Contrary to the forecasts of Ministry of Industry of the 10.44 per cent growth of the apparel industry and 0.95 per cent of the textile industry, the Indonesian Filament Yarn and Fiber Producers Association (APSyFI) has predicted the textile and textile product (TPT) industry will grow 12.45 per cent on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2022. According to Redma Gita Wirawasta, Chairman, APSyFI, growth in the first quarter of 2022 was driven by domestic sales due to Ramadan 2022. However, Wirawasta believes growth will not continue in the second quarter of 2022.

Wirawasta attributes this to the opening of the textile import faucet for general importers or API-U.This step is strange because national textile manufacturers have proven they can supply the needs of the downstream textile industry since mid 2021. In addition, textile industry players have made investments to increase their production capacity. However, the restrictions on imports leads to lobbying by textile importers to the government to open the textile import faucet, he adds.