The share of readymade garments in Bangladesh's export basket currently stands at around 80 per cent.The country provides satisfactory levels of quality, especially in value and entry-level mid-market products. Competitive price level is clearly the prime advantage of Bangladeshi garment products.

With around 5000 readymade garment factories employing about 3.6 million workers out of a workforce of over 75 million, Bangladesh is clearly ahead of comparable suppliers from southeast Asia.In the medium term, Bangladesh looks set to be the sourcing country of choice for European and US buyers. During 1995-2010, Bangladesh’s share of apparel imports into Europe and the USA more than doubled.

European and US buyers will continue to increase their sourcing activities in Bangladesh in the mediumterm. In addition, new buying markets in other regions are increasingly becoming important as sourcing customers for Bangladesh.

Mid-market brands, which generate around 13 per cent of their sourcing value in Bangladesh today, plan to raise their share to 20 to 25 per cent in the medium term. This growth will be driven by not only an increase in the volume of current product categories but also by broadening the sourcing strategy to more complex, more fashionable or increasingly sophisticated items. These imply that the value market will be the key volume contributor, while the midmarket will demonstrate a more dynamic growth.