Garment factory owners have expressed their intention to keep running their industrial units during the upcoming lockdown, while union leaders are divided on the issues of ensuring workers' safety and livelihoods. Factory owners and a section of union leaders think that if the shipment of goods cannot be made on time, the work orders may shift to other countries. "As the whole
Small garment factories struggling to stay afloat
The dearth of work orders from international retailers and brands to small and medium-sized garment factories is so acute that many entrepreneurs are looking for buyers to sell units and exit the industry for good.
The fallouts of the coronavirus pandemic have brought the SME garment units to their knees as orders collapsed with the global drop in sales.
The units of the apparel industry, considered the lifeline of Bangladesh s economy, had faced abnormal delays in payment from buyers, order cancellations and suspensions and non-availability of loans from the stimulus package.
However, the large garment factories in this top export earning sector are faring better to some extent when it comes to getting orders, thanks to better coping mechanisms stemming from their large production facilities and ability to make shipments on time.
Air cargo charges double in fresh blow to RMG exporters
Readymade garment exporters in Bangladesh have been dealt a fresh blow by a doubling of air shipment rates for cargoes flying out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
The rate hike has piled additional pressure on the garment manufacturers who have been struggling for nearly a year to stay afloat amid a rush of order cancellations and rate decrease during the pandemic.
Airlines say they raised the rate because the growing demand for air shipment amid improving global outlook and squeezing of carrying capacity from the HSIA by 60 per cent over the last three months because of suspension of cargo and passenger flights by some international flight operators.