Bangladesh has eased access to specialised man-made-fibre (MMF) inputs for export-oriented garment manufacturers. An amendment to the Import Policy Order ****–****, dated September ** and gazetted on September **, allows synthetic fabrics for seamless sportswear, high-value fashion items and functional apparel to be imported subject to recommendation from the garment exporters’ association. The measure improves input access but does not create domestic MMF capacity.
The change matters because Bangladesh’s apparel industry remains concentrated in cotton, while its synthetic supply base is relatively small. The US International Trade Commission (USITC) reports that Bangladesh says it can produce about **–** per cent of the yarn required for export-oriented knit apparel and around **–** per cent for woven apparel, while most MMF yarns and fibres used in apparel exports are imported.
