Chart *: US denim jean import share, ****, with China’s ****–**** decline highlighted.
Source: US OTEXA Denim Jean (HS ****.**, ****.**) import data
Cost and supply chain
Bangladesh’s advantage is built on vertical integration. Leading mills can combine spinning, weaving, washing and finishing within an integrated production base, reducing handling, lead times and reject rates. BTMA says Bangladesh now has close to ** modern denim mills with installed capacity near *** million metres a year, versus about ** mills a decade ago. Cumulative sector investment has risen from Tk ** billion (~$*** million) to nearly Tk *** billion (~$*.** billion).
