Shania Shayal Prasad 
The Textile Clothing and Footwear Council is finding it difficult to manage high shipping costs.
As long as port charges, including clearing and forwarding, remain high, the Fijian manufacturing industries will be at an extreme disadvantage.
This comes as the council also recorded a decline in the garment trade over the past few years.
Council President Mala Wanarajan believes if the end cost is high, they might lose opportunities.
“Shipping costs and port charges, including clearing and forwarding, are extremely high; if this is passed on to the end customers, we will not be able to compete with the Asian countries. Before pandemic, if we are to another country, one cost is about three dollars and now it is costing six dollars.”
Wanarajan says they are in talks with the relevant stakeholders to address this issue.
“She adds that getting suppliers also remains a challenge internationally, including in China, Taiwan, and India. In Fiji, we do not weave fabrics; raw materials are imported from these countries. I’m not sure about accessories, but accessories are also imported.”
Currently, the textile industry exports around $120 million worth of garments annually.
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