Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thesis
Fall 2007
ABSTRACT
This thesis deals with potential market for the garment industry and its supply
chain from Bangladesh to Finnish market. This is carried out with the both
perspective of Bangladeshi exporters export to Finnish market and Finnish
importer import from Bangladesh and it deals briefly with supply chain
management.
The main purpose of the thesis is to give a brief logistics solution to the both
parties. Since now there is no existing Finnish company doing business
directly with Bangladesh still there are lots of Bangladeshi garment products
in the market and those are coming to the Finnish market via specially Sweden
and other EU countries. This study is also a guideline for new companies who
would like to establish a new business channel between both countries. Case
company Challenge Trading Corporations Oy is a start-up company in the
clothing business, the study gives us details on how a company should choose
the suppliers, how to manage supply chain and it also gives further knowledge
about foreign trade procedures as a start-up company.
Finally, some recommendations are given for the engaging parties to enjoy
practicing the business and help them improve the efficiency in contacting
suppliers and buyers, transport agencies, for improvement of customer service
and gaining knowledge of foreign trade procedures.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………… 1
1.1. Background……………………………………...…………. 1
1.2. Research questions…..……………………………………...1
1.3. Research methods…………………………………………. 2
1.4. Structure of the study…………………………………….... 2
1.5. Limitation…………………………………………………. 2
1.6. Introduction to the case company -
Challenge Trading Corporations Oy………………………. 3
1. INTRODUCTION
In this introduction chapter, we make a foundation of this thesis where the
background of the study is briefly mentioned, the out come of the study and it
is described how the study was carried out. In the end of this chapter, we look
at the structure of the thesis and finally we get to know about the case
company Challenge Trading Corporations Oy.
1.1 . Background
The case company intends to expand its line of business and as a part of its
internationalization process; it has made a modest decision in doing clothing
business within Bangladesh. In fact, because of a very limited knowledge
within the sector and the international trade, the need for marketing research
became vital. This study will help as a guidebook to explore the markets
within the clothing sectors. It will also help to gather knowledge about the
producing country as well as it gives some knowledge of logistics and supply
chain management. The main aim of this study is to explore the potential
market and future direction of the producing country from the case company’s
point of view and on the other hand aiming at finding the information needed
to reduce the company’s uncertainty within the target market. The specific
needs of the company aside, this study also will help as a good source of
information to any individual, organization or business interested in the
Bangladeshi garments industries.
The research has been carried out in this study with the secondary data using
statistics from the related industries website, related publications, magazines,
newspapers and the government agencies. Some information was acquired
through emails and telephone conversations as well as own observation of
doing work with the case company.
In the theoretical part, Supply chain is broken into different functions such as
purchasing; distribution and customer service and each of them are included
with various sub-items, which are presented here briefly too. Chapter Three
sheds light on Bangladesh and its garments & knitwear industry and business
environment. The following chapter illustrates foreign trade procedures which
includes documentations and import export mechanism. End of this chapter we
will see the risk analysis of the sector.
1.5. Limitation
The study will not deal with marketing issues and not even talk about Finnish
clothing market. It will only describe Bangladeshi Ready Made Garment
(RMG) sector, its development and country’s export performance, which will
give an opportunity to know about the suppliers and the sector for the new
10
entrants. The study will deal with logistics very briefly and it may be the
foundation for further advanced research in marketing.
The study focuses on the case company Challenge Trading Corporations Oy
which aimed to expand its business into the clothing business and is very keen
on importing garments products from Bangladesh aspiring being retailer and
as well as wholesaler to the Finnish market. Because of the case company has
yet no experience of importing the products from Bangladesh to Finland, the
whole study is structured as a guideline of doing business between two
countries as an entrant. Ultimately the whole study will benefit the case
company and as well the exporting companies as the new entrants as well as
for those who like to establish garment factories in Bangladesh.
In the beginning company would like to establish a retail shop in Lahti center
then it aims to expand its business to other city in Finland and as well as it
desires to be a whole seller.
Company has already started contacting with suppliers of Bangladesh and has
been able to gather primary information on this line of business. This study has
been carried out by close cooperation with the company.
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12
There are multiple definitions found for supply chains in literature. According
to the Supply Chain Council a definition of a supply chain is: "The supply
chain-a term now commonly used internationally encompasses every effort
involved in producing and delivering a final product or service, from the
supplier's supplier to the customer's customer". The series of companies
(actors) that interact for this producing and delivering is what will be called
supply chain here. The actors are connected through the flow of products, the
flow of information and the flow of money (http://www.supply-chain.org)
The reason for the existence of supply chains is that there are very few
companies that can produce end products for end-customers from raw
materials on their own, without the assistance of other organizations. The
company that produces the raw material is often not the same company that
sells the end products to the end-customer. In order to provide end products to
the end-customers, a network of actors is involved in activities (as purchasing,
transforming and distribution) to produce products and/or services (Stevens,
1989; Lee & Billington, 1995; Swaminathan, Smith & Sadeh, 1996; Cooper,
Lambert, & Pagh, 1997).
13
From this description, the image of a supply chain in general is provided. The
actors are connected through the flow of products, flow of information and the
flow of money. In the figure above, a general supply chain model is illustrated.
The blocks represent the organizations/companies that handle the products and
add value. The choice for the term supply chain is unfortunately because it
leads to confusion. "Chains" evoke linear, unchanging, and powerless images.
"Supply" feels pushy and reeks of mass production rather than mass
customization. Better names like "demand network" or "customer driven
webs" have been proposed. Yet, the name "supply chain" seems to have stuck
(Johnson & Pyke, 2000).
More recently, many manufacturers and retailers have embraced the concept of
supply chain management to improve efficiency across the value chain (Tan,
2001). The original use of the term supply chain management emphasized a
reduction in inventory both within and across firms, which the logistics
manager was confronted with, but that initial perspective has been broadening
(Keith & Webber, 1992).
