Bangladesh, the world’s second largest garment producer by passes India… Ships through Maldives
Bangladesh was rerouting its textile exports to the Maldives by sea and then dispatching cargoes by air to its global customers, including H&M and Zara, sources say.
“Previously, Bangladeshi goods were shipped through Indian airports, but now they are rerouting shipments from other locations,” Deepak Tiwari, managing director of MSC Agency (India) Pvt Ltd,
“This shift means India’s airports and ports lose revenue previously earned from handling these cargoes.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is a leading global container shipping company.
The redirection of textile exports could weaken trade relations between India and Bangladesh and reduce the collaborative opportunities in logistics and infrastructure projects, said the newspaper.
It could also potentially threaten India’s revenue from port and transit fees, alongside business generated from Bangladesh’s exports that pass through Indian borders, it said.
Seized by the issue, the Indian government is exploring a balanced solution to ensure that Bangladesh’s textile exports—significant in volume and linked to Indian manufacturing hubs in Bangladesh—remain beneficial to Indian interests, one person said.
“A significant portion of these Bangladeshi textile exports are being produced in facilities or factories owned or operated by Indian companies based in Bangladesh,” the first person said.
Bangladesh’s textile industry contributes 80 percent of its exports and 13 percent of its GDP.
The issue is under the government’s attention. We are currently reviewing its impact on India,” the second person said.
Industry experts suggested that Bangladesh took this step to gain greater control over its supply chain and meet its shipment deadlines by avoiding delays caused at India’s airports, said sources.
“This new route offers Bangladesh a strategic advantage along with improved reliability, which is crucial for meeting tight deadlines in the international clothing market,” said Arun Kumar, president of the Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India.
