Founder of Korean EPZ Kiak Sung believes that Bangladesh has the capabilities to grab top spot in global apparel exports, but it requires right strategies and reforms.
“Bangladesh currently holds the position of the world’s second-largest apparel exporter as a single country. It is poised to climb to the number one spot in global apparel exports,” he said while speaking as the keynote speaker at a session of the Bangladesh Investment Summit 2025 ended in Dhaka on Thursday.
To achieve the target, he suggested that Bangladesh must adopt new technology, improve workers’ skills, and establish its own production facilities for man-made fibre.
He was delivering a presentation on ‘Bangladesh moving forward: through an investor’s lens’ at the session on ‘Textile and Apparel’.
According to him, apparel makers will need more policy support and required to be facilitated with a greater number of bonded warehouses.
“These will enable quicker access to raw materials, allowing manufacturers to produce and export finished goods more efficiently,” he added.
He also welcomed the Trump administration’s move to put a pause on retaliatory tariffs on Bangladeshi goods entering the US market.
“The three-month suspension of the Trump-era tariff policy brings some relief. Bangladesh government’s proactive measures in this regard are commendable,” Sung said.
For a greater share in global apparel market, Bangladesh requires to focus more on high-value products.
“We must focus on producing high-value garments; otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to remain competitive in the global market,” he said.
Anwar Hossain, Administrator, BGMEA and Vice-Chairman, Export Promotion Bureau, also spoke on the occasion.