# Deputy minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Andrew Whitfield, says the clothing and textile sector has a critical role to play in South Africa’s economic recovery and re-industrialisation efforts. The government is targeting the creation of 100-thousand new direct jobs in manufacturing, and a 4.1-percent growth in manufacturing exports. Whitfield says the department is doing the work necessary to deal with the trade imbalance that has resulted in the staggering 223-percent rise of imports within the sector.
Government dealing with the trade imbalance in the clothing and textile sector