The outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in China, which is now spreading its tentacles world over, has Bangladesh garment manufacturers a worried lot!
“It will definitely have a big impact on the global supply chain and we are not out of it,” underlined Director at Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Sharif Zahir speaking to the media, adding “The Coronavirus outbreak has created an uncertainty. Manufacturing factories are closed, the Chinese Government has extended the Lunar New Year holiday and we don’t know when everything will be fully operational.”
It may be mentioned here that the Bangladesh garment manufacturing sector is dependent on China to a large extent for raw materials.
“We cannot start production unless the deliveries of accessories and fabrics are confirmed. The big concern is meeting the shipment deadline, because buyers do not cooperate if our deliveries are delayed,” Sharif further added.
However, they are not losing their sleep over it yet.
China is very important for its ability to supply multiple items and it will be difficult to replace China as the source, but not impossible, Sharif underlined adding, “For the time being, Bangladesh has the option to source fabrics from India, Turkey and Indonesia for woven products, while we can look for sources of polyester.