Bangladesh is the largest exporter of denim products to European Union (EU) with a 27% market share and third largest to the US with a 14% market share Syed Zakir HossainDhakaTribuneA total of 63 exhibitors from 12 countries including Bangladesh displayed their latest and innovative denim products and fabrics in the expoBangladesh, the second largest exporter of clothing products, has turned into a hot spot for denim products in global markets as the local denim producers supply quality products at competitive rates.Global fabrics manufacturers’ and retailers’representatives came up with the remarks, while they were talking to the media at the Bangladesh Denim Expo that was concluded on Thursday in Dhaka. The two-day mega exposition was successfully completed at the International Convention City Bashundhara, Dhaka with the aim of highlighting the importance to develop business relationships to promote best working practices.In the expo, over 5,540 visitors and buyers’ representativesof 1,018 companies from as many as 55 countries joined to see the latest denim products and to make new contacts with the local makers as well as buyers. A total of 63 exhibitors from 12 countries including Bangladesh displayed their latest and innovative denim products and fabrics in the expo.“Day by day, Bangladesh is increasing its capacity to produce quality denim products as well as enhancing its capacity of fabric-manufacturing. As a result, global buyers are now increasingly focusing on Bangladesh to source products from here,” Reagan, Sales Manager of Yulan Denim told the Dhaka Tribune.Yulan Denim is a leading denim fabric manufacturer in Chinaand its top executives participated at the Bangladesh Denim Expo.“As global buyers are importing denim goods from Bangladesh, we are here to bridge contacts with potential global buyers. We have witnessed a good response from the buyers,”said Reagan. Bangladesh is the largest exporter of denim products to European Union (EU) with a 27% market share and third largest to the US with a 14% market share.As a manufacturer of denim products, a maker needs to connect with buyers to establish a relationship. The expo is a best platform to this end and for the last couple of years, it has been able to connect buyers and makers bringing them under a common umbrella,” said Md Mostafiz Uddin, founder and CEO of the Bangladesh Denim Expo. Bangladesh has become the hot spot for the denim products as it has increased quality and has introduced latest technology and innovation, said MostafizMeanwhile, another fabric manufacturer from the US also came up with the same opinion on the prospects of the Bangladesh denim industry. “Bangladeshi denim has a very strong presence in the United States of America and their sales aregraduallyincreasing in the huge US market,” Kevin Reardon, vice president of Sales of Cone Denim told the Dhaka Tribune.“I have a fabricmanufacturing factory in China as well as in Mexico. I am here because business is here,” said Kevin.Thecompany has been supplying fabric to Bangladesh for the last twelve years. Last year, it supplied fabric worth about $20 million and it is witnessing a 10% annual growth. As far as the US consumers are concerned, they don’t care about where the garment is made or who makes them. They care about the product quality and price, he said. Further, Bangladeshi manufacturers of denim fabric have increased their capacity to meet the soaring demands for denim products.Sayeed Ahmad Chowdhury, general manager of Square Denim told the Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh’s denim industry has been witnessing a healthy growth over the years. Currently, there are plenty of work orders for denim makers as we are trying to reduce the lead time by supplying fabrics locally,he added. The company displayed latest trendy styles of denim fabric at the expo.The monthly demand for denim fabric is about 80 million yards and the sector is able to meet about 50 to 60% locally, said Sayeed.Square Denim has increased its production capacity to three million yards a month, compared to 1.5 million yards last year.
