Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world market has huge turbulence. But amid this severe reality, the medical mask market made a silver lining for apparel manufacturing countries, especially Bangladesh. In the first 11 months of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, exports of face masks from Bangladesh grew significantly. Greatly contributing to the diversification of the country’s economy.
According to the Trade Data Monitor (TDM) – one of the world’s leading sources of business statistics – said that Bangladesh exported US$95.9 million worth of medical masks during the period between January and November of the previous year.
The statistic shows that global masks market was worth $65 billion and China leading the global market with more than 80 percent market share.
Here are some of the top exporting destinations:
During that period, in the USA, Bangladesh exported US$40 million worth of masks. Mostly surgical, KN95, N-95 masks. Moreover, the exports of the Bangladeshi products to the US accounted for over 41 percent of the whole shipment.
Germany came to be the 2nd importing country (According to TDM) by exporting US$12.8 million worth of masks. Which accounted for 13.35 percent of the whole shipment.
Canada stood in 3rd with $7.7 million in export during the 11 months. With 7.95% of the export share.
The further importing countries of the product from Bangladesh are France ($7.5 million), Poland ($4.7 million), UK ($4.4 million), China ($2.5 million), Belgium ($1.7 million), Australia ($1.6 million), Netherlands ($1.4 million), and others ($11.7 million),
The CEO of Geneva-based TDM Don Brasher informed that Bangladesh’s textile sector is working extremely hard to fulfill the world’s masks, gowns and further fundamental commodities demand to cope up with the financial devastation resulted in by the COVID-19, which has also diversified the country’s export economy.
While Bangladesh’s RMG sector was struck badly during the lockdown in April and May in 2020. Being the world’s second-largest apparel exporter it the country was. However, export orders of such products not only helped to diversify the export basket but also aided to raise its across-the-board shipments during the endless ongoing pandemic.
A Bangladeshi mask exporting company said Bangladesh has a long legacy of manufacturing numerous categories of clothing. Amid the pandemic, the Bangladesh apparel industry quickly rose to the challenge and started exporting technical products like masks, PPE, gowns, gloves, etc.
Not to mention, during the pandemic, the majority of the apparel factories were shut down, brands and buyers stopped payment or canceled orders. Despite these obstacles, the apparel sector manufactured these essential lifesaving products.