2.3.Purchasing
Purchasing plays a multiple role in every supply chain because it might lead to
the cost increase or decrease directly, and effective purchasing can reduce the
total cycle time and improve the efficiency of order processing. The following
factors are giving the further explanation of the current situation of purchasing
in supply chain.
ii) E-commerce:
To simplify and reduce transactions and speed up communications between
firms and their major suppliers will continue on upward trend. Application
extends to web based fulfillment process, planning, scheduling and product
development.
or software engineer. (Burt, Dubler & Starling 2003; 180; Weele 2002, 172-
176)
integrating these suppliers into the supply chain. (Madoui, Global strategic
purchasing; http://madoui.chez-alice.fr/madoui.purchasing1.html)
Your supply chain starts at product research and development, and goes
through to where you deliver the product to customers. Supply chain
efficiency is what it is all about. In order to fully benefit from global
purchasing, there is a need of closer and better relationships with suppliers,
mutual product development activity, and the mutual interest of two
companies trying to work on their long-term growth. There is also need to be
aware of the complexities of purchasing decisions and supply chain
management:
Purchasing decisions are involve so many issues, some of them are listed
below:
Price, quality, delivery times, flexibility, and dependability;
The need to address uncertainty in product performance or reliability;
The need to identify the best ways to make rational decisions in the
face of uncertainty;
Managing supplier relationships, a critical component for a company to
be competitive in cost, quality, and speed.
(Madoui, Global strategic purchasing; http://madoui.chez-
alice.fr/madoui.purchasing1.html)
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Qualifying Suppliers
Having selected target-countries, and in order to identify prospective suppliers,
it is important to define the traits of candidates according to objectives. That
profile will help identify, short-list and screen prospective suppliers.
Delivery timeliness
Problem responsiveness
Product quality
Total cost
Technical support
Quantities delivered
Personnel attitude
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The most important step will be to establish relationships with the preferred
prospective suppliers. This should involve face-to-face meetings with the
principals. In addition, it is important to negotiate the appropriate legal
agreement with the counterpart firm selected.
Here are some tips for further search and evaluation of prospective suppliers if
do not have in-house resources or if a firm does not use an international
business consultant:
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Credit Reporting Firms - Firms like Graydon America and Dun &
Bradstreet offer timely credit reports on overseas companies. The fee
for these reports typically varies according to the region of the world
and the promised delivery time for the report.
Dun & Bradstreet also maintains a Web site where users can order
Business Background Reports on-line.
2.4.Distribution
Road transportation
Road infrastructures are large consumers of space with the lowest level of
physical constraints among transportation modes. However, environmental
constrains are significant in road construction. Road transportation has an
average operational flexibility as vehicles can serve several purposes but are
rarely able to move outside roads. Road transport systems have high
maintenance costs, both for the vehicles and infrastructures. They are mainly
25
Rail transportation
Railways are composed of a traced path on which are bound vehicles. They
have an average level of physical constrains linked to the types of locomotives
and affected by the gradient. Heavy industries are traditionally linked with rail
transport systems, although containerization has improved the flexibility of
rail transportation by linking it with road and maritime modes. Rail is by far
the land transportation mode offering the highest capacity with 23,000 tons
fully loaded coal train being the heaviest load ever carried. (Slack, Rodrigue &
Comtois; http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/ch3c1en.html)
Maritime transportation
Air transportation
Air routes are practically unlimited, but they are denser over the North
Atlantic, inside North America and Europe and over the North Pacific. Air
transport constraints are multidimensional and include the site (a commercial
plane needs about 3,300 meters of track for landing and take off), the climate,
fog and aerial currents. Air activities are linked to the tertiary and quaternary
sectors, notably finance and tourism that require movements of people. More
recently, air transportation has been accommodating growing quantities of
high value freight and is playing a growing role in global logistics. (Slack,
Rodrigue & Comtois;
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/ch3c1en.html)
Pipelines
Pipeline routes are practically unlimited. The longest gas pipeline links Alberta
to Sarnia (Canada), which is 2,911 km in length. The longest oil pipeline is the
Transiberian, extending over 9,344 km to Western Europe from the Russian
arctic oilfields in eastern Siberia. Physical constraints are low and include the
landscape and Pergelisol in arctic / sub-arctic environments. Pipeline
construction costs vary according to the diameter and increase proportionally
with the distance and with the viscosity of fluids (from gas to oil). The Trans
Alaskan pipeline, which is 1,300 km long, was built under difficult conditions
and has to be above the ground for most of its path. Pipeline terminals are very
important since they correspond to refineries and harbors. (Slack, Rodrigue &
Comtois; http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/ch3c1en.html)
Telecommunications
In the chart below the six main modes of transporting products are compared
for each of the key transportation features. Also shown are the estimated
percentages of product movement (i.e. freight traffic) that occurs within the
United States for the five modes that handle tangible products. These
percentages are taken from the 2006 Statistical Abstracts of the United States
and reflect estimates as of 2001.
Pipeline Very Very Slow Low Low Very High Very Low 17%
Narrow
Digital Very Very Fast Very High Very Low Moderate Very Low ?
Narrow
Table 1: Modes of Transportation comparison
Source: http://www.knowthis.com/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/managing-
product-movement/8.htm
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2.4.2. Warehousing
The warehouse is the most common type of storage though other forms do
exist (e.g., storage tanks, computer server farms). Some warehouses are
massive structures that simultaneously support the unloading of numerous in-
bound trucks and railroad cars containing suppliers’ products while at the same
time loading multiple trucks for shipment to customers. Warehouses are
facilities that provide a proper environment for the purpose of storing goods
and materials that require protection from elements. Warehouses must be
designed to accommodate the loads of the material to be stored, the associated
handling equipment, the receiving and shipping operations, associated
trucking and the needs of the operating personnel. The designed of the
warehouse space should be planned to the best accommodate business service
requirements and the products to be stored/handled. The economics of modern
commercial warehouses dictate that goods are processed in minimal
turnaround time. Below we discuss five types of warehouses:
Private Warehouse
This type of warehouse is owned and operated by a company that is also
involved in other aspects of the distribution channel. For instance, a major
retail chain may have several regional warehouses supplying their stores or a
wholesaler will operate a warehouse at which it receives and distributes
products.
