Made in Italy at Chinese Prices

During the Middle Ages, cities in Europe used high walls and moats to protect their residents from invaders. Modern globalization has changed all that: Textile jobs gradually moved from Europe to low-wage countries in Asia. But now textile jobs return to Europe, as Chinese workers relocate and set up business. The Italian city of Prato has a strong community of Chinese workers, both legal and illegal, who produce fashions round the clock at low wages. Flexible and competitive, the Chinese businesses copy, produce and sell styles just days after major fashion shows. Chinese own about a quarter of Prato’s textile business, and with the address, the owners use labels that state “Made in Italy.” Author Fiona Ehlers tells the story of a Chinese man who paid human traffickers in the early 1990s, had a grueling trip to Italy, before working for two years as a forced laborer, hemming pants 18 hours a day. After repaying the traffickers, he took on the name “Luigi” and operates his own import-export business, while helping other Chinese relocate to Europe. European cities increasingly depend on Chinese entrepreneurs who maintain close ties with China. One analyst notes that two parallel communities are developing in cities like Prato, with separate cultures and rules, as well as a growing income gap that could lead to future discontent. – YaleGlobal