Global apparel makers band together to demand better terms

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Garment associations in nine countries spanning Asia, the Middle East and North Africa are taking drastic steps to eliminate inequality in relationship with European and American brands and retailers.

Accordingly, 13 associations representing apparel makers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Pakistan, Turkey and Morocco – that generate nearly 70 percent of the world’s apparel for export, are finalising a draft document on responsible purchase terms.

According to a report of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA), global retailers cancelled or paused orders with garment making factories in Bangladesh worth almost 3.7 billion USD in March and April last year.

Campaigning coalition PayUp estimated that 18 billion USD out of 40 billion USD worth of payments are still outstanding globally.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) also acknowledged that the apparel sector in Asia-Pacific has taken a hit by the pandemic. Its report showed that imports from Asian apparel makers plunged by 70 percent in the first half of 2020 due to falling consumption demand, lockdown measures and disruption in the import of crude materials for production./.