EU Jumper Mountain

[Lucifer Box]

The European Union's efforts to protect its textile industry may be proving too effective and seem to be causing a supply crisis among retailers.

It is a busy time for clothing retailers, who are restocking their shelves with autumn styles.

But millions of jumpers and men's trousers are stranded at ports and airports around Europe after the EU put limits on clothing imports from China.

At the heart of the problem is the European Commission's decision to reintroduce a temporary quota on certain items of clothing for 3 years.

Read On: Stores angry at EU clothing curbs

I know the thought of a Chiness jumper mountain sitting just outside the EU's border is a bit daft/funny, but I don’t see the retailers can overly moan much. Putting aside the issue of whether textile quotas are right or wrong, it's one of the risks of importing from cheapest common denominator countries outside of your free trade zone. You can't have it all your own way, i.e. dirt cheap costs with no risk whatsoever. If you want to minimise your risk then pay a little more and source from within the EU where you are protected by free trade rules.

Discuss, abuse the usual suspects, whatever...

[datestamp]

Sounds like an opening for MF to me. When he imports his dodgy chest of draws sets from Thailand, he should stuff the draws full of Chinese jumpers. If quizzed, he could just say that the jumpers were packing material.

[Lucifer Box]

Fantastic - license to print money!! He can sell them to desperate Matalan stores. We all know what happens when demand exceeds supply - they'll be worth more than the furniture they came in within a week. Although thinking about it, those jumpers are probably worth more than the furniture anyway.

[GiGo]

If you're ever travelling to Shanghai, don't bother packing a suitcase. There are oodles of modern shopping centres - it's like Manhatten - and you can buy most of the Western brands at a 5th of the UK-equivalent price.