The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) believes, the garment sector may face a shortage of raw materials, primarily cotton, in February and March as shipping lines have refused to carry containers headed to Bangladesh due to a shortage of feeder vessels for timely unloading. Mohammad Ali Khokon, President, BTMA says, Bangladesh has to pay additional 4 to 5 cents for a pound of cotton due to the higher freight cost as container clearance in the country takes more than a week due to the complex customs procedures while other countries take a maximum of four to five days.

He demanded duty-free import of all types of fibres to ensure product diversification as different types of fibres with cotton are being used in the primary textile sector to produce yarns as per the demand of global buyers.