Textile traders in Surat want an anti-dumping duty imposed on fabrics imported from China and other countries. Compared to fabrics produced indigenously, imported fabrics are almost 100 per cent cheaper. In the last year, crores of meters of fabrics have been imported into the country and this has put the domestic manmade fabric sector in the country under threat.

Almost 50 per cent of manmade fabric sector in Surat has been observing a total shutdown over a month. The manufacturing of polyester fabric by powerloom weavers has stopped due to the weak demand for fabrics and onslaught of cheap imported fabrics from China. Surat’s textile traders say the benefits under the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) should be extended to textile processors as well as for traders. At present, TUFS benefits are only for the power loom sector. Textile exporters also want a cargo service from Surat airport at the earliest. They say this will help them directly export the fabrics to various destinations, instead of diverting them from Mumbai and Delhi.

The annual polyester yarn consumption by powerloom units in Surat is pegged at 40,610 lakh kg and annual fabric production at 91,871 lakh meters.