At the doorstep of 2005, everyone wonders what might be the order for the textile and apparel trades in the next decades. The rules are set and expectations are high but the level of volatility is also unprecedented, being the phase-out of textile and apparel quotas on January 1, 2005 and China's entry to WTO. Proliferation of trade agreements - multilateral, bilateral, unilateral and regional - and unpredictable retaliation wars with tariffs all point to an era of new order in international trades filled with surprises that are nothing short of chaos. The political and economic climates stemming from job losses in the developed countries could add further volatility in the adjustment processes for the immediate future. Despite these uncertain factors, there are clear directions as to how the future will unfold. The first is the flow of manufacturing sites from high-cost to low-cost regions. The second is quality of the product and service that may or may not go with the manufacturing locations. The third is the speed of meeting customers ' demands irrespective of cost, quality and production location. Simply, the winner will be the one that provides a product cheaper, better and faster. All other factors are used as deterrent to the natural flow of goods based on these three key elements. Here the definition of a "good" or "better" product must be broadened to include a wide spectrum of need beyond and above the Maslow 's basic human need. Functionality alone will not sell or generate profit.
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