Colombia Import Duties Curb China Textiles

 
Beginning from March 1, Colombia starts its one-year-long adjustment of import tariff, which is reportedly aimed at curbing the imports of garment and footwear from China with press on the import prices to rise.

Regarding the textile products under China tariff's chapters 61, 62 and 63, the Colombian authority has changed their ad valorem duty rate from 15% to 10% but extra imposed a specific rate of USD 5.0/kg. The authority takes China as the first biggest source of such textile products.

According to Chinese statistics, in 2012, those textile exports to Colombia, the key emerging market in South America, totaled about USD 321 million that is 21.49% more than 2011.

Some Chinese exporters indicate that the slip from 15% to 10% is really narrow and the extra duty of USD 5.0/kg is really excessive, e.g. a piece of clothing of 300g weight is subject to an extra 30% duty, a heavy burden on the exporters.