The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

European Commission (EC) in Dhaka expressed its satisfaction saying in spite of uncertainties export of Bangladesh products to Europe in 2007 sustained the five billion euro mark, achieved the year before.

Removal of EU safeguard measures on the import of certain Chinese clothing items could have a bad impact on Bangladesh's export to Europe, but the country sustained it, trade adviser of EC here Zillur Hye Razi, told BSS.

The share of Readymade Garment (RMG) in the total exports from Bangladesh to the EU is increasingly steady, it was 87.7 percent in 2003 and it has reached the elevated figure of 90.9 per cent in 2007.

In the last four months of the current year, the pace of export to European market is being continued at satisfactory level, he said.

He said, RMG products of basic apparels like shirt, t- shirt, sweater and trouser have strong establishment in the European market in last seven to ten years.

"As a result, the Chinese products of basic RMG apparels could not able to compete with the Bangladesh items despite removing of safeguard on those Chinese products," he said.

Besides, Bangladesh are enjoying 90 to 100 per cent duty free access on its knit products, made by local fabrics and 50 percent duty free for oven items to the EU market which are not applicable for Chinese and Indian products, he pointed out.

The share of Bangladesh in the total EU import of textile and clothing from all countries is an impressive 5.86 per cent, he added. The shares of other competitors of Bangladesh in the European market are-China 35.82 per cent, India 8.20 per cent, Pakistan 3.3 per cent, Vietnam 1.66 percent, Sri Lanka 1.36 per cent, Cambodia .66 per cent and Turkey 15.29 percent.

At the total external trade, the EU remained the number one trading partner of Bangladesh with 25.1 per cent share in 2007.

However, Razi said, the robust rate of growth in total export to EU, 28.6 percent in 2006, compared to 2005, suffered seriously and registered a decline of 4.3 per cent in 2007.

"It is due to global economic recession," he said, adding, "as example, a European consumer, who used to buy 12 shirts in a year, now buying eight shirts," he said.