(Principles of Marketing: Managing Product Movement
http://www.knowthis.com/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/managing-
product-movement/6.htm)
Public Warehouse
The public warehouse is essentially space that can be leased to solve short-
term distribution needs. Retailers that operate their own private warehouses
may occasionally seek additional storage space if their facilities have reached
capacity or if they are making a special, large purchase of products. For
example, retailers may order extra merchandise to prepare for in-store sales or
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Automated Warehouse
With advances in computer and robotics technology, many warehouses now
have automated capabilities. The level of automation ranges from a small
conveyor belt transporting products in a small area all the way up to a fully
automated facility where only a few people are needed to handle storage
activity for thousands of pounds/kilograms of product. In fact, many
warehouses use machines to handle nearly all physical distribution activities
such as moving product-filled pallets (i.e., platforms that hold large amounts
of product) around buildings that may be several stories tall and the length of
two or more football fields.
(Principles of Marketing: Managing Product Movement
http://www.knowthis.com/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/managing-
product-movement/6.htm)
Climate-Controlled Warehouse
Warehouses handle storage of many types of products including those that
need special handling conditions such as freezers for storing frozen products,
humidity-controlled environments for delicate products, such as produce or
flowers, and dirt-free facilities for handling highly sensitive computer
products.
(Principles of Marketing: Managing Product Movement
http://www.knowthis.com/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/managing-
product-movement/6.htm)
Distribution Center
There are some warehouses where product storage is considered a very
temporary activity. These warehouses serve as points in the distribution
system at which products are received from many suppliers and quickly
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Customer service is a broad term that includes many elements ranging from
products availability to after-sale maintenance. A number of elements are
commonly associated with customer service. There are five key elements of
customer service explained below which is mentioned in Gourdin’s Global
Logistics Management book.
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(1) Dependability:
It is the most important concern from the customers point of view simply
because it addresses very basic parts of the buying process. Dependability may
be in the form of product availability. It may also refer to such things as
meeting promised delivery dates, filling orders correctly and providing
accurate billing statements. (Gourdin 2001; 41.)
It is related to the order cycle: that is, how long it takes for the goods to be
delivered after the order has been placed. The emphasis today in many
developed markets is on speed, the faster the better. (Gourdin 2001; 41.)
(3) Convenience:
It deals with things like ordering accessibility, hours for pick-up and delivery,
frequency of sales calls, technical assistance and after-sales service.
(Gourdin 2001; 42).
(4) Communications:
It encompasses activities like cargo tracing, answering customer enquiries,
billing and information management. In addition, communication also implies
that the firms listen to its customers, find out what their needs are and makes
every efforts to satisfy them. (Gourdin 2001; 42.)
(5) Honesty:
It implies that the company keeps the promises it makes to its customers.
Pledging more than can be delivered virtually guarantees that customers will
be dissatisfied, so managers must be careful not to overstate customer service
levels when there may be considerable pressure to do so. (Gourdin 2001; 42.)
SELF QUESTIONS
YES NO
1. Have we reduced our total cycle time
by at least 50% over the past 3 years?
Management Guidelines
Customer service is a competitive weapon that can easily differentiate one
supplier from another. A lot of talk today is centered on quality, new processes
and systems, continuous improvement and the like, but it must be aimed at
customer satisfaction or it isn’t worth much over the longer term. The same
old way of doing business is just not good enough; the complex job of
redefining and implementing new processes, policies, systems and
measurement are mandatory to solidify your company’s future.
A strong executive mandate that is an informed directive, based upon a
methodology that will allow your organization to take the necessary actions
with its processes, policies, systems and measurements, is paramount to your
company’s success in becoming a customer service leader.
After making the commitment to achieve best-in-class customer service,
management can use the following 10 guidelines to keep organization focused
and rapidly moving toward achieving customer service goals.
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1. Take an active role in this critical corporate mission if you want to become
the competitor that delights its customers. Do not delegate customer service
and satisfaction downward.
3. Understand all of the underlying issues that prevent your company from
delivering topnotch customer service.
6. Survey customers to find out what they think your company’s strengths and
weaknesses are versus your competitors’. Listen and respond.
10. Develop a results-driven, tactically oriented action plan with the goal of
providing the best customer satisfaction in your industry.
(Donovan; www.rmdonovan.com)
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Now, its competitors and many other industries are rushing to copy Dell’s
operational strategy model. The fact is, the model is easy to develop,
conceptually, but more difficult to execute to a high degree of perfection.
The cotton knitwear sector (raw cotton has to be imported) of the garment
industry in Bangladesh shows an almost complete supply chain. Spinning,
yarn dyeing, knitting, confection of knits and garment finishing are done in the
country. Some of the factories in Bangladesh are even fully vertically
integrated (spinning to finished garment). The situation in the woven garments
sector is completely different. There are only a few weaving mills in
Bangladesh offering a sufficient quality standard for exports and consequently
the majority of fabrics which are used for woven garment exports has to be
imported. This means higher purchasing costs, stronger dependence on an
external supplier (e.g. concerning delivery dates) and also pricing
disadvantages due to higher import duties e.g. on the EU markets. (Corporate
Solution, Bad Nauheim 2005)
The following chart shows an overview of the value chain structure within the
textile and garment industry of Bangladesh.
When looking at the supply chain in the textile and garment sector in
Bangladesh one has to consider on the one hand the gross value addition for
each production step and on the other hand the necessary investment or costs
and their amortization (net value addition). The net value added in spinning or
weaving is rather low due to the relatively high share of raw material costs
(e.g. raw cotton for spinning) and usually very high costs for production
technology / investment. The net value addition in knitting or confection
(garment production) is on the other hand considerably high, requires
furthermore low investment but is very labor intense. For that reason the
garment industry has a much higher contribution to a value addition within the
supply chain than the textile industry. Nevertheless an efficient domestic
textile production leads normally to a much better value addition than yarn or
fabric imports and in addition to that it prevents the garment industry from
depending too much on other supplying markets, less influence on delivery
times or problems with the right to claim a guarantee.
The approximate gross value addition for different steps within the textile and
garment production in Bangladesh is listed below.
Spinning 17 %
Weaving 15 %
Knitting 18 %
Dyeing / Finishing 15 %
Finished Garments 28 %
(Corporate Solution, Bad Nauheim 2005)
earnings of the Shipping business of the country by way of port charges, C&F
Agents commissions, freight charges, forwarding charges etc.
Below graphic shows the fastest transport channels between Europe and the
Far East.
