India International Knit Fair, to be held in Tiruppur from February 17 to 19, will have more than 50 buyers and over 100 buying agents visiting the event.
A. Sakthivel, chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council, said the event was organised by India Knit Fair Association and would have a wide variety of knitted cotton and blended products.
The demand was more for organic cotton and the manufacturers had also shifted to medium and high budget garments, he said.
The Association had tied up with the Buying Agents Association, New Delhi, so that more agents visited the fair.
“We are expecting serious buyers from Japan, Australia, Singapore, the UK, the US, Canada, and South Africa for this 47th fair,” he said.
The India Knit Fair Association was extending logistics support to buyers and buying agents who had confirmed their visit and provided the required details. A help desk would be set up at Coimbatore International Airport to ensure smooth passage of out-station participants and all visiting delegates to the fair. O.S. Manian, Minister for Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Tamil Nadu, would inaugurate the fair on February 17.
Regarding apparel exports, Mr. Sakthivel said that in EU, Bangladesh exports entered mostly duty free as it was a less developed country. Vietnam and Cambodia also attracted zero tariff.
But, Indian apparel exports attracted 9.1 % duty. Further, European Union recently extended special status to Sri Lanka as a preferential country. Garment exporters had appealed to the Centre to expedite free trade agreements, especially with Europe.
Committee formed
The AEPC had formed a committee to study the markets and products that countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam were strong in. This would help the exporters plan their focus markets and products.
