Due to the pandemic situation, European Union and the world put the effort into textiles, clothes, footwear, and accessories supply chains, in the midst of an ongoing social and climate crisis. On another hand, the COVID has seriously impacted major manufacturing hubs (China, India, and Italy), leading to major supply disorders. Textile industry is the heart of our economy. We have developed our industry a lot and there are so many remarkable developments we have already achieved i.e Green Industry, Compliance Factory, industry best practices etc. Team Denim Focus talked with industry owners and stakeholders and took quick feedback regarding the present business situation. Usama Maqsood, Director, Experience Group, recently shared his opinion about the recent scenario of RMG industry with Denim Focus.
Resilience is the number one trait most successful garment and textile manufacturers possess. Who are not only surviving but thriving even through this entire pandemic. Even with low order quantity and lower prices being offered by customers around the world. Many are still finding ways to stay on top. I can confidently say Bangladesh has rightfully earned its place as the second most ethical apparel sourcing country globally, with much reform in compliance, infrastructure, and fire safety. Bangladesh also has the greenest RMG factories certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) globally. RMG manufacturing neighbors of Bangladesh such as India, Myanmar, and China are presently all struggling due to the severe impact of the recent COVID-19 cases uproar and other reasons such as political instability and environmental damage. Customers who have done business for many years with India, China, and Myanmar are now redirecting orders to Bangladesh, which is a good sign and is welcomed by the garment manufacturers of Bangladesh. However, as we are presently in the second wave of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, with daily cases exceeding the first wave, it’s worrying, and the question on everyone’s mind is, “What is ethical to keep the apparel industry closed during the lockdown or to keep it open?” I believe and have a gut feeling this is a golden opportunity for Bangladesh because we are being able to acquire customers from top RMG manufacturing sites such as China and India and believe that the garment industry should stay open while maintaining strict COVID-19 protocol. For the first time since the pandemic began, some factories are now operating at total capacity in Bangladesh and are fully booked for the upcoming months. This is an opportunity for the RMG industry to recover losses and establish an even stronger foothold in the global apparel manufacturing industry. In terms of orders and upcoming business trends, if we manage to stay operating, we should have a steady amount of orders and see growth compared to the previous year. I urge the industry leaders and the government to help us vaccinate our RMG workers with the highest priority level. No matter how great the RMG industry may become as we operate through the second wave of COVID-19, no one in the industry should feel they are at risk. To conclude, life is and will always be more precious than profit.
