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Brunei:Textile industry in a fluid state |
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2005-1-26
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Brunei’s apparel, garment and textile industry is getting contradictory signals since the elimination of textile quotas starting January 1 this year.
Competition that was absent for over thirty years in the global textile trade will come to the forefront as the industry lack preparations to face the emerging challenges.
It is also feared that the immigrant labour currently engaged will fly out if the garment industry fails to book adequate orders from its foreign buyers, as China is waiting to usurp the global textile industry through cheap products.
But immigrant Bangladeshi garment factory workers say US buyers have expressed confidence in their company’s products and will continue to place orders with their usual suppliers.
The factory working and living conditions of workers and the treatment meted out to them has improved vastly, they said. “We are very happy now than before."
But, foreign buyers are asking for price cuts to match competition from Bangladesh which is turning out to be a cheaper source for garments.
Global retailers Wal-Mart has reportedly stepped up sourcing from Bangladesh due to its cheap labour and quality.
There are news reports quoting Wal-Mart executives stating that sourcing of garments and apparels from countries such as Fiji, Brunei, Macedonia and Turkmenistan would be lowered and imports from Bangladesh would increase, which is the company''s single biggest supplier of clothing, exceeding even China.
Meanwhile apparel manufacturers here can seek consolation in the fact that China has decided to tax its apparel export to restrain rapid fire export growth that it and the world at large has been anticipating during the current year. |
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