AMMAN — Demand for winter clothing is “significantly” lower than usual for the autumn period, and the price of clothing is expected to increase by 10–15 percent, according to industry experts.
اضافة اعلان
Although the pre-winter period traditionally features increased demand for clothes, a board member of the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) Ihab Al-Qadri told
Jordan News that “the consequences of the pandemic are still affecting the sector, particularly those factories that rely on the local market.”
According to the JCI board member who represents the leather and textile industry, data showed that clothing production decreased by 21 percent in the first seven months of 2021 compared to last year.
“The decline in local demand can be attributed to decisions around online shopping and the gradual return to trade relations with Syria,” he explained.
Qadri said that “recent statistics showed that nearly 1 million parcels entered Jordan since the beginning of the year, the majority of which were clothes,” affecting the sector’s sales. The sector cannot bear more losses, he contended.
Munir Deyye, a merchant and the former president of the Textile Readymade Clothes Syndicate, clarified in an interview with
Jordan News that the market is witnessing exceptionally low demand on clothes and a depressed market. At the same time, there is a significant rise in shipping costs. Both factors directly impact the price of clothing.
“Merchants expect a new wave of stagnation in the coming days,” he said.
Deyye confirmed that the global increase in shipping prices impacts the local market and expects that the prices of some goods may increase by as much as 50 percent.
Similarly, Asaad Qawasmi, representative of the clothing sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, told
Jordan News in past comments that clothing merchants who used to pay $2,000 per shipping container now pay $12,000 — a sixfold increase.
According to Qawasmi, this increase will be reflected in the price of goods for both the merchants and consumers.
For his part, President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Nael Kabariti told
Jordan News that “shipping fees from China for a 40-foot container amounted to $12,000, (increased from) $1,200, and freight rates from European countries increased from $1,500 to $5,000.”
Kabariti stressed the need to rapidly implement measures that reduce customs duties and offer a grace period on the payment of sales tax advance on imported goods. Finally, he concluded, cheaper shipping alternatives must be found, such as working with airlines.
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