Bangladesh Receives Large Orders From Japan

Marubeni Corporation, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan, said it would purchase apparel worth US$100 million this year. In the meantime, Shimamura, the second largest textile retailer in Japan, mentioned it would consider placing orders with Bangladeshi apparel producers. Shimamura’s president led a six-member team to Bangladesh and visited two factories in Savar in February.

Fazlul Hoque, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), believed that these orders reflect growing Japanese confidence in Bangladeshi apparel.

Marubeni Corporation informed us that it would buy Bangladeshi apparels worth US$100 million in 2010.” Mr Hoque continued: It's a very good news for us as it shows that our apparels have wooed top Japanese firms.” The Marubeni order alone was twice the amount Bangladeshi garment manufacturers exported to Japan in the financial year 2008-09.

The country shipped apparel of US$12.3 billion abroad in 2009, and over 90% of the exports headed for the US and the EU. Japan accounted for 0.005% of the export last year.

Japan is the world's fourth largest textile and apparel market importing apparel valued over US$10 billion a year and a large number of the shipments came from Southeast Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.