ONLINE SHOPPERS in Ireland trying to buy products from US retail giant Abercrombie Fitch are being stopped from making purchases due to an import restriction error on the firm’s website.
The fashion label, known for their high-end, preppy-style clothes, refuses to deliver items to Ireland when ordered online.
The company says it cannot export its Chinese-made clothes lines to Ireland because of an EU rules governing the trade of Chinese textiles.
However, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the EU’s import restriction on such textiles had been lifted at the end of last year.
It was “very strange that a US retailer is not making themselves aware of changes to EU markets”, a spokesman for the department said.
Consumers trying to order from the Abercrombie Fitch site are greeted with an automated error reading “your order contains products that cannot be shipped to your selected destination because of import restrictions”.
This refers to an agreement reached between the European Commission and the Peoples’ Republic of China on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2005 allowing for quota restrictions to be imposed on imports of numerous textile categories.
Under the arrangement, such licences required the presentation of an export licence issued by the competent authorities in China, together with a Bill of Lading/Airway Bill and correctly completed application form. This restriction was, however, lifted on December 31st, 2008.
The error on Abercrombie Fitch’s website was spotted by Eoghan Kavanagh of Orwell Road, Dublin, who had tried to buy products online for his son Jack (13).
Since he first encountered the problem last January, he has been in ongoing communication with the company which has over 300 outlets in the US.
After talking to the Department of Trade, Mr Kavanagh received documentation stating the restriction had been lifted and forwarded it on to the retail company which replied: “Our records still indicate that Chinese goods cannot be shipped to Ireland due to import restrictions. Therefore, we will are still unable to ship any type of Chinese goods to Ireland at this time.
“Until the relevant business teams are notified of a change of policy by the Irish Government, this policy will be in effect.”
The Irish Timescontacted Abercrombie Fitch which confirmed that "an import restriction on Chinese textiles was the reason it would not deliver to Ireland."
A spokesman for the Department of Trade said it ensured “all required information is available on our website”. It was “very strange” that a US retailer is not making themselves aware of changes to EU markets.