Large international clothing retailers and brands are increasing their reliance on the fabrics made in Bangladesh to produce apparel items. This is primarily due to the desire to reduce the amount of time needed for production as well as the amount of money spent on shipping, both of which have skyrocketed in recent years. Because of this, local garment exporters are able to provide finished goods to their buyers within 45 to 60 days, which is a significant decrease from the 90 to 120 days that are required when goods are made from fabrics imported from countries such as China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Pakistan.
The desire of international retailers and brands to get their products into stores in the European and American markets before the beginning of the sales seasons is another factor that contributes to the growing use of local fabrics in these contexts. In the past, buyers would sell goods over the course of all three seasons. Because of the advent of fast fashion, they are now able to run their businesses according to a six-season calendar. Fast fashion is a term that refers to clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores in order to capitalise on trends. “It is difficult to keep up with the trends of fast fashion with imported fabrics as it takes a lot of time,” said AK Azad, chairman of Ha-Meem Group, one of the top apparel exporters in Bangladesh. “It is difficult to keep up with the trends of fast fashion with imported fabrics as it takes a lot of time.” For instance, well-known buyers like H&M and Zara typically placed their orders with a lead time of three months in the past. As a result of the lightning-fast pace at which fast fashion evolves, the lead time has been cut to just two months.
“So, buyers are preferring local fabrics,” Azad said, citing longer lead time, abnormal freight charge, and non-availability of containers as major challenges facing both buyers and exporters. “So, buyers are preferring local fabrics,” Azad said. “So, buyers are preferring local fabrics.”
As economies reopened, shorter lead times and availability of raw materials like fabrics became key supply chain factors. The US-China trade conflict increased reliance on local materials before the epidemic in March 2020.
With Covid-19 limits eased, more local fabrics are being used to save shipping costs, which have risen more than 500%. Bangladesh’s fabrics come from China. Bringing them to industries in the world’s second-largest economy takes 30 days. “However, if fabrics are manufactured locally, shipping takes 45 days. Retailers and brands like indigenous materials “Bangladesh Textile Mills Association CEO Monsoor Ahmed (BTMA). Abdullah Al Mahmud Mahin, MD of Hamid Fabrics Ltd, stated he was “overbooked.” Hugo Boss, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, JCPenney, H&M, Esprit, M&S, s.Oliver, and Colors of Benetton use the company’s woven materials. More than 300 stores and brands source clothing from Bangladesh. The list includes Gap, American Eagle and LC Waikiki. Just before the coronavirus outbreak, Hamid Fabrics increased its production capacity from 75,000 to 1 lakh yards of woven fabrics per day.
“Due to the improvement in the global Covid-19 scenario, many purchasers are currently confronting a shortage of clothing goods. So they want fast supplies “Mahin Urmi Group, another garment exporter, makes 35 tonnes of textiles each day for its garment section. Asif Ashraf, the company’s managing director, said clients want more indigenous fabrics. Urmi Group expects to export $200 million this year, up 20% from last year. Rising local fabric production has increased raw cotton imports in recent years. International research groups anticipate that Bangladesh would need 9.5 million bales of textile raw material this year to feed its textile sector. Three years ago, 7 million bales. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association senior vice president Md Shahidullah Azim said exporters can save up to 60 days by using local fabrics. China’s competitive raw material prices play a big role. Mohammad Ali Khokon, BTMA president, agreed. Despite the influx of orders, the lack of gas has become a serious issue for the sector. Local millers lag behind China in competitive costs and fabric designs, said Azad, a former federation president.
