China emerging as global wool processing centre

Beijing, Sept 21 (PTI) China, dubbed as the world's factory, is also emerging as a new global wool processing centre but at the cost of environmental degradation, the state media reported. China processes more than 400,000 tonnes of wool a year, one-third of the world's total.

It imported 2,02,000 tonnes of wool in the first seven months of this year, up 26.8 per cent on the same period of last year, the General Administration of Customs said.

Customs sources said the increase in imports was largely due to short supply and mounting demand at home, as the global wool processing centre is shifting to China.

However, growing imports have aggravated environmental concerns in the wool processing industry, Xinhua news agency reported.

The wool scouring and processing techniques result in different poisonous chemicals being released in the waste water.

But many domestic enterprises do not have advanced processing techniques and sound environmental protection awareness.

The algae outbreak this June in Taihu Lake, the nation's third biggest freshwater lake in east China, was partly due to the discharge of waste water from the huge number of wool processing mills located around the lake, whose overall processing capacity accounted for 70 per cent of the nation's total, the report said.

Chinese officials have urged local wool enterprises to update their technology, establish sound industry standards and reduce the potential hazards for the environment. PTI