Textiles group wants special attention

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/4/2005 12:35:00 PM

GENEVA -- The Global Alliance for Fair Textile Trade (GAFTT) wants governments to insist that textiles issues be addressed in a Special Textile Sectoral (STS) in the Doha Development Round trade talks. 

Such a textiles-specific negotiation, the organization argues, is necessary for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to address the critical issues confronting the global textiles and apparel industry. 

GAFTT represents 97 textile and apparel groups from 55 countries that exported over $170 billion in textiles and apparel products in 2003. 

An STS, contends GAFTT, will allow all WTO member countries to deal with tariffs, non-tariff barriers and other concerns in a comprehensive manner in order to achieve an orderly and fair long-term development of trade in this critical sector.