Established logistics players must also offer one-stop shopping services for
small and medium sized companies. Specialized companies providing
advanced, value added services for all modes of transport can develop their
operations in Finland, too. The next trend in logistics will be the outsourcing
of value-added services globally. Finland can serve as a logistics hub for
domestic and international transport in northern Europe and Russia.
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There are plenty of reasons that make Finland an ideal base for logistics
services providers. It has growing business potential, a challenging climate, a
high education level, advanced ICT (Information and Communication
Technology) and logistics know-how, and an ambitious, development oriented
attitude in general. Nearly 15% of Finland’s GDP, and 10% of Finnish
corporate turnover is spent on logistics. Finland is an excellent test market for
developing new, efficiency-boosting logistics solutions and applications.
(Opportunities in Logistics Services in Finland; www.investinfinland.fi)
Over 90% of Finland’s export goods are shipped through more than 50 ports
located along 1000 kilometers of coastline. Although winters may be quite
cold, the ports and shipping routes are kept open by the national icebreaker
fleet.
In 2004, the total maritime transport volume through the ports was
100,623,681 tones, of which exports covered 41%, imports 49%, and domestic
traffic 10%.
(Opportunities in Logistics Services in Finland; www.investinfinland.fi)
44
General Information
Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign Republic known as the Peoples
Republic of Bangladesh. The country emerged as an independent state on
March 26, 1971. The war of liberation ended on December 16, 1971 in victory
of Bangladeshi forces and surrender of the occupying army. This area was
under Muslim rule for five and a half centuries and passed into British rule in
1757 AD. In August 1947, it gained independence from the British rule along
with the rest of India and formed a part of Pakistan and was known as East
Pakistan. The national flag of the republic consists of a circle colored red
throughout its area, resting on a green rectangular background. The citizens of
Bangladesh are known as Bangladeshis.
Bangladesh has pursued a policy of trade liberalization throughout the last ten
years. Export diversification and import liberalization received increased
attention. As a result, a considerable reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers
was achieved.
Bangladesh’s exports to the EU market have benefited from preferential
market access, i.e. duty and quota-free access (GSP, EBA initiative)♣.
However, Bangladesh’s trade capacity presently relies on a very limited
number of export products. There is therefore a need for diversification of the
country’s export range and the improvement of backward and forward
linkages to make the industry more competitive. Reforms to improve the
economic governance situation and the conditions in the port of Chittagong
would be a boon to the country’s business potential and its investment climate.
The EU is by far the biggest trade partner of Bangladesh, importing 54% of its
goods, for the annual amount of €4,1bn and generating a trade balance surplus
for Bangladesh of over €3bn every year. Presently Bangladesh is also amongst
the most prominent exporters from the group of LDCs to the EC, representing
20% of the total exports from all LDCs to the European market. Bangladesh's
principal export goods to EU are textile products (75% of the EU imports from
BGD). The effect of the phase out of the WTO Agreement on Textiles and
Clothing in December 2004 was less severe than expected, with export figures
for knitwear and woven goods maintaining healthy growth. On the other hand
EU exports to Bangladesh include food, chemical products and machinery and
mechanical appliances. (The EU’s relations with Bangladesh;
http://ec.europa.eu)
EBA= Everything but Arms initiative; under this unilateral preferential regime, the
worlds 48 poorest countries – out of which 34 are Sub-Saharan – export to the EU
duty-fee and quota-free.
48
The Government of Bangladesh offers great incentives for encouraging the use
of local fabrics in the export oriented garment industries. For encouraging
textile export, the import of capital machinery is duty-free. Import of cotton is
also duty-free. Moreover, the Government has recently implemented several
policy reforms to create a more open and competitive climate for foreign
investment.
Bangladesh is endowed with abundant and cheap labor force that is easily
trainable and convertible into semi-skilled and skilled work force. Price,
heavily weighted by the labor cost, is one of the main determinants of
comparative advantage in the labor-intensive garment industry. The price of
labor in Bangladesh is lower compared to some its neighboring countries as
well as some other garment producing countries in South-East Asia and East
Europe. Obviously, existence of such cheap but easily trainable labor is one of
the advantages that Bangladesh enjoys and will be enjoying over a
considerable period in the context of international trade on clothing.
(www.bgmea.com)
Presently, the total fabric requirement in captive market is for about 3 billion
yards, of which about 85-90 percent is imported from countries like China,
India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, etc. Fabric
requirement is increasing at 20 percent per annum. This offers a tremendous
opportunity for further industrialization in Bangladesh. Taking the global
49
context within the purview of open market economy (started in 2005) it can
exploit the benefit of the potential textile industry of the country by
immediately establishing 60 moderate-size composite textile mills, capable of
producing 30 million yards of fabrics per year per factory.
Extensive program of incentives, to expedite investment in the country, are
now in place covering
No Ceiling for investment
Tax holiday of up to 10 years
Tax-exemption and duty-free importation of capital machinery
and spare parts for 100% export oriented industries
Residency permits for foreign nationals including citizenship
Easy capital profit and divided repatriation facilities
Double taxation avoidance
Tax-exemption on the interest payable on foreign loans
Taka (BGD currency) convertible on current account etc.
The industry was established by foreign investors who set up garment and
accessories factories in Bangladesh’s Export Processing Zones (EPZs) during
the mid-1980s to access Bangladesh’s abundant supply of low-cost labor and
take advantage of its quota share under the MFA. The Readymade Garment
(RMG) sector has grown tremendously over the past 20 years, generating
associated increases in employment that contribute greatly to poverty
reduction and a rise in export earnings. The RMG industry’s share in export
earnings rose from just over 10 percent in 1984 to almost 76 percent in 2006.
Moreover, RMG exports accounted for more than 81 percent of the growth in
the value of exports during that period. (IMF Country Report, June 2007)
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51
3.5.1. History, development and the human resource of the RMG sector
The RMG sector itself in Bangladesh accounts for a small proportion of GDP
yet serves as an engine of growth. Taking into account the high import content
of garment manufacturing, it is estimated that the RMG industry directly
contributes only about 25 percent of value added in manufacturing, which
itself now accounts for approximately 17 percent of GDP. The sector, however,
generates substantial demand for transportation, distribution, other services,
and construction. Moreover, RMG factories account for 40 percent of
industrial employment and provide the largest single source of formal
employment and wage earnings in the economy. RMG factories and associated
businesses (spinning, dyeing, finishing, etc.) are estimated to provide
employment for a total of 10 to 12 million people.
