Nepal's clothing makers at risk Charles Haviland
BBC News Nepal correspondent
Nepal is among those countries which could lose out badly from the ending of the Multi-Fibre Agreement when it lapses on 1 January, 2005.
Nepal's clothing industry, based on stitching fabric to make ready-made garments, has steadily grown over the years and now accounts for more than one third of export earnings.
But with the abolition of the MFA, its giant neighbour India is expected to win a bigger slice of the world's textile trade, and Nepali clothing makers could find themselves squeezed out.
That is because MFA quotas set limits on how much an individual country can export, a system that created an opening for small developing nations.
For a moment, I was worried that Chhuba, Angi and our dear Daura sural and mak mali chholo were going out of fashion, or were on endangered list.
What else is new??? Before it was the carpet. India spoilt our Carpet market. Now the Clothing manufacturing
industries. Sometimes I think that we do not benefit much from Indian connection. All they want is that we should remain at the status of a beggar. Getting hand outs from them. They do not wish to see us stand on our own feet.
How is it any different from our Northern Brother the Chinese? Dont we compete in the same area? They too export a hell of a lot of clothings to USA and around the world. How does that affect us???
