WITH the Irish clothing industry struggling to survive, let alone compete, against low cost imports from developing countries the suggestion this week that certain imported fashion garments can be a health risk may provide useful ammunition in the push for greater import substitution.

David Langamn president of France's National Association of Fashion and Textiles claims that finished clothing from countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and eastern Europe could constitute a health hazard as they often contain chemical dyes which can produce skin allergies and other undesirable physical ailments.

It is also common he said, to find garments made in Bangladesh loaded on to ships in Hong Kong and billed from Singapore. "These products are not subject to hygiene controls and are often as dangerous as certain children's toys coming from these countries ". The message would seem to be that for industry and consumer the choice can have wider implications than mere price.