Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi apparel makers in joint collaboration to manufacture jute based eco-friendly apparels
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Riaz Hamidullah has reportedly said that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh apparel makers are in high-level discussions to further strengthen the collaboration on innovation and the manufacture of jute based eco-friendly apparel.
“Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are thought to be competing in apparels, but industry leaders from both countries are in conversation about how the clothing market is evolving beyond polymer,” Hamidullah has been quoted as saying in the media.
Colombo-based Academy of Design (AOD) will provide the creative input, the local media states.
Hamidullah has said the discussions were initiated by MAS’ Mahesh Amalean and Brandix Ashroff Omar, the two largest apparel exporting companies in Sri Lanka with operations in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and the US.
Hamidullah has made this observation addressing an investment forum ‘Ayubowan Bangladesh’ in Colombo recently.
Bangladesh’s apparel industry enjoys cheap labour and scale, while Sri Lanka makes products higher-up the value chain specializing in synthetic fabrics, functional clothing, smart clothing and wearable tech.
“We have to look at the eco-friendly trends shaping the global clothing industry. This is where jute comes in,” Hamidullah has explained.
“The points I’m trying to make is that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh need not compete but collaborate to gain access to new markets and global supply chains.”
OSL take:
The discussion between industry leaders of the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi apparel sectors is a positive sign on the increasing trade ties between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The manufacture of jute based apparels through a collaboration between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would undoubtedly result in an expansion in Sri Lanka’s apparel sector into other markets in the South Asian region. Foreign companies interested in doing business in Sri Lanka could explore opportunities in Sri Lanka’s apparel sector and also look at setting up base in Sri Lanka to venture into the Bangladeshi apparel sector as well.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/23082018/Z_1 |