BGMEA opens dedicated desk for Japan to boost exports

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) yesterday launched a dedicated Japan desk to help expand exports of diversified garment products to the Japanese market.

The desk was launched at BGMEA’s office in Dhaka amid growing interest among Japanese clothing retailers in sourcing apparel from Bangladesh at competitive prices.

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Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi and BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan jointly inaugurated the desk at an event held under the motto “Connection, Collaboration and Prosperity”.

In February this year, Bangladesh and Japan also signed a full-fledged Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) aimed at expanding trade and investment in goods and services after Bangladesh graduates from the LDC category.

The desk is expected to help exporters navigate the Japanese market and facilitate smoother shipments of apparel products.

The move comes as Japan has extended duty-free preferential market access for least developed countries, including Bangladesh, for three years until 2029.

In February this year, Bangladesh and Japan also signed a full-fledged Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) aimed at expanding trade and investment in goods and services after Bangladesh graduates from the LDC category.

Japan started as an industrial nation around 120 years ago as a textile exporter, Ambassador SAIDA said. After World War II, textile exports helped drive Japan’s rapid economic growth, which was described at the time as a “miracle recovery”, he said.

As Bangladesh moves towards becoming a middle-income country, it should target more lucrative sectors such as chemical fibres and semiconductors, as well as upstream industries such as steel and construction materials, the ambassador suggested.

Japanese companies operating in these sectors, including around 40 firms in Bangladesh, are reliable partners for the country’s next stage of development, he said. “They know how to make the sector further develop and how to expand the scope in the future.”

BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said the association believes it is not advisable to remain overly dependent on any single sector or traditional market.

“Against this backdrop, BGMEA is placing the highest priority on product and market diversification,” he said. He highlighted Japan as a promising market for Bangladesh’s apparel sector and said the Japan Desk had been established to capitalise on the potential.

One of the biggest challenges facing apparel exports to Japan is managing short lead times and ensuring timely delivery, he said.

Bangladesh exports more than $1.4 billion worth of garments to Japan annually, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau. BGMEA wants to raise the figure to $3 billion in the near future.

Garments account for around 80 percent of Bangladesh’s total exports to Japan, while other products make up the remaining 20 percent.