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Chinese dumping threatens bedding industry: legislator

Local bedding manufacturers yesterday urged the Ministry of Economic Affairs to take immediate action against imports of cheap Chinese bedding.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), accompanied by representatives from local bedding industry associations, told a press conference that in recent years China-made bedding had been dumped in Taiwan.

Some of the vendors selling bedding fail to indicate the place of origin on the products or label them as made in Taiwan because many consumers avoid products made in China, he said.

"Such an act has seriously affected the interests of Taiwanese bedding manufacturers and poses a health threat to the public," Gao said.

Citing a report aired by TVBS station on July 20, Gao said the latest Chinese official survey on its own bedding products showed that about 54 percent of the bedding products made in China contain high levels of formaldehyde.

Long-term use of such bedding may increase the risks of cancer, he said.

"If [the bedding] sold in China does not meet health standards, do you think they [Chinese bedding manufacturers] will sell certified products to Taiwan?" he asked.

As Taiwan imposes no restrictions on imports of Chinese bedding, the livelihood of Taiwanese bedding manufacturers would be severely affected if this were allowed to continue, he said.

"There are about some 7,000 manufacturers in the Taiwanese bedding industry employing roughly 70,000 workers. If the import of cheap Chinese bedding continues, many of the manufacturers will be forced out of business, directly impacting the right to work of 70,000 workers," he said, while calling for tighter restrictions on Chinese bedding products.

"We urge the government to help traditional industries as we continue to work hard to manage our business in Taiwan," Taipei Bedding Industry Association president Tu Jen-cheng (杜仁成) said at the conference.

In response, Wang Yi-hsien (王以銜), director-general of the International Trade Commission's investigation division, said the commission would investigate the problem.

If any signs of dumping are found, the commission would take steps to protect the local bedding industry, he said.
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