Free trade agreements under fire

By Felicity Anderson, Nzoom.com Business News Editor

Thursday 18th October 2001

The government is being urged to rethink its proposed free trade agreement with Hong Kong, after a customs report identified breaches of import rules under the Singapore free trade agreement.

The report found nearly half the import shipments claiming duty exemptions under the agreement didn't qualify, while tests on 11 out of 12 textile, clothing and footwear shipments found nine failed to meet compliance requirements.

Secretary of the Clothing Workers Union Maxine Gay says an agreement with Hong Kong could see the ruin of the local industry under an onslaught of cheap clothing from China, which is just over the border from Hong Kong.

But the Acting Customs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, says there is no evidence the Singapore Free Trade Agreement isn't working, despite the customs report. He says not even the Alliance, which originally opposed the agreement could argue it is being exploited.

Anderton says the customs report shows imports of clothing and textiles from Singapore have actually fallen

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