Bangladesh’s import of cotton, which witnessed a massive decline first time in the last one decade or so on account of COVID-19 that had resulted in significant drop in work orders by global buyers and consequently fall in cotton demand amongst the local mills, is now expected to go back to that of the pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, as per reports.
Speaking to the media, Managing Director of Little Group, a leading cotton importer and consumer, Khorshed Alam, said that following apparel manufacturing factories resuming production after the country-wide shutdown, which rendered factories to stop production temporarily, demand and consumption of cotton have started growing again.
It may be mentioned here that as per Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) data, Bangladesh imported 7.1 million bales of cotton in fiscal 2019-20, which is 13.4 per cent less than what it was a year earlier.
Import of cotton took a massive hit after the Government declared a two-month ‘general holiday’ on 26 March as garment manufacturing units as well as spinning and weaving mills had to wind up operations temporarily.
However, from June onwards, as RMG units resumed operations, spinning and weaving mills also sprang back to action and cotton import gained momentum.
