Apparels

Bangladesh should diversify its export basket beyond garments to include pharmaceuticals, leather goods, jute products and agro-processed goods, a study by HSBC Bangladesh suggested.
The UK Developing Countries Trading Scheme is essential for deeper integration into global supply chains and will ensure Bangladesh retains preferential access to the UK market after LDC graduation, the report noted.

Primark’s third annual Sustainability and Ethics Report shows that 66 per cent of its clothes sold in the past year were made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials.
The Irish retailer has also introduced a Durability Framework, aiming to make longer-lasting clothes affordable.
Primark reduced carbon emissions by 21 per cent in 2024.

Poland imported $1.021 billion worth of apparel from Turkiye in January-August 2024, making Turkiye its third-largest supplier with a 10.81 per cent share.
Imports rose 5.83 per cent from $965.251 million in 2023.
Poland also imported $75.389 million of fabric from Turkiye, down from $89.373 million last year.
Turkiye’s share in Poland’s total fabric imports was 9.71 per cent.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) has invited Chinese manufacturers to invest in Bangladesh.
In a letter to investors in China, BIDA wrote that Bangladesh will emerge as a potential destination for manufacturers planning to relocate or diversify their footprint.
The post-election developments in the US signal big rises in tariffs and duties for Chinese manufacturers, it said.

The Buckle, Inc, has reported Q3 FY24 net sales of $303.5 million, down 3.2 per cent YoY, with comparable store sales dropping 0.7 per cent. Net income was $44.2 million.
Online sales rose 1.1 per cent to $46.6 million.
For 9M FY24, net sales fell 4.6 per cent to $838.5 million, with a 5.4 per cent decline in comparable store sales and a 9.2 per cent drop in online sales to $128 million.

The India-UK FTA could boost India’s home textile exports, with key cotton-based products like bed linen and terry towels set to benefit.
Synthetic packaging goods and MMF carpets may also gain if tariffs drop.
However, challenges like high input costs for wool carpets and UK consumers’ focus on sustainability call for policy alignment, tech upgrades, and investment in renewable technologies.

Australia’s apparel imports from Cambodia totalled $125.482 million during January-August 2024, with unisex apparel dominating at $41.801 million (33.31 per cent).
Women’s apparel accounted for 30.75 per cent, men’s 27.68 per cent, and babywear 8.26 per cent.
Cotton apparel led imports (54.37 per cent), with trousers, jerseys, and T-shirts as top categories.

US apparel market faces shifting dynamics under the Trump administration’s trade policies, including potential 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports.
Leading apparel exporter nations—China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Indonesia—specialise in distinct categories, from cotton-based products to synthetic fibre items.
Cotton trousers remain a key opportunity with stable demand and zero tariffs.

Despite being one of the EU’s key apparel suppliers and a recent rise in the national minimum wage, most garment workers in Bangladesh earn wages far below what is needed to cover basic living expenses, according to Stockholm-based Swedwatch.
The non-profit called on global brands and EU policymakers to take coordinated action to improve wages and conditions for garment workers.