Ludhiana Spinners Association (LSA) and Northern India Textile Mills Association (NITMA) have protested against the issue of anti-dumping duty (ADD) on raw material of acrylic fibre (AF).
Senior representatives of both associations met various government officials and ministers in this regard. Just a few months back, they had meet Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, and Ravi Capoor, Secretary Textiles.
Recently in a detailed press release, Northern India Textile Mills Association (NITMA) claimed large numbers of its workforce, associated with hundreds of units that are producing items made by acrylic fibre, are being affected by the imposition of anti-dumping duty on these fibres.
As per sweater and shawl manufacturers of Ludhiana, the imposition of this duty increases their cost while only three companies of India are in gain due to this policy.
Out of these three companies, two themselves are spinners and consume their own fiber. Acrylic fiber is also known as the common man’s wool, and Ludhiana, the leading textile and knitting hub of India, is the main producer of shawls and sweaters in the country.
Due to such policies, countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh are benefitting of India’s lack of competitiveness with their low cost and lesser price. Apart from NITMA, other trade bodies of Ludhiana such as the Knitwear Club, and the Knitwear and Apparel Manufacturers Association of Ludhiana (KAMAL) are also in the favour of removing ADD on AF. But no luck so far, and it looks like Ludhiana’s struggle will continue.
