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Related Keywords: African fashion and design industry, challenged to take up garment manufacturing, EAC countries, East African Community, imported second hand clothes, job creation, preparing to phase-out, requires low level technology and skills, support industrialization, textile industry players

East African Community (EAC) countries – Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania, as they are preparing to phase-out imported second hand clothes by 2018 to support industrialization and job creation in the region, the textile industry players have been challenged to take up garment manufacturing that requires low level technology and skills.

Related Keywords: attract investment from TPPA countries, Batik manufacturer, catalyst for innovation, Cliff Ink, collaborate with Matrade, creating entirely new industry, high technology for weaving, look into cotton and silk farming, Malaysia signing TPPA, Mida, set up factories, textile industry players

With Malaysia signing the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), the textile industry players can now collaborate with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) to attract investments from TPPA countries to set up factories here, said Batik manufacturer Cliff Ink Sdn Bhd Managing Director Michelle Lau Sook Yee.

TPPA will not only provide greater market access for exporters, but potentially create spin-off effects such as the creation of new industries.