Of an estimated 4,550 firms at the end of 2006, just 83 were wholly or
partially foreign owned (Table 2). Aggregate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
in the sector since the industry’s inception is estimated at $370 million (Table
3). All FDI was restricted to the EPZs by law until 2005 and there is no
evidence of any significant FDI outside of the EPZs since the removal of that
restriction.
The overall export figures for garments mask a significant change in the
structure of Bangladesh’s RMG industry that is the result of the very rapid
growth of knitwear production and exports.♠ From a total share in garment
export earnings of 25 percent in 1997 knitwear exports rose to half of exports
in the six months ending in December 2006 (Figure 7). In volume terms,
knitwear now accounts for more than 60 percent of Bangladesh’s garment
exports. (IMF Country Report, June 2007)
Knitwear includes all garments sewn from knitted fabric (e.g., t-shirts,
undergarments) and garments, such as sweaters, that are knit from yarn.
Woven garments refers to all garments sewn from woven fabric (e.g., dress
shirts, shorts, trousers), including all denim products.
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Bangladesh has had a mixed experience relative to other Asian LIC garment
producers in capturing additional total market share in the world’s largest
garment markets since the removal of quotas. In the EU market, which was the
largest market in the world for imported garments in 2006, India and Vietnam
55
have outpaced Bangladesh in capturing market share in the past two years
(Table 5).
56
Among Asian countries other than China, Bangladesh and other major Asian
LIC garment producers are in aggregate capturing an increasing share of
Asia’s total exports to the EU and U.S. markets. Detailed data for all major
producers of garments show that the aggregate shares of major Asian LIC
producers (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam) in
total Asian garment exports (excluding those of the People’s Republic of
China) to the EU and U.S. markets have risen from between 34 and 57 percent
in 2003 to between 45 and 68 percent in 2006, depending on product and
destination. This is evidence that production outside of China but within Asia
is shifting rapidly to Asian LIC producers, and indeed the market shares of
Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan Province of China and Thailand
are eroding across markets and across products. (See appendices 1-2)
(IMF Country Report, June 2007)
57
Recent improvement
On the other hand, the quantity of industrial products exported registered a rise
of 18.24 percent despite decline in its price index compared to the same period
of the previous fiscal year.
(Bangladesh to overtake India in RMG exports; The New Nation, July 6, 2007
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3.5.3. Situation of the RMG sector of Bangladesh after the MFA phase-
out
Before the MFA phase-out, most critics claimed that since multinational firms
always look for the best combination of locations for their factories in order to
minimize production costs, they will concentrate their production in only a
few places in the world and withdraw their capital from anywhere else. Then,
the garment industry in the low-income exporters would collapse because of
the low level of technology incorporated into the shallow accumulation of
physical and human capital, poor physical and institutional infrastructure, and
distance from the main markets. Among the losing low-income countries,
Bangladesh was considered to be the most vulnerable because they rely on
clothing for as much as three quarters of the composition of all export
commodities. Even inside the country, the owners of garment factories widely
publicized their distressed situation and asked their governments and
international society for assistance. Most of the media in the country also
stated that the export-oriented garment industries in the country were about to
lose their competitiveness and decrease both exports and production.
Therefore, the critics assumed that the clothing industries in Bangladesh was
on the brink of extinction, and as a result, they rarely discussed positive factors
in support of the growth of the country as strong garment exporter.
(Yamagata, April 2007)
Contrary to the critics’ predictions, and fortunately for the country, Bangladesh
has fared successfully since 2005, and its good performance does not seem to
be attributed solely to the agreements made by China with the United States
and the European Union because of the following observation.
60
The rates incorporate the growth in garments for a month in 2005 as against
the same month in 2004. It is evident that China achieved extremely high rates
of growth throughout 2005. Surprisingly, the value of garment exports in
February 2005 was 140 percent higher than that in February 2004. The rate for
June was also over 100 percent. Although the growth rate declined towards the
end of 2005, it still kept only a little below 20 percent in the last two months in
the year. The decline might have been affected by the sentiment spread over
the pressure to depress China’s garment exports to the United States and the
EU.
It is noteworthy that even during the high time for China, when it entertained
an extremely high growth in garment exports in the first half of 2005,
Bangladesh and Cambodia maintained a high 20 to 30 percent level of growth
in garment exports to the United States.
(Yamagata, April 2007)
Their growth rates were generally a little below that of India during the year.
However, they are distinct from Vietnam, whose growth rates were negative
61
during the second and third quarters of 2005 and where positive growth was
recovered only after the renewal of the quantitative restriction system on
China’s garment exports to the United States. In other words, the steady
growth in garment exports from Bangladesh looks robust compared to what
occurred in China. (Yamagata, April 2007)
BKMEA has grown enormous network in home and abroad. The members are
the strength and primary network support of BKMEA. Besides BKMEA works
closely with International agencies and maintains close relationships with
Diplomatic Offices in Dhaka. It also works with similar organizations in
Europe and USA on common interest like Global Alliance for Fair Textile
Trade (GAFTT) and American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition
(AMTAC). To boost up trade and to enhance cooperation between Bangladesh
and China, BKMEA and Yunnan Light & Textile Industry Association signed a
MoU on 10th June 2005.
Arbitration
One stop service point regarding UD/UP
Other necessary services at the shortest possible time
(www.bkmea.com)
review this matter that means, by 31st August 2007 they must implement the
agreement otherwise government will take a necessary action against them.
In a seminar (arranged by CPD on 6th August 2007 in Dhaka) the Labor and
Employment Adviser of the caretaker government Mohammad Anwarul Iqbal
said, “the government was formulating rules to ensure the minimum wage for
the garment workers. Thirty-eight RMG factories have not implemented the
minimum wage as of June 30 this year.
68
The time for implementing that agreement has now been extended up to
August 31st 2007. Cases will be filed against them if they fail to implement it
by this time."
