“The clothing and textiles segments are overly dependent on raw material imports from China,” averred Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Deputy General Secretary, Vietnam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS), while speaking at a seminar in Hanoi, Vietnam. She further substantiated her point by mentioning that garment and textile industry need to reduce their dependence on China, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, the three primary supply sources, and look for viable alternatives. Depending completely on 3 sources unnecessarily puts production at risk if unforeseen circumstances arise that cause an interruption in the flow of product from any of them to Vietnam.
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Mai mentioned that members of the association have discussed the concern in detail with the Association of Garments Textiles Embroidery and Knitting (AGTEK) in HCM City and added that there is a consensus that seeking alternative apparel supplier in India is in the best interest of the segment.
Several representatives from Vietnamese garment and textile industry have conducted tours of the industry in India and inferred that Indian suppliers can satisfy their needs for quality product on a consistent and timely basis. “India has a trade agreement with ASEAN that provides benefits to the Vietnam’s segments in the form of lower tariffs and other trade benefits,” said Nguyen Xuan Hong, President, AGTEK.