BGMEA seeks duty-free access to Brazil, asks US to import more

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan has called upon brands and buyers in the USA to source more garments, including non-cotton and high-end apparel products from Bangladesh, reports UNB.
He made the call when Richard Rosenthal, CEO of Tailor Vintage, paid a courtesy visit to BGMEA's office in Gulshan on Thursday.
BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali and Mohammed Yusuf Ali Khan, Tailor Vintage's Country Manager in Bangladesh, were also present on the occasion.
Tailor Vintage is a renowned apparel brand in the USA.
Faruque Hassan said unprecedented strides in safety, sustainability and social compliance in the RMG industry have earned Bangladesh global recognitions and made the country a preferable sourcing destination among buyers.
He also highlighted the future priorities of the apparel industry especially increased focus on non-cotton and high-end product segment.
The BGMEA President requested Richard Rosenthal to share the positive developments and stories about Bangladesh's RMG industry in the USA.
Meanwhile, at another meeting the BGMEA President also requested the government of Brazil to grant Bangladeshi apparel products duty-free access to its market.
The BGMEA chief made the request when Ambassador of Brazil to Bangladesh Joao Tabajara de Oliveira Junior met him on Thursday at its office.
They discussed how Brazil and Bangladesh can reap mutual trade benefits through collaboration in the apparel and textile industry.
Faruque apprised the envoy of the future priorities of Bangladesh RMG industry, with special focus on diversification in products, market and innovation in product development.
He said Bangladesh is willing to import more cotton from Brazil for its ready-made garment industry and requested for cooperation from the Ambassador in this regard.
"While Brazil has a huge pool of designers and experts, we have huge manufacturing capacity. Brazil and Bangladesh can work together in developing our capability in designing and manufacturing value-added products which can be exported to South American countries. It will benefit both Brazil and Bangladesh," he added.
They talked about scope of collaboration and support from Brazil especially in building capacity of Bangladesh's RMG sector in design development for value-added apparel products.