At a meeting organised by Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CanCham) titled ‘RMG Meet UP’ to discuss ‘Journey to the Next Milestone: Strategy for the RMG Sector’, North American buyers expressed keen interest in working with apparel makers from Bangladesh. They said they want to work together with the country's apparel makers to boost sourcing.

The CanCham has decided to organise such informal meeting every quarter between the country's apparel makers and its North American buyers to identify and address the challenges faced by the industry to boost RMG exports. The inaugural meeting was attended, among others, by Canadian high commissioner to Dhaka Benoit Pierre Laramee, local representatives of some leading RMG buyers in North American countries, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Md Atiqul Islam and CanCham President Masud Rahman.

The issues discussed during the meet included infrastructure, power, eco-compliance, working condition, traffic jam, especially from Dhaka to nearest apparel belts like Gazipur, training to the mid-level management, product diversification and publicity of country's green and clean RMG factories.

Bangladesh's export to US totaled $5.4 billion in 2013, a 9 per cent increase from 2012 and up 158 per cent from 2003. Since January 2003, Canada allowed duty-free access to Bangladeshi products, due to which the country's exports, especially garment items, have seen a steady rise. Of the total exports from Bangladesh to Canada, 96 per cent are apparel items. Bangladesh exported goods worth $1.1 billion to Canada and imported goods worth $585.5 million in fiscal year 2013-14. www.canchambangladesh.org