocketing trade surplus in formulating policies. But now that exports have indeed slowed down, more problems have surfaced and both industry and government bodies are worried. Chinese textile companies have been hit the hardest as many of them rely on exports for profits and the profit margin for most is narrow. Faced with rising raw material costs, no export tax rebate and rapid yuan appreciation, many textile manufacturers are saying this is going to be the toughest year ever. If a lot of these labor-intensive textile companies do go under, the government will be faced with a rising unemployment rate. Official figures show the textile industry alone employs over 20 million people across China, most of whom are migrant workers. The rate of growth in regions that focus more on exports is lower than other parts of China. Exports in Guangdong province, for instance, amounted to $7 billion, up only 0.87 percent. Many export-oriented small enterprises have already been shuttered, while some small foreign-invested textile enterprises have moved to other places. This state of affairs has alarmed government officials. Cao Xuejun, an official in charge of textiles from the National Development and Reform Commission, said the government is "very concerned". At a recent conference, Cao said the situation this year is not good for textile companies given the state of domestic and world markets. While some industry players have appealed for policy support such as adjustment of export tax rebates to tide over the crisis, many experts and textile companies realize the turmoil in the industry could also be a good opportunity to restructure it. Cao said the development of the industry has shifted from quantity-driven expansion to a new stage where companies need to focus more on innovation and product upgrade. Echoed Huang Yiren, a vice-president of Fujian SBS Zipper Technology Ltd, the largest zipper maker in China, saying it is time for Chinese enterprises to improve their management rather than simply competing for the lowest price. "Good companies will finally survive and will develop even better," Huang said. Commerce Minister Chen Deming had earlier gone on record saying the government will help enterprises through better guidance and providing more information. |
乌什县| 白山市| 福泉市| 玛纳斯县| 高尔夫| 汾西县| 晋城| 娱乐| 凯里市| 宁乡县| 武平县| 将乐县| 靖宇县| 五峰| 安宁市| 兰考县| 梨树县| 喀什市| 阳朔县| 苏尼特左旗| 新津县| 含山县| 靖边县| 远安县| 合山市| 辽中县| 琼海市| 肇东市| 巫山县| 徐水县| 南漳县| 同心县| 福清市| 镇雄县| 辽中县| 孝昌县| 公主岭市| 吉隆县| 葫芦岛市| 大关县| 探索|