Bangladesh overtakes Turkey in knitwear exports
In terms of volume, Bangladesh was the second biggest exporter of knitwear items in 2010, according to the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).
The country exported 7.78 billion pieces of knitted items such as T-shirts and sweaters in 2010 against Turkey’s shipment of 7.74 billion pieces. China remains the biggest producer and exporter of knitwear items.
“We overtook Turkey as the world’s second largest knitwear manufacturer last year. Volume-wise, we are now only second to China,” BKMEA first vice-president Md Habibur Rahman told local media.
Mr Rahman said Turkey is still ahead of Bangladesh in terms of value, as they exported knitted clothing worth $6.92 billion last year, compared to Bangladesh’s shipment of $6.19 billion.
“Our apparel export has been growing at an impressive 40% rate in the current fiscal year. If the growth continues at this rate, we can beat Turkey in values by next fiscal year,” he said.
He said Turkish knitwear manufacturers produce high-value added products such as sportswear, catering to western fashion retailers, while Bangladesh mainly operates in low-cost products such as T-shirts.
“We have been in the knitwear business since the 1990s. By contrast, Turkey has been a major garment maker since the Second World War. They don't take cheap orders because of high labour cost,” he added.
