New outsourcing players challenge export giants
Of course the BRIC countries are far from being the only emerging market suppliers for the global apparel sector – and a knot of competitors such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have long been vying for business. But there are smaller players (in terms of the importance of their industry) who have been looking to grow. In South-East Asia, one smaller supplier – Cambodia – stands out. According to the United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA), the top 10 apparel suppliers to the US (including major players China and India) recorded significant drops in exports last year – except Cambodia – the sixth largest exporter in the list. And USA-ITA president Julia Hughes now calls Cambodia a “positive magnet” for apparel outsourcing. During the year ending 30 June, Cambodia recorded a 0.37% rise in apparel exports to the US, or an increase to 1,027.55m square metre equivalents (SME)…
