Mustaqim Adamrah

A free trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China (ASEAN-China FTA) is likely to threaten Indonesian textile makers as China will have a bigger share of the Indonesian market.

Indonesian Textile Association (API) deputy chairman Ade Sudrajat said Wednesday textile imports from China might double from some U$900 million to $1.8 billion as smuggling was no longer necessary and illegal Chinese textiles would become legal.

The $900 million worth of exports represents 15 percent of the $7 billion total domestic textile market, he said.

With the ASEAN-China FTA, that figure [$900 million] will double,he added.