Bali's Garment Industry Hit Hard

(10/29/2001)

The Bali Chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), Mr. I Gusti Putu Arnawa was quoted in the Indonesian language Bisnis Indonesia (18/10) as saying Bali's garment workers face an uncertain future following the WTC tragedy in New York on September 11.

The API Chairman claimed that tens of thousands of Bali's garment workers could be fired or put on indefinite suspension due to the sudden drop in orders. Orders, which were already lackluster prior to September 11, were either cancelled completely or declined even further after the terrorist attack.

Mr. Arnawa explained that New York orders for garments had always served as a barometer of Bali's garment and textile trade state of health. New York orders dropped dramatically in the second half of September and orders from garment trade shows in other cities have been far below average.

Bali's garment manufacturers are praying for a quick recovery in consumer spending to avoid widespread economic dislocation for workers in their economic sector.