Taiwan textiles test Sri Lanka

Wednesday, 31 October 2012 00:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Cheranka Mendis

Taiwan Textile Fairs South Asia entered the Sri Lankan market yesterday, opening doors to a two-day fair at the Upper Crystal Hall of the Taj Samudra Hotel, after a series of successful events in India for over a decade.

Testing the Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers as part of the Taiwan Government’s textile strategy 2015 with the goal of increasing value of production to NT$ 580 billion from NT$ 482.3 billion in 2010, the fair has brought 17 industry players from Taiwan to Sri Lanka.

Organised by the Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF) and the Bureau of Foreign Trade, and represented by Worldex India Exhibition & Promotion Pvt. Ltd., the event is important to textile and garment manufacturers, importers, exporters, buyers, merchandisers, and retailers across India and Sri Lanka for their sourcing requirements.

The event is endorsed by Export Development Board (EDB) and supported by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), and Sri Lanka Apparel Exports Association.

After wrapping up today, the fair will move into Bengaluru from 2-3 November and then to Gurgaon from 5-7 November.

Providing insight in to the move to Sri Lanka, Taiwan Textile Federation Project Manager Jennifer Liu in a statement noted that the fair would act as a business matching platform and give opportunities to the Taiwan textile industry to expose its innovative, trendy fabrics, and accessories to Sri Lanka. The fair is expected to attract Lankan marketers, business buyers, partners, distribution channels, and key decision makers.

“This year we plan to make new ties and form long associations with some of the best in the Sri Lankan garment industry.”

The fair showcases a variety of products ranging from functional fabrics, knitted fabric, woven fabric, textured fabric, cotton yarn and grey fabric, underwear and lingerie fabric, sports and golf polo fabric, denim and hosiery machines, lace and embroidery fabric, dyeing and resin finishes, buttons, buckles, zippers, interlocks, ribbons, badges, spandex fabric, jersey fabric, and mesh and brushed fabrics.

Speaking to the Daily FT, two of the stall holders – Keen Ching Industrial Company Limited and Karomax Group – stated that with the current difficulties in the EU and US, expanding markets into the likes of Sri Lanka and India are among the companies’ top priorities for development. The two companies had ties with Sri Lankan companies many years back, which they hope to re-establish soon, they said.

Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association Chairman Rohan Abayakoon present at the opening of the fair stated that it was important for the country to get exposed to manufacturers such as Taiwan, which excel in advanced fabric manufacturing.

“Going back some 15 years ago we had a vibrant relationship with Taiwan textile manufacturers. Unfortunately in the last 10 years or so due to pricing constraints, etc., we have not been able to keep up the relationship to a great extent,” he said.

“Events like this will help re-establish our contacts with that market. We are a manufacturer of high quality garments and they have excelled in textiles and fabrics for a long time. This would benefit the local industry.”

He noted that in the 1990s Sri Lanka had been importing close to 50% of capital requirements from Taiwan, which is now below 10%.