Imports of Chinese textiles rose by 24%

Last week, Indecopi ordered antidumping duties on imports of 100% Chinese polyester taffeta fabrics for a period of 5 years. The measure that contemplates a surtax of US$3.55 per kilogram of this product seeks to protect the domestic industry that has been affected by unfair competition from the Asian giant.

However, this decision does not benefit micro and small entrepreneurs, who are the main ones affected by excess imports, says Susana Saldaña, president of the Business Association Gamarra Peru. “These antidumping measures benefit one or two companies that are the ones that manufacture,” he told La República.

However, it states that, to be effective, these provisions should be applied to garment imports and not directly to fabrics.

Beyond this measure, the main demand of the textile industry to mitigate the imbalance that exists in the market continues to be the application of safeguards to Chinese imports. “There is a process of safeguards in which we are pending and that the government of Dina Boluarte still does not want to even discuss,” says Saldaña.

Indeed, in August 2022, Indecopi sent a confidential technical report to the multisectoral commission in charge of evaluating the application of the measure. More than six months later, the task force has still not issued a response. “We believe that they do not want to discuss the issue for fear of importer lobbies,” suggests Saldaña.

Meanwhile, microentrepreneurs continue to face this problem. Well, the situation of the commercial emporium of Gamarra, the largest textile area in the country, is critical and so far this year it has recorded losses of around S/200 million, and in none of its campaigns since 2021 has it managed to exceed 50% of the sales level of the pre-pandemic period, Saldaña maintains.

For this reason, the representatives of the emporium met last Thursday, February 9, with the head of Produce, Raúl Pérez Reyes, who promised to “review the issue” of the safeguards, but did not set a date for a possible response to this request. .

Something similar was said in an interview by the Vice Minister of Industry and SMEs, Javier Dávila, who, however, maintained that taking into account that Indecopi previously issued a report indicating that the application of safeguards was not appropriate, other mechanisms are being evaluated to control the excess imports.

Imports in 2022

According to data from the National Society of Industries (SNI), the importation of chinese clothing it reached US$573 million CIF in 2022, which meant an increase of 24.2% compared to US$461 million in 2021. National production grew 29.8% (see infographic).

Antonio Castillo, manager of the Institute of Economic and Social Studies of the SNI, points out that, Although there are no longer increases close to 50% in imports, the problem of undervaluation remains and count in the majority of products that affect the national industry.

“The collection of import taxes by weight must be applied, to eliminate the undercount,” suggests Castillo.

Settlement to finance school campaign

The Gamarra commercial emporium will begin this week liquidation campaigns in summer clothes to recover its capital and finance the school campaign and that of Mother’s Day.

“We are going to come out with our discounts on our summer clothes because we need our businessmen to be able to sell,” said Susana Saldaña.

The summer campaign is selling only 50% of the stock produced.

Currently, micro-entrepreneurs are without resources, which is why it is important that the Government can execute the Impulso Myperú Program, according to Saldaña.

On Sunday, the MEF published the regulation of the law that creates the aforementioned program.

Chinese imports continue to advance in the domestic market