Surat: Minister of state for textiles Ajay Tamta has directed the textile commissioner's office to gather a comprehensive data from all the ports across the country on the volume of fabrics being imported into the country from China.Tamta, who was in the city to inaugurate Surat International Textile Expo (SITEX) organized by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) here on Saturday, said the data will allow the government to decide on an appropriate duty structure.The import of undervalued fabrics from China has paralyzed the MMF sector in the city. Around 50% of powerloom weaving machines are running at around 70% of their capacity, thereby rendering many textile workers jobless since last few years. The production of polyester fabrics has been reduced from 4 crore metre per day to around 1.8 crore metre per day.Earlier, the ministry of textiles had asked textile industry leaders in the city to provide them with data of volume of fabrics being imported from China."It is impossible for the unorganized textile sector to gather relevant data on import of fabrics. It is required that the textile department should make efforts to gather information on the volume of imported fabrics, so that necessary action could be taken," Tamta told TOI.According to Tamta, country specific duty, also known as a countervailing duty, on imports is imposed to nullify subsidies provided by other nations and is intended to make prices of domestic products competitive. Importing countries also have other options, such as introducing an anti-dumping duty, to make domestic prices at par.The inquiry by India has been initiated under the supervision of directorate general of anti-dumping and allied duties, an arm of the ministry of commerce and industry, Tamta added.

Stay updated with all the Latest Surat headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.