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Sri Lanka clothing industry – ‘We will have ethics but no business’
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Colombo News Desk CND on 01 March, 2010 05:52:00
 
The European commission is in the process of withdrawing concessionary
zero-rated duty tariffs for imports from Sri Lanka. The commission has found Sri
Lanka in breach of international human rights laws. Human rights activists,
including Human Rights Watch, have also accused the Sri Lankan government of
killing thousands of ethnic Tamils in the war against the separatist LTTE, and
attacks on journalists. Sri Lanka denies these allegations.
Once the preferential trade tariff is withdrawn, garments exported from Sri
Lanka will attract duty of 9.6% in Europe, making them more expensive and less
competitive. Sri Lankan garment manufacturers fear that multinational brands
will then move their orders to other cheaper countries.
Multinationals themselves are under attack by overseas pro-Tamil campaigners,
who say sourcing from Sri Lanka amounts to supporting the Sri Lankan
government’s actions. The Washington-based US Tamil Political Action Council
(Ustpac) and other activists have organised protests in front of Gap and
Victoria’s Secrets outlets in the past few months, demanding a Sri Lanka
boycott.
Ustpac says: “Gap and Victoria’s Secret purchase and sell garments made in
Sri Lanka, thus helping the Sri Lankan government fund its military.”