Bangladesh RMG accessories resilience & self-reliant
21 December 2021, Mumbai:
In the 1980s, local garment manufacturers used to export garment items in old and used cartons as there was no factory in Bangladesh at that time capable of producing the accessory.
The used cartons had to be imported and they were made reusable by cutting them manually in order to make them fit to carry export-oriented items. Under such circumstances, there was uncertainty whether the shipment of finished goods could be made on time even after the products were ready.
Even 15 years ago, local manufacturers had to buy buttons, a vital accessory for the apparel industry, mainly from China and Hong Kong to produce final goods for their international clients.
Many of the garment manufacturers also failed to send the goods to the retailers and brands in Europe and the US maintaining the lead time because of the delay in carrying out the task amid the shortage of buttons and other accessories. In the event of a missed deadline, they were compelled to offer big discounts or even faced cancellation of orders.
The situation started improving after 1990 when local accessories makers started setting up factories to produce accessories. Entrepreneurs pumped in Tk 40,000 crore in the last 15 years, building a garment accessories and packaging industry that serves the country's gigantic apparel industry, making Bangladesh the second-largest garment exporter in the world.
Their efforts also helped create jobs for the locals and save billions of dollars in foreign currencies.
Lead time has improved a lot as garment exporters can procure accessories and cartons directly from local markets, cutting the waiting time that would have otherwise been needed in case of imports.
The Daily Star (The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff)
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