ITGLWF's Neil Kearney tells RMG sector to brace up
26 Dec '05
5 min read
Bangladesh's readymade garment (RMG) industry should drop its obsession with quota and duty free access to the US market and concentrate on building its competitivity on improved productivity, quality, delivery and social reputation the Congress of the Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers' Union Federation was told.
Addressing the Congress, Neil Kearney, General Secretary of the Brussels-based International Textile Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) said Bangladesh's readymade garment industry was at a crossroads.
The US and European Union clamp-down on imports from China earlier this year had led to a short term boom for Bangladesh, particularly in knitwear. But, under WTO rules measures against Chinese imports cannot continue past 2008. From 2009 onwards there would be a free for all in textiles trade with countries like Bangladesh pitted against the might of China and with no prospect of protection.
Competition would be fierce. Accordingly it was essential to use the breathing space of the next two years to strengthen the readymade garment industry by building its international competitiveness.
Mr. Kearney said “The readymade garment industry in Bangladesh has to get real. It must recognise that quota and duty free access to the US market is probably little more than a pipe dream, particularly in 2006, which sees mid-term elections and during the following two years in the lead-up to the next Presidential election. This is not about trade it is about politicians responding to the demands of their electorates.”
marketing@alchempro.com
