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Kenya Ports Authority Torches Chinese Jeans

Published date:
Thursday, 22 July 2004

A Committee of weavers and spinners of the textile industry is to be set up to map out strategies on how to effectively export to the U.S. market, following the recent granting of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Textile Visa to Nigeria.

Special Adviser to the President on AGOA, Mrs Modupe Sasore, who disclosed this in an interactive forum with textile manufacturers in Lagos, said that Nigeria has crossed the hurdle that had hitherto prevented textile manufacturers from engaging in the apparel trade under AGOA.

According to her, the committee would be set up to resolve and streamline the agitations from some quarters, especially from yarn producers that some yarns such as filament yarns and blended yarns not produced in the country should be removed from the list of banned items.

Sasore said that such different views will not augur well with the task ahead of producing high quality textile apparel and garment for the U.S. market.

She stressed that the government policy of banning such products was not to favour the interest of a few, but for the good of the economy which is bound to hurt some.

On the textile visa, she noted particularly the efforts of the AGOA Steering Committee, whose tireless diligence ensured that the interest of the industry was taken into consideration and the companies which pulled funds together to engage a U.S. based consultant for its success.

It will be recalled that the U.S. president recently extended AGOA lifespan from 2008 to 2015 and the extension of third country fabric for three years from September 2004 to 2007 to increase the fabric production capacity of sub-- Saharan countries.

Throwing more light on the importance of AGOA, the Chairman, Committee on AGOA, Mr S.N. Sodhi, said as a result of the AGOA Visa for Nigeria in July, the textile sector was prepared to take advantage of AGOA with all the opportunities presented.

He said specifically, the spinning sector had embarked on massive modernisation in the past two years, adding that the yarn and fabric export to other AGOA countries mainly to Mauritius and South Africa "is feasible upon VISA approval."

He, however, explained that impediments such as customs procedures need to be very clear, registration of companies for AGOA have to be done and windows for effective funding should be opened.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association (NTMA), Mr Jaiyeola Olarewaju, commended the government policy to revive the textile industry.

He said that export from the sector had been doubled in the past two years as a result of this encouragement, while significant improvement on modernisation and expansion to meet international standards through investments. "As we are already exporting to Europe, we are equally prepared to take advantage of AGOA to the U.S. market," Olarewaju said.



“AGOA Latest AGOA Trade Data on AGOA.info


Click here to view a sector profile of Nigeria's bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated by total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.


Other regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include:

  • AGOA-beneficiary Countries’ AGOA and GSP Trade Aggregates

  • AGOA Trade by Industry Sector

  • Apparel Trade under AGOA’s Wearing Apparel Provisions

  • Latest Apparel Quotas under AGOA

  • Bilateral Trade Data for all AGOA-eligible countries individually.

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