Palestinian headscarf faces Chinese threat

06 Aug '10

2 min read

The Palestinian plaid headscarf, is now under the threat of low-cost imports, which is invading the market share of the domestically manufactured product.

The kaffiyeh now is a specimen of the globally accepted symbol of the national struggle in Palestine. Moreover, the plaid headscarf, that politicians and militants don is supported by both their supporters and even the ardent followers of fashion, around the globe.

But then this ubiquity of kaffiyeh does not pacify the owners and the only employees of the last factory, who churn out these headscarves in the Palestinian province. The 50-year-old ancestral business is now exerting to keep up its buoyancy as inferior quality scarves from China flood the domestic markets.

Local producers speak of these China-made kaffiyehs to be like cigarette paper, which is although low in price, but is of an inferior quality.

These producers also said that, China makes use of polyester and inferior quality cotton to make these kaffiyehs. As against this, the domestically produced kaffiyehs are made of best- quality materials while embracing within them historic feel.

More so, the Chinese producers trade their scarves to the people at two-third the cost they need to pay for the original Palestinian scarves. That is, while the Palestinian scarves are being sold at 100 shekels (£17) for 12 pieces, the China made kaffiyehs are vended at 60 shekels (£10) a dozen. Local producers say that those importing this cheap stuff from China are vandalising the domestic product.

This changed destiny mainly pursued inking of the Oslo deal during early 1990s, subsequent to which the newly constituted Palestinian Authority granted its markets with open access for imports.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India