Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the US, Australia and Brazil to step up trade with the nation. At an international webinar organized by six Australian universities, BGMEA urged Australia to continue duty benefits post LDC graduation. Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA delivered a keynote speech on “Apparel Industry- Competitiveness beyond COVID-19” at the webinar and highlighted the tremendous progress made by ready-made garments industry in workplace safety, sustainability and ethical manufacturing.
He assan talked about declining prices in global apparel market which has posed a major challenge for the industry, especially when the sector is struggling to turn around from impacts of the pandemic. He also urged buyers and retailers to be more empathetic and rational in pricing so that a secured global market could be built where workplace and jobs would be safer and sustainable.
Further during a call with Richard Rosenthal, CEO, Tailor Vintage, Hassan urged brands and buyers in the US to source more garments, including non-cotton and high-end apparel products from Bangladesh. He also highlighted the future priorities of the apparel industry, especially an increased focus on the non-cotton and high-end product segment.
On October 7, Brazil’s ambassador in Bangladesh and BGMEA discussed benefits of duty-free access to ready-made garments in Brazil. Hassan pointed out Bangladesh is willing to import more cotton from Brazil for its ready-made garment industry and requested the Brazilian ambassador’s cooperation to make it a reality.
