The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has opened a dedicated Japan Desk to connect Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers with Japanese buyers and support the country’s expansion in Japan’s garment import market.
The desk was inaugurated recently at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, Dhaka, under the theme ‘Connection, Collaboration and Prosperity’. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi attended the event as chief guest, alongside BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan and senior representatives of Japanese business organisations and companies.
BGMEA has launched a Japan Desk in Dhaka to link Bangladeshi garment factories with Japanese buyers and support market diversification.
Around 100 factories have been selected for buyer-supplier matchmaking, market information and issue resolution.
The association targets apparel exports to Japan of $3 billion by 2030, up from about $1.4 billion.
According to BGMEA, around 100 Bangladeshi garment factories have already been selected to work with Japanese buyers, as reported by local media outlets. The desk will provide buyer-supplier matchmaking, market information, business facilitation and support in resolving issues between Japanese companies and Bangladeshi manufacturers.
BGMEA has previously estimated Japan’s textile and apparel import market at around $24 billion, while Bangladesh’s apparel exports to Japan stood at around $1.4 billion. The association has identified increasing shipments to Japan as part of its broader export market diversification strategy.
The initiative will partly focus on Japanese buyers seeking smaller and more flexible order volumes. Khan said the desk would help match Japanese buyers with factories based on their required order sizes, adding that smaller orders could develop into longer-term business relationships.
The Japan Desk will also co-ordinate with Japanese and Bangladesh-Japan business organisations, including the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) and Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Dhaka (JCIAD). Its planned activities include market research, buyer identification, business matchmaking and assistance in addressing grievances and disputes.
Representatives from Toyota Tsusho, Teijin Frontier, Marubeni, ITOCHU Corporation, the Embassy of Japan and JETRO Dhaka attended the inauguration programme.
BGMEA Director Mohammed Sohel, who has been involved in the association’s Japan market initiative, said BGMEA aims to raise Bangladesh’s apparel exports to Japan to $3 billion by 2030.
The launch follows BGMEA’s efforts to strengthen institutional co-operation with Japanese organisations and facilitate greater trade and investment between Bangladesh and Japan.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)
