China

Several garment and apparel manufacturers in China say they are looking at expanding to Southeast Asia to take advantage of lower business costs than they face at home. A new report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) says that countries like Myanmar present several advantages like competitive wages and broader trade preferences than can be found in China. The group also says that China’s efforts to move toward higher-value manufacturing industries has also put pressure on the garment sector. (Fibre2Fashion)