Global denim suppliers eye Bangladesh for expansion

Vicunha, one of the largest denim fabric suppliers in Latin America, seeks to increase its business with Bangladesh as buyers are shifting business to the country from Europe and China.

“Our main focus is to boost business here for Bangladesh's strong potential in the garment industry,” Julien Eickelmann, commercial manager of Vicunha, said at the launch of an exposition on denim and jeans at Radisson Hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

Vicunha that supplies denim fabrics to Bangladesh customers has a capacity to produce 17 million metres of fabric a month.

“The market is important to us as we have a number of Bangladeshi clients. We have a warehouse in Sri Lanka that helps us provide quick service to our Bangladeshi clients.”

Eickelmann said his firm is taking part in the expo as it is keen on expanding its business in a growing market like Bangladesh.

A website dedicated to the world's denim industry, denimsandjeans.com, organised the two-day expo.

KG Fabriks, an Indian denim maker, has joined the fair to gain international exposure, said K Srinivasa Raghavan, its assistant general manger.

“We are working to increase business with Bangladesh.”

HR Corporation, a unit of Aziz Group, that imports chemicals from Germany for local denim makers, joined the fair to market its products, said Fazle Rabbi, its assistant executive for marketing.

“We are also displaying an environment-friendly machine that washes jeans without water and chemicals,” said Rabbi. “We are focusing on green technology in the denim segment.”

This is a platform to showcase products and designs for this sector, said Asikul Hoque Khan, marketing manager at Envoy Textiles, which exports denim to Sri Lanka, Turkey, Kenya, China and Vietnam.

Bangladeshi firms need around 30 million metres of denim a month; Envoy produces 3.6 million metres of denim a month out of its capacity of four million metres, he added. Appreciating Bangladesh's growth in the apparel sector, Pankaj Saran, Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, said: “Bangladesh, today, is a serious player and can't be ignored.”

The exhibition is a shining example of Bangladesh's emergence as a global garment manufacturer and exporter, Saran added.

The Indian envoy appreciated Bangladesh's progress in meeting the highest standards in its products for the global consumers.

Bangladesh is addressing three issues -- workplace safety, eco-friendly products and building better infrastructure -- to grab more business, said Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Bangladesh has 28 green factories, he said. “We have gained a positive image through the Alliance and the Accord.”

He urged the media to send a positive message that Bangladesh is the best in the global garment market. “I must say there is no need to go to the East or West for high quality garment.”

Expressing satisfaction over positive responses from the participants, Islam said Bangladesh has proved that all the factories are not substandard.

Referring to the Rana Plaza building collapse, he said this is a unique example of how a country can re-emerge as a vibrant sector after experiencing a disaster that tarnished its image in the global market.

In the first such expo in March, Saran had inaugurated the event and visited each of the stalls and interacted with the participants.

This edition of the expo is focusing on industry growth and luring in buyers to Bangladesh for quality jeans and related apparel.

“Bangladesh is the second largest denim apparel maker country in the world after China. Bangladesh has been introduced worldwide as a denim and jeans maker,” said Sandeep Agarwal, founder of denimsandjeans.com.

Bangladesh exported about 74 million pieces of denim apparel to the US market in 2013 and around 140 million to Europe, according to denimsandjeans.com.

The country was also the largest exporter of men's jeans to Europe in 2013 with 89 million pieces compared to 65 million from China.

Denim apparel exports from Bangladesh to America surged 11.48 percent year-on-year in 2013 and to the EU by over 19.65 percent.

Twenty-four companies from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, China and Brazil are taking part in the show.