The data of Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) reveals that home textile exports during the July-November period of this fiscal declined by 7.98 percent to $518.63 million from 563.6 million during the corresponding period of last year.
Industry insiders attribute this decline partly to a shortage of gas supplies to the industry after August and also due to the global economic slowdown, inflationary pressures, and the Russia-Ukraine war. Exporters are hopeful the situation would improve now that the gas supplies have improved.
The exporters are also pinning hope of getting large orders from the Heimtextil fair in Frankfurt that would take place in January 2023. A large number of Bangladeshi home textile exporters are participating in the fair which is the largest home textile fair in the world and attracts a large number of buyers from around the world. Exporters said many buyers that intend to visit the fair have already contacted Bangladeshi suppliers.
Bangladeshi home textile exporters consider Pakistan as their only rival as other countries like China, Vietnam, and Cambodia are no more competitive. They want to exploit the unstable situation in Pakistan. But much would depend on energy and power support from the Bangladesh government.
Home textile export products include bed linen, bed sheet, other bedroom textiles, and other home textiles.
