Bangladesh’s garment exporters’ association BGMEA has launched a dedicated Japan Desk to expand apparel shipments to Japan’s $22 billion market, aiming for $3 billion in annual apparel exports by 2030 from just over $1 billion now.
The desk was inaugurated at BGMEA headquarters in Dhaka on Sept. 23, and the association has already selected about 100 factories to work with Japanese buyers. Representatives of Teijin Frontier, Marubeni, ITOCHU and Toyota Tsusho attended the launch ceremony.
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BGMEA said the desk will match buyers with suppliers, help resolve disputes and encourage repeat orders. President Mahmud Hasan Khan said it would link Japanese buyers seeking smaller, flexible orders with suitable factories. “A small order is not a small customer,” he said. He added that the desk was set up as an institution, not an individual office-bearer’s project, to build long-term ties.
Momentum remains modest so far. Apparel exports to Japan rose 1.33% year-on-year in July-August 2026, Textile Today reported.
Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi urged manufacturers to diversify into higher-value man-made fibre products as Bangladesh prepares to graduate to middle-income status.
“We have a target of reaching $3 billion in apparel exports to Japan by 2030,” said BGMEA director Mohammed Sohel.