BADGER
MICHAEL AVERY: Patel powerless to stop Chinese e-commerce tsunami
Shein and Temu are exploiting a global provision in most countries’ customs laws
13 May 2024 - 05:00
I see trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel is finally cottoning on to Shein and Temu scuppering any hopes he had of revitalising SA’s moribund clothing and textiles industry. It is well documented that cheap Chinese imports picked at the seams of the industry in the late 1990s, causing it to unravel.
Despite increased tariff and trade protection and a flurry of localisation master plans since, more than half the textiles sold by SA retailers are imported and about 60% of imports are from China. ..
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