The New Nation - Internet Edition

BANGLADESHI suppliers of winter clothes like manually produced sweaters and pullovers are attracting more and more importers from Europe, according to media reports. The sweater industry that had sluggish business in the two previous years 2006 and 2007, now experiences very good business in the peak delivery season this fiscal year and the increased shipment of winter-wears like sweaters and pullovers contributed a lot to the robust increase in the country's annual knitwear export. Export proceeds from the handmade sweaters and pullovers is expected to be around 1.4 billion dollars in the fiscal year 2008.

Many of the European sweater importers diverted their procurement process from China where labour cost marked a sharp rise having impact on the export price. Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association also is of the view that more orders for sweaters and pullovers helped the export of knitwear record a sharp rise, making knitwear top the list of exports in FY08. Bangladesh's apparel export earnings in FY08 totalled US $10.7 billion, with knitwear including T-shirts and sweaters accounting for US $5.5 billion. Bangladesh, meanwhile, has become 'top supply source' of sweaters, especially the manually produced ones, at most competitive prices and sweater export will grow more ahead for the next season. Orders for cotton-based sweaters are increasing.

Bangladesh has around 800 sweater and pullover-manufacturing units and many of them were established or expanded production significantly in recent years. Reliable supply of locally produced cotton yarns and operation of several yarn dyeing units with advanced technology are supporting the sweater manufacturers a lot. But frequent incidents of labour unrest damage the reputation of a number of sweater-manufacturing units, and this needs to be addressed.