Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Egypt's government-backed garment export council wants to expand its base of African cotton suppliers and is seeking to import around 250 000 tonnes a year, a senior industry official said on Thursday.
The move could be a further relaxation of restrictive import rules designed to protect the domestic industry after a two-year temporary import ban was also lifted.
"As an industry, spinners and weavers, we want to open more countries to be a source of cotton importation," Mohamed Kassem, chairperson of the Ready Made Garments Export Council said on the sidelines of an African textile conference in Cape Town.
"So, as an industry, we suggested to the government to open all African countries, except if there is infestation of certain pests," he told Reuters.
Egypt's cotton exports have been hit by a local hike in prices this year, following a decline in local production brought about by reduced acreage and the import ban removal.
Exports have dropped to 17 028 tonnes since the beginning of the marketing season of the cash crop in September 2013, a drop of 45.3% compared with the 31 137 tonnes exported in the same period of the previous season, authorities said in January.
"We have requested that it (African imports) be effective immediately. Whether the government listens or not, remains to be seen, but I see that there is a lot more government understanding so hopefully things will move fast," Kassem said.
African countries expected to benefit include Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Egypt currently sources cotton from Greece, Uzbekistan and Burkina Faso, with Sudanese and Syrian also available although political unrest in these two countries have hampered imports, said Kassem.
According to the African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation the continent produces some 1.2 million tonnes of cotton a year, 6% of the world's production.
Kassem said the envisaged African imports were not expected to have any impact on local Egyptian producers because it was a different variety.
"Egyptian cotton is extra long stable and we want to import short stable to produce a coarser yarn for T-shirts, for denim."
Kassem said the Arab world's most populous country exported garments valued at $2.3bn a year, mostly on imported yarn and fabric.
The move could be a further relaxation of restrictive import rules designed to protect the domestic industry after a two-year temporary import ban was also lifted.
"As an industry, spinners and weavers, we want to open more countries to be a source of cotton importation," Mohamed Kassem, chairperson of the Ready Made Garments Export Council said on the sidelines of an African textile conference in Cape Town.
"So, as an industry, we suggested to the government to open all African countries, except if there is infestation of certain pests," he told Reuters.
Egypt's cotton exports have been hit by a local hike in prices this year, following a decline in local production brought about by reduced acreage and the import ban removal.
Exports have dropped to 17 028 tonnes since the beginning of the marketing season of the cash crop in September 2013, a drop of 45.3% compared with the 31 137 tonnes exported in the same period of the previous season, authorities said in January.
"We have requested that it (African imports) be effective immediately. Whether the government listens or not, remains to be seen, but I see that there is a lot more government understanding so hopefully things will move fast," Kassem said.
African countries expected to benefit include Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Egypt currently sources cotton from Greece, Uzbekistan and Burkina Faso, with Sudanese and Syrian also available although political unrest in these two countries have hampered imports, said Kassem.
According to the African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation the continent produces some 1.2 million tonnes of cotton a year, 6% of the world's production.
Kassem said the envisaged African imports were not expected to have any impact on local Egyptian producers because it was a different variety.
"Egyptian cotton is extra long stable and we want to import short stable to produce a coarser yarn for T-shirts, for denim."
Kassem said the Arab world's most populous country exported garments valued at $2.3bn a year, mostly on imported yarn and fabric.
