The illegal importing of textile products from some Asian and Middle Eastern countries to South Africa is rife and has reached serious proportions, says the Textile Federation of SA.

TFSA executive director Brian Brink told reporters in Johannesburg the under-declaration of the value of imports appeared to be the chief vehicle for introducing already low-priced goods into the country.

"Acrylic fabrics from Turkey are being imported at less than R4 a kilogram whereas the required price is R12 a kilogram," he said. "On this item alone, about R30m in duties and value-added tax is being lost by the fiscus." Regarding imports from China, he said curtains arriving here cost R3 a kilogram against yarn prices ranging from R17 to R22 a kilogram. A similar position emerged for knitted-pile fabrics, which were being imported at less than R5 a kilogram, while the fibre price was R8 a kilogram and the yarn price more than R20 a kilogram.