Despite the fact that China remains a key global centre for the T-shirt production, it is gradually shifting to other countries in Asia. Bangladesh’s earnings from T-shirt exports continued to rise due to a shift in orders to following rising production costs in China. Most knitters produce cotton T-shirts but many have opted for artificial fibers following the demand for non-cotton products. Value addition is putting a positive impact on the overall export performance. The China-plus move of buyers is helping makers bag better work orders. Earnings are increasing with value addition.

T-shirts, trousers, jackets, sweaters and shirts account for around 73 per cent of Bangladesh’s earnings from exports of readymade garments. In 2016, the volume of global T-shirt exports grew four per cent from previous year. While the economically mature markets of the US, Canada, and Western Europe are close to their saturation point in terms of T-shirt consumption, emerging economies, such as China, India, Russia, and Brazil, are far from saturated. They share a few similar characteristics, including a rising population, an improved economic situation, rising disposable incomes, and urbanization. T-shirt consumption is set to maintain an upward growth trend in the immediate term.