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If local garment exporters begin employing jute fiber instead of imported cotton and non-cotton fiber to make apparel items, perhaps jute will regain its lost glory. Demand for jute may rise significantly. In order to enhance the diversity of garment fiber, the government, jute millers, jute spinners, and garment exporters have been collaborating on ways to increase the use of jute fiber in the production of clothing.
At the moment, Bangladesh imports fibers or raw materials worth more than $20 billion on average, such as cotton, yarn, and knit and woven fabrics, to partially supply local markets and the export-oriented garment factories in the country. The nation may save a sizable amount of this $20 billion annually if jute fiber can be utilized as a diverse fiber to make clothing items. This will eliminate the requirement for cotton, yarn, and fabric imports to produce clothing items for export.
Among these manufacturers and exporters of jute fiber is Md. Saiful Islam, Managing Director of Mazeda Jute Industries Ltd., situated in Faridpur. Islam stated that if jute fiber could be utilized to make clothing fiber, it may revolutionize the jute industry. He added that he and other spinners are now producing jute yarn and fiber for sale to other nations.
Bangladesh produces 12 lakh tons of jute annually; the installed capacity for producing jute yarn is 12 lakh tonnes, however only 10 lakh tonnes of jute yarn are actually produced there annually. According to him, Bangladesh exports four lakh tons of jute yarn annually, mostly for use in the production of jute carpets. If jute is blended with cotton to make garment fiber, the country could potentially export $50 billion worth of jute annually. According to him, this implies there are more uses for the jute fiber.
For example, viscose fiber is created by combining fibers; this would be an excellent fiber if it were made of cotton and jute. He continued by saying that Bangladesh would need to use such mixed fiber on a large scale in the future if it is to increase its competitiveness in the global apparel sector. To enable the large-scale production of jute fiber and support the nation's garment exports, the government must establish regulations and provide additional tax and VAT exemptions. He said that he has been producing some of this fiber for export.
Despite having a 30 tonne daily production capability in his facility, he is currently only able to produce 15 tonne due to several issues like rising fuel and energy costs. Ninety percent of the products he makes are exported, and his primary products are yarn, jute bags, and textile fibers. He continued by saying that Bangladesh would need to use such mixed fiber on a large scale in the future if it is to increase its competitiveness in the global apparel sector. To enable the large-scale production of jute fiber and support the nation's garment exports, the government must establish regulations and provide additional tax and VAT exemptions. He said that he has been producing some of this fiber for export.
Despite having a 30 tonne daily production capability in his facility, he is currently only able to produce 15 tonne due to several issues like rising fuel and energy costs. Ninety percent of the products he makes are exported, and his primary products are yarn, jute bags, and textile fibers. He added that in order to reduce the nation's reliance on costly foreign fabric imports, the government, jute millers, clothing exporters, and textile millers are collaborating to enhance the use of jute as a textile fiber.
The west is using less cotton from China, Uzbekistan, and other central Asian countries for various reasons, which is contributing to an increase in the usage of jute fiber in clothing. According to Mia, their main goal is to make a 50/50 blend of jute and cotton fiber. If this is successful, they may go on to produce 100% jute fiber in the future.
Bangladesh is likely the world's top exporter of clothing made of cotton fibers because many nations, especially China, are shifting away from relying too much on the export of clothing made of cotton in order to profit handsomely from higher prices by selling clothing made of other materials that are exported from international clothing retailers and brands. Currently, 74% of Bangladesh's total garment exports are composed of cotton fiber, with the remaining 24% being comprised of non-cotton fiber. Globally, things are quite the contrary. Around the world, 22% of the fashion industry is made from cotton fiber and 78% of it is made from non-cotton fiber.
Because of the superior utility, sustainability, and quality of the products, non-cotton fiber clothing is also more expensive than clothing made of cotton fiber.
For example, a T-shirt made of cotton fiber costs $5 per piece, but the identical T-shirt made of non-cotton fiber costs more than $10 per piece due to its superior quality, durability, and usefulness.
Bangladesh has been working hard for many years to diversify its fiber supply because it is a stronghold in clothing made of cotton. In recent times, a few textile firms have made investments in the production of recycled yarn, specifically from leftover plastic bottles and leftover garment scraps, sometimes referred to as jhoot.
Bangladesh currently imports practically all of the cotton needed to meet its demand. Because over 98% of the cotton needed is imported and Bangladesh produces less than 2% of it. Bangladesh has long been a major player in the production of clothing made of cotton fibers. As a result, there was no larger-scale fiber diversification in this nation. Yet fiber variety is warranted given the state of the planet.
Nowadays, fiber diversity is necessary as there's a chance the global fashion industry could become less competitive. Since the prices of clothing made of materials other than cotton are nearly twice as high as those made of cotton due to changes in the global fashion scene. International clothing shops and brands have declared that they will not purchase clothing products created from recycled yarn or man-made fibers because they wish to protect the environment by using non-cotton materials to make their garments. When the nation exits the list of least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, it will no longer be able to compete with local apparel suppliers if they only produce clothing from cotton fiber.
Therefore, fiber diversification is crucial for Bangladesh. Additionally, despite rising manufacturing costs, there is a global decline in the market for non-cotton items and corresponding price declines. The various markets also require a variety of clothing goods. For example, the demand for clothing in Asian markets, especially in the Middle East, does not equal the demand in western nations such as the USA and Europe. At a Friday sustainability report announcement ceremony for a group of garments at a city hotel, Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), stated that the organization has been working on fiber diversification to lessen its reliance on cotton.
The government and the BGMEA have been collaborating to develop jute fiber in order to increase its variety. He stated that in order to diversify the jute fiber and produce clothing products from it, he met with the foreign ministry on Friday. In order to diversify its fiber supply, BGMEA has already formed partnerships with numerous stores, brands, and local weavers and spinners. These partnerships include the production of yarn from recycled garments, petroleum products, and tree buckles. The Swedish retail behemoth H&M recently revealed that, although Bangladesh will be removed from the group of the least developed countries in 2026, the company still has major plans for sourcing from the country. However, prices could rise by as much as 12%.
Bangladesh would no longer have preferential market access if it becomes a developing country, and it will have to pay a 10–12% export levy. Nonetheless, a media report states that it will benefit from the duty preference in the EU until 2029 because the trading union has prolonged a three-year grace period.
Although Bangladesh is the world's second-largest exporter of garments, H&M recommended that the country diversify its product line because over 75% of its exported clothing goods are limited to the top five items.
The use of synthetic fiber is expanding worldwide.
Of the $440 billion global apparel market last year, MMF apparel goods accounted for $222 billion, with cotton-based products contributing $190 billion. According to a recent analysis, if Bangladesh can increase its share of the global market for MMF from less than 5% to 12% by 2030, the country's apparel exports will surpass $95 billion. Worldwide, MMF goods account for about half of all apparel exports, with cotton accounting for 42% of the total. Just 24% of Bangladesh's garment exports are made of mixed fiber fabrics (MMFs), whereas 72% of garment exports are made of cotton. Bangladesh's future lies in the excellent, varied usage of fiber. Because Bangladesh must spend more than $3.0 billion annually on cotton imports, which somewhat reduces the net retention from garment shipments.
Furthermore, the increased use of jute fiber will aid in the restoration of Bangladesh's golden fiber sector and jute itself. The government and BGMEA's partnership in the development of jute fiber for clothing manufacturing has the potential to bring about yet another significant achievement for the nation's textile and apparel industry. This varied use of jute fiber in clothing manufacturing will have a significant positive impact on farmers as well.
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