Brands are generally paying less for garments from Bangladesh today than they did before the Rana Plaza disaster.
The price of cotton boys’ and men’s trousers going from Bangladesh to the US has fallen 13 per cent in the years since the disaster. In the same period, the price paid for T-shirts exported to the European Union has fallen about five per cent.

The US accounts for about 18 per cent of Bangladesh’s clothing exports, while nearly two-thirds go to Europe. That happened even as cotton prices went up more than 20 per cent between 2015 and 2017.

The price drop over the last five years underscores the dynamics at play in the global garment supply chain. As clothing sales have become increasingly concentrated in the hands of massive multinational retailers who place gigantic orders, the buyer’s power—and ability to get cents shaved off the cost of an item of clothing—has become increasingly concentrated too.

This fact underscores the power amassed by one end of the supply chain—an imbalance that is inherently dangerous to workers. Previously, manufacturers saved costs by working out of spaces that weren’t purpose-built for that. After Rana Plaza, that may not happen as much. Instead, as price pressures continue, they’ll look to save from more negotiable costs, like wages, or how often maintenance crucial to safety is carried out.