The National Council of Textile Organisations (NCTO) has claimed that the textile sector should be excluded from free trade talks with Vietnam.

The organisation expressed deep concerns over the government's decision to move ahead with the talks during the broader Trans-Pacific Partnership discussions, being afraid that Vietname will become the next China.

He added that since permanent normal trading relations were granted to Vietnam in 2006, the US manufacturing trade deficit with the country had increased by 48%, now totalling more than US$8bn.