Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine July Issue 2018 | Page 33

BANGLADESH CANVAS
Bangladesh's denim export value to
USA rockets 24.76%
Bangladesh’s denim apparel export
to the USA is on a solid track.
During January to April 2018
period, the apparel manufacturing
hub exported denim apparel worth
US $ 126.37 million, marking a
growth of impressive 24.76 per cent.
The data was recently released by
OTEXA and according to Apparel
Online analysis, the shipment
of denim trousers of Men and
Boys (MB) to the USA steered the
overall growth, valuing at US $
67.87 million (up 30.71 per cent) as
compared to US $ 51.92 million in
the same period of the prior year.
However, Bangladesh continued
racing behind Mexico in MB denim
trousers exports. Mexico exported
MB denim trousers to the USA
worth US $ 194.64 million in the
said period, noting a drop of
3.55 per cent. The export figure
of Mexico in the MB category is
almost three times than that of
Bangladesh’s.
This vast gap between denim
apparel exports from both
the countries is unlikely to be
bridged, given the fact that the
close proximity, good quality
and shorter lead times have
made Mexico USA’s top choice
for denim apparel. On the other
hand, exports of denim trousers
of Women and Girls (WG) from
Bangladesh was worth US $ 53.31
million, up 19.58 per cent from the
same period of 2017.
Denim jackets, after witnessing a
dip in the Q1 ’18, regained in the
April month. Against US $ 2.23
million export value in the first
four months of 2017, Bangladesh
zoomed by 12.89 per cent to earn
US $ 2.52 million in January to
April ’18 period.
Markedly, denim skirts too
escalated, though at a slower
pace. On the Y-o-Y basis, skirts
got a boost of 5.54 per cent
during January to April 2018 as
shipments to the USA valued at
US $ 2.67 million against shipment
value of US $ 2.56 million in the
corresponding period last year.
FIFA World Cup 2018 jerseys fetch over US $ 1 billion
Bangladesh had been eyeing big
orders of fan jerseys ahead of the
FIFA World Cup in Russia (June
14-July 15); and the results have
not been disappointing either. Up
until now, jerseys have fetched an
overwhelming US $ 1 billion in
revenue.
According to the latest figures
released from Bangladesh Export
Promotion Bureau, the country
earned a net worth of US $ 2.6
billion from the export of jerseys,
pullovers and similar items made
of cotton and man-made fibres.
This is being viewed as an
exciting new window of
opportunity in the production of
sportswear. However, there is
one factor in which the country
still lacks which is that it is about
85 per cent reliant on natural
fibre cotton and produces very
little man-made textile fibre.
According to Mohammad Hatem,
first Vice President of Exporters
Association of Bangladesh, about
100 factories were involved in the
manufacturing of these jerseys.
Insiders say this was one of the
main reasons behind a surge in
export of knitwear items and
apparel items overall during the
last month. In July-May period,
knitwear exports rose 11.48 per
cent to US $ 13.94 billion and
woven garments rose 8.15 per cent
to US $ 14.18 billion. “Compared
to last year, we have seen US $ 1.5
billion growth in knitwear export.
My assumption is this was due to
the World Cup. This was about an
overwhelming 12 per cent gain on
a year-to-year basis,” he says.
Hatem, who is also a former Vice
President of Bangladesh Knitwear
Manufacturers and Exporters
Association (BKMEA) and
owns MB Knit Fashion, says he
exported 25,000 pieces of Spain’s
fan jerseys, made of man-made
fibre, at US $ 2.55 per item. “The
same will be sold for at least US
$ 15 to US $ 20 each,” he adds,
calling out for fair pricing of
apparel items.
He affirms that this opportunity
for making sportswear
has opened new scope for
Bangladesh.
www.apparelresources.com | July 2018 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
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