(The New Nation, August 7, .2007)
The Bangladesh RMG sector set a unique example through collective efforts,
which eventually led to the development of a safety-net program for the child
labors. The BGMEA/ILO/ UNICEF Child Labor Project in the garment
industry of Bangladesh, funded by the US Development of Labor was the first
of a series of child labor programs executed by the International Program on
the Elimination of Child Labor of the ILO. This project, initiated in 1995, is
based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the BGMEA
and two international organizations, the ILO and UNICEF, with the aim of
progressively phasing out child labor from more than 2,500 (at that time)
factories that are members of the association.
The key elements of the MOU were:
a) A fact-finding survey to determine the extent of child labor in the
garment industry;
b) The establishment of an education program in which identified
child workers should be enrolled;
c) The establishment of a monitoring and verification system;
d) The provision of income compensation in the farm of a monthly
stipend of Tk. 300, the equivalent of (at that time) US$ 7. The costs
69
Since 1994, BGMEA has established seven Medical Centers for the garment
workers in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Chittagong, where most of the factories
are concentrated. The medical centers are providing free primary health care,
medicine and advocacy services on reproductive health issues to the garment
workers.In addition, construction of a 150-bed modern hospital at Mirpur,
Dhaka has been initiated at the initiative of BGMEA. The hospital will be
equipped with burn and emergency units. An estimated Taka 109600000 will
be spent for the hospital project.
Since October 1998, with the technical assistance from the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Bangladesh, BGMEA is
implementing a project titled "Family Welfare and Reproductive Health
Education Services for Garment Workers" in Dhaka. BGMEA has already
contributed US dollars 323,000 to this project, while UNFPA share is US
dollars 216,000. More than 160,801 workers have so far benefited from the
project.
Following successful outcome of the project, UNFPA, under its sixth country
program has included the project for yet another phase between 2003-2005.
Two other areas (one in Dhaka and the other in Chittagong) covered by the
project. The BGMEA contributed US$ 430,000 and the UNFPA provided US$
290,000 for its implementation.
(www.bgmea.com)
BGMEA-MSH-TAI Initiative
According to the MOUs signed on 10 May 2001 between BGMEA and two
US-based organizations, Management Science for Health (MSH) and
Technical Assistance Inc., two of the BGMEA's health centers have been
upgraded with the technical support provided by these organizations.
(www.bgmea.com)
71
Garment Village
BGMEA is also working towards setting up of garment village to relocate the
garment factories from the busy and crowded cities to suburbs.
(www.bgmea.com)
Women Empowerment
It is well recognized that women’s participation in income generation activities
lends them a better status within the family and provides them with
considerable freedom. A job ensures equitable access to household resources
(nutrition) and larger investment on female human capital (health and
education). Employment opportunities draw attention to women’s needs for
public facilities such as transportation, communication, safety etc. and creates
a demand for policy response in these areas. It also has created a demand for
education and health. As the income by the female member reduces
dependency on male income it reduces their vulnerability. It also reduces the
possibility of domestic violence against women. Expansion of women’s
employment has contributed positively to the improvement of the savings
behaviour of the poor people since women tend to be better savers.
Employment in the RMG industry has provided direct access to cash income
for the first time to many poor women. A survey, conducted by the BIDS
(Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies) in 1997 showed that for 96
percent of the female workers in the non-EPZ areas, work in the garment
industry was the maiden wage employment. The survey also showed that
women were taking up such roles paying for house rents and schooling
74
expenses for their children or brothers and sisters. Despite the fact that they
have lower incomes, the female garment workers were spending the same
amount as the male workers on the studies of their family members. The same
survey further showed that female workers were spending their earnings on
their marriage, thus taking a big burden off their families. The independent
earnings also allow these women to have a greater share in household
decision-making. Evidently, wage work at the garment industry has
empowered women and improved their status.
(Zohir, 2001)
Savings
Regular earning enables a large number of the garment workers to go for some
savings. Workers investments on family pension schemes etc. create savings. A
BIDS survey conducted in the early 1990s found that 21 percent of both male
and female workers aged 15 years and above had their own bank accounts. A
higher proportion of workers (30 percent) had bank accounts in the EPZ.
Findings showed that women are on average better savers than men and save
about 7.6 percent of their otherwise small income.
(BIDS)
Population Control
Employment opportunities especially for women created positive impact on
family planning and population control in the country. Independent
workingwomen are getting more conscious about the advantage of a small
family, and are exposed to modern family planning methods. Working
adolescent girls tend to avoid early marriage as they have their own source of
income and are self-dependent. The mean age at marriage for girls working in
RMG factories tend to be higher than the national average.
(BIDS)
75
The Bangladesh Ready Made Garment industry has achieved great success
over a short time of period. The garment industry has become the main source
of export and major driver of the GDP of Bangladesh. However the global
market environment for textile and clothing industries is in transitional stage
and will change at the end of the phasing out quota. This change in global
trade will create new challenges for the Bangladesh RMG industry. The quota
free business environment will allow the competitors to take way the global
market share from Bangladesh. Therefore high productivity, free access in
backward supply line, shorter lead-time will determine the industry
competitiveness.
Strength
Low labor cost.
Energy at low price.
Easily accessible infrastructure like sea road, railroad, river and air
communication.
Wide ranges port facilities.
Accessibility of fundamental infrastructure, which is about 3 decade
old, mainly established by the Korean, Taiwanese and Hong Kong
Chinese industrialists.
FDI is legally permitted.
Moderately open Economy, particularly in the Export Promotion
Zones.
GSP under EBA (Everything But Arms) for Least Developed Country
applicable (Duty free to EU).
Improved GSP advantages under Regional Cumulative.
76
Looking forward to Duty Free Excess to US, talks are on, and appear
to be on hopeful track.
Investment assured under Foreign Private Investment (Promotion and
Protection) Act, 1980 which secures all foreign investments in
Bangladesh.
OPIC's (Overseas Private Investment Corporation, USA) insurance and
finance agendas operable.
Bangladesh is a member of Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
(MIGA) under which protection and safety measures are available.
Adjudication service of the International Center for the Settlement of
Investment Dispute (ICSID) offered.
Excellent Tele-communications network of E-mail, Internet, Fax, ISD,
NWD & Cellular services.
English is spoken widely which make communication easy.
Weakness of currency against dollar/euro and the condition will persist
to help exporters.
Bank interest@ 7% for financing exports.
Convenience of duty free custom bonded w/house.
