Canada Bolsters Textile Industry

The Canadian government has introduces new measures to increase the competitiveness of the textile and apparel industry. 

The textile and apparel industry employs approximately 144,000 Canadians. About 600 textile companies are centered in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver with annual turnover of $5.69 billion is exported. The US is Canada’s main export market. 

Three Key Canadian Strategies  

  1. Eliminate tariffs on fiber and yarn imports (worth up to $15 million per year) and on imports of textile inputs used by apparel industry (worth up to $75 million per year), effective 1 January 2005.
  2. Provide $50 million in additional funding over the next 5 years to encourage Canadian companies to shift to higher value-added products focus on niche markets and improve productivity.
  3. Extend current duty remission orders benefiting textile and apparel manufacturers for 5 years, gradually phasing out benefits over the final 3 years.

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