Analysis of the foreign trade policies to reduce the entrance of textile and footware products from China

Abstract

During the last 25 years, Colombia has been quite interested in getting integrated into the global economy. Nevertheless, it has been affected by imports from highly competitive countries like the People’s Republic of China, and has been forced to adopt protectionist policies for its industries. This article presents a general overview of the commercial relations between China and Colombia by means of a qualitative longitudinal study. Within this framework, it is carried out an analysis of some of the measures implemented by the Colombian government to minimize the negative effects to the national industry caused by the increasing of goods importation, specifically in the textile and footwear industries, verifying their feasibility and correct implementation in Colombian foreign trade policy. As a result, it was found that imports have not decreased in spite of the implementation of such protectionist measures. Likewise, it is evidenced that the national industry’s sales are lower than those of the products imported from China, that the production costs are lower in the Asian country, and that the Colombian textile and footwear industries are technologically behind, this indicating a very low level of competitiveness.

As a conclusion, the insufficiency of the normative system in force is evidenced when it comes to importation from China in relation with the textile and footwear sector. The implemented measures lack of actual relevance and feasibility in the face of the production and economic needs of the national industry.