MYANMAR’S garment exports in the second three months of the 2021-2022 mini-budget period (October-March) accounted for over 26 per cent of overall export earnings, according to the announcement of the Ministry of Planning and Finance. During the first half of the mini-budget period, Myanmar generated US$1.055 billion from garment exports. The income in the second […]
Can Asia Remain the ‘Garment Factory of the World’?
June 26, 2022 by
Bolstering labor productivity in Asia’s garment sector could improve wages, a new International Labour Organization report says, although many issues can influence variables and so inferences regarding this relationship “must be nuanced.” What’s clear, however, is that the so-called “garment factory of the world” is struggling with challenges made more acute by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations […]
Garment: Big brands have mistreated their workers throughout the COVID-19 crisis
November 25, 2020 by
Brands must pay workers their full wages during the coronavirus crisis and beyond Meg Lewis is Campaigns Manager at Labour Behind the Label, a group that works to improve conditions and empower workers in the global garment industry. Stark figures from the Clean Clothes Campaign show that garment workers are owed between 2.42 and 4.38 […]
EU to send another monitoring mission to Myanmar, ambassador says
February 27, 2020 by
An EU monitoring mission is expected to visit Myanmar again before this summer following the EU commission’s decision to withdraw Cambodia’s market privileges in mid-February. Kristian Schmidt, the EU ambassador to Myanmar, told The Myanmar Times in an exclusive interview that he expects the mission to arrive before summer with an aim to examine and […]
EU to boost garment industry in Myanmar
December 16, 2019 by
The new phase of the European Union’s SMART Textile and Garments project will bring together brands, trade unions and business associations to boost social and environmental sustainability in Myanmar’s garment industry. The project, funded by the EU, was officially launched in Myanmar last Friday. The SMART Textile and Garments project will work with more than […]
Myanmar investment inflows double from China as deals surge
July 24, 2019 by
YANGON — Foreign investment shows signs of recovering in Myanmar, one of Southeast Asia’s frontier markets, led by more than twofold gains in inflows from China and Singapore. Approved foreign investments rose 79% on the year for the six months ended in June, reaching $2.35 billion, according to Myanmar’s Directorate of Investment and Company Administration. […]
Guangdong to support Myanmar in infrastructure, productivity
March 21, 2019 by
Guangdong province will cooperate with Myanmar to support the development of four sectors under the Belt and Road Initiative, Mr. Ouyang Weimin, Deputy State Administrator from Guangdong province government in China, said at the China-Myanmar Trade and Investment Forum held in Yangon on March 12. Guangdong is a coastal province of southeast China which borders […]
DFID boss highlights support for garment workers, marginalised groups
February 25, 2019 by
A UK cabinet minister highlighted how Myanmar’s garment industry is supporting the livelihood and security of vulnerable women. Penny Mordaunt, Britain’s international development secretary, said during her visit to Myanmar that protecting the Muslim communities who have remained in northern Rakhine and supporting them to live “side-by-side and in peace in their communities” is among […]
EU trade threat could make cambodian factories worse for workers: Unions
February 19, 2019 by
The European Union’s move to revoke Cambodia’s duty-free access could force major clothing brands out of the manufacturing hub and worsen conditions for workers, industry experts said. Cambodia has six months to convince its biggest export market that it has arrested a backslide on human rights and democracy. If it fails, the EU will strike […]
Garment industry in Laos continues to face challenges
January 23, 2019 by
Apparel firms in Laos are facing several problems ranging from shortage of skilled labour to survival, according to the Association of the Lao Garment Industry. Customers want quality and the manufacturers have little power to bargain the buying prices as their costs rise, association president Xaybandith Rasphone told its eighth general assembly last month. Shortage […]
