Colombian apparel sector creates 200,000 new jobs in 2013

27 Jan '14

2 min read

The Colombian apparel sector managed to create 200,000 new jobs in 2013, increasing the employment in the sector at a rate of 21.9 percent in all regions of the country during the year, informed the Colombian Chamber of Apparel and Allied Workers (CCCyA) during the recently held Colombiatex of the Americas in the city of Medellin.

The CCCyA attributed the increase in the number of jobs to the implementation of the Decree 074 which was imposed by the Colombian Government on March 1, 2013, in order to protect the domestic clothing industry from unfair competition, reports Colombian newspaper El Universal.

Carolina Blackburn, director of CCCyA, said the decree imposed by the Government raised tariffs on the imports of finished clothing from other countries, which helped in protecting the domestic apparel sector from unfair competition.

The decree imposed less than a year ago has exceeded all expectations, and the apparel sector had to enhance production, in order to meet with the demand for high-quality clothing from the domestic market, which indicated the success of the decree in reviving the industry, she added.

According to the CCCyA official, within almost a year the measure imposed by the Colombian Government changed the dynamics in favor of the sector which is on the path of steady recovery, even in terms of production as well as industrial growth.

Last week, the Colombian Government announced the extension of the Decree 074 of Customs Tariff for two more years after partial modification following an agreement reached between manufacturers and traders.

According to the Government, the threshold value would be US$ 10 per kilo of clothing, and all garments below that value would continue to pay the current mixed tariff of 10 percent plus $5 per kilo of clothing. Garments that are priced above $10 per kilo would have to pay tariff at 10 percent plus $3 per kilo.

Fibre2fashion News Desk-India

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