Readiness of new units to enhance systems and create infrastructure
accordant with product growth and fast reactions to circumstances
Caretaker government is making the country corruption free.
Weakness
Long lead-time
Lack of marketing tactics.
The country is deficient in creativity.
Absence of easily on-hand middle management.
A small number of manufacturing methods.
Low acquiescence: there is an international pressure group to compel
the local producers and the government to implement social
acquiescence. The US GSP may be cancelled and purchasing from US
& EU may decrease significantly.
77
Opportunity
EU is willing to establish industry in a big way as an option to china
particularly for knits, including sweaters.
Bangladesh is included in the Least Developed Countries with which
US is committed to enhance export trade.
If skilled technicians are available to instruct, prearranged garment is
an option because labor and energy cost are inexpensive.
Foundation garments for Ladies for the FDI promise is significant
because both, the technicians and highly developed machinery are
essential for better competence and output
Japan to be observed, as conventionally they purchase handloom
textiles, home furniture and garments. This section can be encouraged
and expanded with continued progress in quality.
Chittagong port is going to be handed over to the foreign operator,
which will make the port’s service much faster, it will also reduce lead-
time as well as total cost will be decreased.
78
Threat
China is a most likely the biggest threat for Bangladesh as this country
has relatively high labor productivity and applies more capital-
intensive modern technology and it has less lead-time because of its
relative advantages in getting locally available raw materials like
fabrics, various RMG accessories. China has also relatively better
infrastructural facilities like energy supply, transportation and
communication system.
Import from EU countries means free movement of goods but import from
Bangladesh meaning import from outside the EU countries, which is quite
complex. However, Bangladesh is under the Everything But Arms or “EBA”
initiative, which is key arrangement of GSP.. Under GSP regulation as a LDCs
country Bangladesh enjoys the duty free unlimited access to EU countries. So,
from Finland it is effortless to import the goods from Bangladesh.
(International Trade: http://www.enterprisefinland.fi)
4.2. Documentations
Bill of lading
Cargo manifest
Certificate of origin
Collection order
Commercial invoice
Customs cargo release form
Customs import declaration form
Customs transit document
Equipment interchange receipt
81
Import license
Packing list
Pre-shipment inspection clean report of findings
Ship arrival notice
Stowage plan
Technical standard/health certificate
Terminal charges receipt
Forwarder transports the goods to Seaport custom area for examination and
receives documents from custom broker for processing custom.
Once Custom procedure is done then forwarder arrange to stuff the goods into
sea container and after that forwarder prepares original MBL/HBL (Master
Bill of Lading/House Bill of Lading)
Freight gets on board and forwarder delivers the original documents to the
manufacturer/shipper and pre advises respective destination agent or trans-
shipment agent as well as notify to any other party involved.
Forwarder monitors the shipment all the transit way and follow up until it
reaches to the final destination and forwarder gets free from the
83
Import/Export Procedures
Custom documents
process by the Custom
Broker
Prepare original
MBL/HBL
Retailers
F
I
N
N
I
Manufacturers S
H
I
M
P
Finnish O
Importers R
T
E
R
S
BORDER
Buyer/Agents
Bangl
ade
Wholly owned shi
Subsidiary Expo
rters
Contractors
from this country. Bangladesh RMG sector must be careful on ethical issues
otherwise it may loose the foreign market share.
(Source: Bangladeshi Daily Newspapers, published on during September
2006-July 2007)
In Bangladesh, there are also high administrative and hidden costs associated
with importing and exporting goods, which occurs mainly for the corruptions
in the country.
Above table 6 shows a general lead-time for completing a single order but
there are some other hidden factors that might cause more delay the delivery
such as, political instability which may cause strikes and other unrest situation
in the country, labor striking for the wage or other facilities, natural disasters
such as flood, monsoon rain, fire accident, shortage of power supply etc.
There is a risk for long distance purchasing if the goods do not meet the
requirement of the company and its customers. This increases the costs and
damages reputation of the business. In addition, lack of logistics knowledge
also occur a problem doing foreign trade as logistic concepts aim at having the
right goods at the right time, in the right volumes at the right place and all that
at a minimum of costs.
91
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
For Exporters:
In the quota free world, the survival of Bangladesh garments industry depends
on improving the trade issues in order to make sure the favorable business
environment. The biggest priority should be for the policy maker to improve
the political situation of the country. Bangladesh is still competitive in low
labor cost but labor training and education is necessary to improve the labor
productivity. One of the great weaknesses of the Bangladesh garment industry
is longer lead-time in supply chain that can be reduced to implement modern
technology and introducing management information system in warehouse
system. Easy access in government credit can play an important role of
increasing both local and foreign investment in garments industries. The
weakness in governance including corruption and weak state of law order
system is one of the major barriers in industry growth in long run. The major
barrier to compete in global trade is collapse in energy sectors. Although
Bangladesh has abundance natural resources of gas, electricity water plant but
lack of proper energy management industrial sector still suffering of sufficient
supply. (Sobhan, Azhar ;2006)
amounts of materials from the warehouse, thus preventing the sale of excess
materials like thread and fabric back to the local market at reduced prices. As a
result, the local fabric and thread industry would be protected from the
competition posed by imported raw materials. It is estimated that the
establishment of an efficient CBW in Bangladesh would lead to the saving of 4
days on the L/C opening process, as well as remove the need for spending up
to 40 days on the production, shipping and port clearance of export materials.
As a result, lead-time can be brought down to less than 60 days, and can
restore Bangladesh’s competitive edge in global RMG markets. (Sobhan,
Azhar ;2006)
To further reduce the problems with port congestion, the Government must
make a concerted effort to improve another port of Bangladesh called Mongla
Port. If this port could be used to export some volume of RMG and other
goods, it would reduce the pressure on the Chittagong Port and further reduce
lead-time for RMG producers. However, much work needs to be done to bring
Mongla Port up to international standards. Therefore, renovation work on the
port must begin early, to enable this port to effectively serve RMG exporters.
Simply reducing port congestion is not enough, however. The Customs
93
In order to boost exports in the niche areas and to take full advantage of the
options afforded by the special economic zones, LDCs require a highly skilled
and trained workforce. There is already an abundance of semi-skilled and
unskilled workers, but as the nations must move on to more complicated
production methods and products, there is a growing demand for skilled labor.
