Japan keen on Indian textiles

With the comprehensive economic partnership agreement offering duty-free

imports on textiles, Japanese buyers are keen on increasing their sourcing of garments from the country. Japan wants a bigger share of India in its textile imports, from 0.9 to 3 percent, in the next two to three years. Japan imports textile goods worth about 25 billion dollars (Rs 1,34,600 crores) a year, the third highest in the world. China accounts for more than 85 percent of Japanese imports. Chinese textile products however face a 10 to 11 percent import duty. Since the duty difference is huge, Japanese retailers would probably welcome Indian products.

Japan currently sources a small quantity of specialised items from India because its quality standards are stringent. Quality parameters in Japan are much more severe than the US and the European Union. Some international brands being sourced from India face up to 40 percent rejections. Japanese buyers also want Indian exporters to manage their logistics in a better way and reduce shipment time. Indian exporters take three to four months to send their consignments to Japan while Chinese sellers take just one month.