Bangladesh’s apparel exporters and their Chinese counterparts are looking for ways to expand Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) market in China as Bangladesh produces quality products at competitive prices, officials here said on Saturday.

A Chinese business delegation, led by vice-president of Feng Dehu China National Garment Association (CNGA), arrived here on Friday and visited a number of RMG factories.

Founded in 1991, CNGA is a nationwide organisation of China’s garment industry.

“The way we’re progressing, we’ll definitely do better in the Chinese market,” President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) M Shafiul Islam told UNB over phone on Saturday.

Replying to a question, he said they are exploring opportunities and looking for collaboration with China in the largely untapped areas like high fashion clothes and textiles.

“It’s a new market…we’ve just got duty-free access there (China) which covers almost all Bangladeshi RMG products. It takes time to expand a market,” Mohiuddin said.

Bangladesh’s garment exporters enjoy more than 90 per cent of their products, such as T-shirts, jeans, sweaters and casual trousers duty free access to the Chinese market.

“China is Bangladesh’s next RMG market destination . .- here’s huge potential to have Chinese market for our RMG products,” BGMEA first vice-president Nasir Uddin Chowdhury said.

He said Bangladesh’s current RMG export to China is below US$ 300 million. “But it’s gradually increasing.”

Chowdhury, also the Managing Director of Eastern Apparels Limited, said the wage of workers in China is very high. “So, they can import RMG products from Bangladesh with better price.”