Bangladesh garment exports up 8.8%

The exports of garments from Bangladesh rose by

8.8 per cent year-on-year to 1.36 billion dollars (above Rs 7,000 crores) in November 2012, reveals the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). Of these, woven garment exports fetched 710.04 million dollars (Rs 3,895 crores), while knitwear earned 653.96 million dollars (Rs 3,587 crores).

Bangladesh posted positive growth in its garment exports in spite of the ongoing debt crisis in several European nations -- the traditional buyers of Bangladeshi clothing items. In the first four months of the current Bangladeshi fiscal 2012-13, woven and knit apparel exports increased by 16 per cent year-on-year to over 6.6 billion dollars (Rs 36,200 crores).

In comparison, India’s apparel exports declined by 0.75 per cent year-on-year to 907 million dollars (Rs 4,975 crores) in October 2012, figures for which are available, according to the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). India’s garment exports during the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2012-13 too declined by 9.1 per cent year-on-year to reach 7.133 billion dollars (Rs 39,131 crores).