Notwithstanding the pandemic, garment makers in Bangladesh are hopeful of decent export performance even as the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) estimates apparel exports will bring in around US $ 33.7 billion in the 2021-22 financial year consequent to US and EU economies (two major apparel export destinations of Bangladesh) rebounding after mass vaccination drives, while the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) estimates the figure will be around US $ 35 billion.
Reports underlined this, adding Mohammad Hatem, the first Vice-President of the BKMEA, has written to the Commerce Ministry that knitwear exports will rise by 15 per cent in the next financial year even as the BGMEA estimates put woven exports growing by 7 per cent and knitwear exports by 9 per cent next year even if the overall apparel export growth is estimated to be of 8 per cent by the trade body.
Meanwhile, the country’s Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), reportedly, estimated 9 per cent growth in woven exports and 11 per cent in knitwear exports and 10 per cent overall growth in the apparel sector in the new financial year.
It may be mentioned here that at the starting of a financial year, Commerce Ministry and EPB set export targets and have, reportedly, sought the export targets from the relevant trade bodies.
