Bangladesh hopes to make Canada a key garment export destination. Of Bangladesh's exports to Canada, 96 per cent are apparel items. Between July and March 2014-15, Bangladesh exported goods worth $734.02 million to Canada and imported goods worth $495.80 million in July-February of the same fiscal year.

In fiscal 2013-14, Bangladesh’s exports to Canada were worth $1.1 billion while imports were $585.5 million. Canada has been providing support to Bangladesh to develop workers' skills and improve working conditions in the sector. The country has provided duty-free benefits to Bangladesh since 2003.

The growth rate of Bangladesh’s garment industry has been around 9 per cent over the previous year, which is slightly lower than the past five years' average of around 12 per cent.

Garment makers have been facing challenges of poor infrastructure, political crisis, lower worker productivity and a lack of experience of mid-level management. An inadequate supply of gas and a ban on new gas connections to the factories are the biggest challenges.

In spite of all this the sector is confident of achieving the apparel export target of 50 billion dollars by 2021. Currently Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporting nation after China.