To address the problem, the government and private sector must work together
to increase the options for extensive vocational training. Such training can
provide the labor force with the skills necessary to produce high quality goods
for export, and can boost the interest of potential investors. In addition,
knowledge of the English language must be built up to ensure that more value
added services like business process outsourcing, call centers and software
development can flourish. (Sobhan, Azhar ;2006)
Since, case company Challenge Trading Corporations Oy yet has not started
clothing business and it is not worthwhile to make any judgment upon its
performance. However, a set of recommendations are provided here, which
may help as a guideline for the company’s startup business.
This study has not been carried out with marketing survey for Challenge
Trading Corporations Oy; there fore, it is strongly recommended that company
should do the marketing research before it starts the business. Company can
review the following checklist as a primary guideline; however, a further
marketing research is required.
(iv) Discover where and how the competition is selling their products
Company need to find out which trade channels are used by its competitors,
and why.
All five points above can be considered, as well as own research is important
for all types of companies.
6. CONCLUSION
The study has briefly described supply chain management and its components
as well as it examined competitiveness of Bangladesh’s RMG market. The
study has concluded with summing up some key strategic options to sustain
the market share in global market. It also has given some idea of procedure in
foreign trade between Bangladesh and Finland. Bangladesh has a long history
of doing business with EU countries but so far direct business between two
countries yet has not been established. However, there is definitely some
amount of business opportunity for Challenge Trading Corporations Oy in
importing the RMG products from Bangladesh.
to thrive the industry and government will need to address a number of issues.
Foremost among these is the development of vocational and other educational
programs that will support the industry’s need for more highly skilled
domestic labor, including line and production managers. Given the clear
constraints imposed on the RMG and other industries by the poor condition of
the country’s infrastructure, it is critical that the government moves to improve
the roads, railways and ports, and to streamline further the customs procedures
applied at all points of entry. A general change for the better in the business
climate from better infrastructure and improved governance may attract more
FDI into the garment sector, including outside the EPZs. This could be
particularly important since there is strong evidence that productivity and
employment is higher in FDI firms and more FDI in the sector would create
additional competition, thereby helping to improve the competitiveness of all
RMG firms. Aside from addressing these constraints to growth, Bangladesh’s
garment industry should more actively explore new markets. Even though
firms report that they are constantly running at maximum capacity and prefer
to deal with known buyers and customers, efforts should be made to develop
new business, at least in large Asian countries such as Japan, China and India.
This may help Bangladesh to sustain its growth in the increasingly competitive
global market, particularly since it is well placed to absorb business in the
low-end and medium garment market as other major producers move up the
supply chain.
98
7. SOURCES
Printed sources
Bad Nauheim 2005; Corporate Solution, Value Chain Analysis of the Ready-
Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh.
Boyson, S., Corsi, T., Dresner, M., & Harrington, L., 1999.
Logistics and the Extended Enterprise, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York.
Coyle, J., Bardi, E., & Langley, J., 1996. The Management of Business
Logistics. Sixth edition, West Publishing Company, Minneapolis
Farooq Sobhan, Shihab Ansari Azhar, 2006, Competing with India and
China in the Post-MFA Era. Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.
Interview:
Web Sources:
BGMEA: www.bgmea.com
BIDS: www.bids-bd.org
BKMEA: www.bkmea.com
Dr. Brian Slack, Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue and Dr. Claude Comtois;
The Geography of Transport Systems; Transportation Modes, An Overview:
Managing Product Movement. New York: Routledge
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/
http://ec.europa.eu
8. APENDICES
SHIPPING LINES
Aquamarine Ltd., Ahmed Mansion (1st floor), 24, Santinagar, Chamelibagh, Dhaka-1217,
P.O.Box. No. 3241, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8316548, 8316547; Fax: 88-02-8313929
Angel Shipping Limited, Paribahan Bhaban (6th floor), 21, Rajuk Avenue, Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8613691, 8614678; Fax: 88-02-8613409, 9565726
APL (Bangladesh) Agencies Ltd., Sena Kalyan Bhaban, 195, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-235188-89, 258997
Atlas Shipping Lines Ltd., Hadi Mansion (9th floor), 2, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000,
Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-9550332, 9557025; Fax: 88-02-8313308
Bangladesh Shipping Agencies (Pvt.) Ltd., 256, Elephant Road, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-
02-500865
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, BSC Bhaban, Saltgola Road, P.O. Box No. 641,
Chittagong, Bangladesh, Tel: 88-02-505061-9, 501855; Fax: 88-02-8613950
Birds Bangladesh Agencies Ltd., 103, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-
8614548, 8614549; Fax: 88-02-8613734
Bangladesh Shipping Lines ltd., 19/F, Sena Kalyan Bhaban, 195, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8614546, 8614547; Fax: 8613734
Continental Traders, Bengal Shipping House, 73, Agrabad C/A, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Tel: 88-02-501976, 504244; Fax: 88-031-225243
Container & Terminal Services Ltd., Isphahani Building (2nd floor), Sk. Mojib road,
Agrabad C/A, Chittagong, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-031-8315997, 8315998; Fax: 88-02-8811967
CMS Navigation, 355, Dilu Road, Moghbazar, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-411432,
405284; Fax: 88-02-8313516
Everbest Shipping Agencies Ltd., J.K. Bhaban (3rd floor), 30, VIP Road, Kakrail, Dhaka
1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8315558, 415014
The Eastern Navigation Co. Ltd., J.K. Bhaban (3rd floor), 30, VIP Road, Kakrail, Dhaka
1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8313709, 418718; Fax: 88-02-8314933
Eastern Overseas Shipping Lines Ltd., 56, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-
02-9552515, 9551974, 9557019; Fax: 88-02-9564182
Eastern Inspection & Testing Co. Limited, 56, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.
Tel:88-02-9552515, 9551974; Fax: 88-02-9564182
Everett Bangladesh (Pvt.) Ltd., 3/3E, Bijoynagar (2nd floor), Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. Tel:
88-02-8314605; Fax: 88-02-8312565
Singapore Eastern Agency Ltd., 56, Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-
9552515, 9551974; Fax: 88-02-9564182
Hudson & Higgins Ltd., 7 Mohakhali C/A, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Tel: 88-02-8822817,
603603; Fax:88-02-8823247