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

Ethiopia recently hosted a delegation of Chinese manufacturing representatives seeking new foreign investment opportunities. The visit, facilitated by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), included several representatives from various textile trade groups in China looking for lower-cost alternatives to their homeland for manufacturing. They noted that Ethiopia is entering a “new chapter” of development

A new report says that 1 in 7 women working in Bengaluru’s garment industry face sexual abuse while at work. The report, jointly released by British NGO Sisters for Change and Bengaluru-based Munnade, says that 60% of the women workers also face other forms of intimidation and violence while at work. The groups point out

Nepal’s readymade garment exports could exceed US$1 billion and help create over 100,000 jobs, according to a new study commissioned by the Nepalese government. While the study indicated that wages and transport lead times were higher in Nepal when compared to competitors like Bangladesh, it also noted that success in Nepal could be achieved by

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) says that the nation’s financial system could face “dire consequences” if the textile sector worsens any further. SBP analysts say that the exposure of at least 9 banks working with the industry exceeds 100% of their equity, while 13 additional banks have exceeded 50% equity. They note that just

British retailers are pushing the government to make the process of disengaging from the European Union as swift and efficient as possible to minimize potential economic turmoil. In a statement, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) noted that they are already observing the beginnings of economic instability triggered by the recent “Brexit” vote and that retailers

The U.S. State Department has released its latest “Trafficking in Persons” (TIP) report grading countries around the world on their efforts to combat trafficking. Myanmar, Sudan, and Haiti were among the 27 countries downgraded in this latest report, while Thailand was actually elevated due to “significant efforts” on the part of its government to eliminate

Better Work Vietnam says that it has launched a new smartphone app in the country aimed at helping to grow awareness of the country’s labor laws. The group says that the new app will allow users easy access to specific portions of the policy and will also include a quiz feature to test a person’s

Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport has gained the Regulated Agent (RA3) certificate from European aviation officials, a requirement needed to make cargo flights between Bangladesh and Europe. This means that cargo flights can resume to the U.K. and Australia after both of those countries banned direct cargo flights from Dhaka, those flights must now make an

Cambodia should seriously consider joining the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, according to William Heidt, the U.S. ambassador to the country. Speaking at a recent meeting of AmCham Cambodia, Heidt said that the TPP could divert billions in foreign investment away from Cambodia to TPP members like Vietnam. While there is no formal framework