The textile and textile products (TPT) industry welcomes the decision of the e-commerce platform Shopee to close the sale of 13 crossborder products following the government's decision to ban 13 crossborder or cross-border products from entering Indonesia.

The 13 cross-border products that are prohibited include hijab, female Muslim tops, female Muslim subordinates, Muslim dresses, male Muslim tops, male Muslim subordinates, Muslim outwear, mukena, children's Muslim clothing, Muslim accessories, prayer equipment, batik, and kebaya.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) Rizal Tanzil Rakhman said this was in accordance with the association's input to the Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs. He said the government had also provided a free delivery fee program so that this could be Shopee's step as an agreed form of negotiation.

"We applaud, because the products that Shopee closed have become strong competitors for IKM products so far. Meanwhile, IKM is the spearhead of the textile industry which is important to maintain," he said.

Rizal said that although Shopee claims only 3 percent of imported products are sold, the condition of imported products that cannot be recorded poses a big threat to the local industry. The reason is, the price of imported products is far from providing a low price, even equivalent to the price of local raw materials to reach consumers.

Rizal described that currently the national garment exports are around US $ 8 billion while Bangladesh is at US $ 40 billion. As a result, if only 5 percent entered Indonesia, it would have flooded the country.

"This means it can't be calculated by share percentage alone, it could be 3 percent at Shopee but the value and quantity is large. Imports are real but dark goods, just check each price and label, it must be illogical from where the hijab can be sold for under Rp.10,000 while the raw material can be more than that, "said Rizal.

For the textile industry, Shopee's decision is also a win-win solution when the garment safeguards that have been proposed and agreed upon by a number of parties have not been released immediately. Definitely,
Rizal said that he had re-explained the importance of this safeguard to be immediately released to the Minister of Trade when Halal Bi Halal recently.

"Hopefully when it is released it can be as we expected and propose with a specific price scheme for each HS," said Rizal.

On the other hand, Rizal said that yesterday's Ramadan and Eid were generally concluded as lonely conditions. According to him, many IKM in Bandung Raya are still screaming. As a result, the second quarter of 2021 is projected not to attract much growth.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) also assessed that the textile and apparel industry experienced the deepest growth contraction or minus 13.28 percent because domestic and export demand had not yet improved. In line with this, the increase in oil prices is enough to cause raw material prices to fall and production to decline.

"We remain optimistic by making every effort in this recovery but it is still difficult, it seems, from advancing positively this quarter from minus 13.28. Currently, the factory has also not opened again due to low orders so that it further extends the holiday period," he said.

Rizal also hopes that in the future positive confirmation cases of Covid-19 will not spike in the future so that things that are not desirable such as a national lockdown like in other countries are currently reoccurring. According to him, if that happens it will worsen the current condition.