Myanmar makes rapid strides in RMG

Myanmar has made rapid strides and has emerged as the country with the most potential to emerge as a formidable player among garment-producing nations, says a study. Myanmar has deep experience in the textile industry but does not cover all parts of the value chain. However, foreign direct investment tripled in the last two years emphasising the high potential, spells out Kurt Salmon Global Sourcing Reference. Kurt Salmon, a leading global strategy consulting company focused on the retail industry, conducted the survey based on production cost indices (PCIs) of six garment-producing nations Bangladesh, China, India, Morocco, Myanmar and Turkey.

Bangladesh is the most attractive destination for European retailers among the six nations due to its competence in the supply of quality products at competitive prices, according to the study. The firm analysed import data of apparel items from the six countries from 2005-15. On the other hand China is in the second position because of higher costs of production and a dearth of skilled workers.

Ongoing efforts to improve social and infrastructural conditions, such as the established minimum wages in Bangladesh and Myanmar, indicate further increases in sourcing costs for the future Bangladesh is gaining market share in sourcing for Europe and North America, the report said.