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New Frontiers in Apparel Manufacturing:
India, Egypt, and Jordan
Of course, bringing a fashion vision to life is one of the main reasons entrepreneurs of all stripes come to SOURCING at MAGIC. A wide variety of trusted international manufacturers and suppliers come to help businesses of all sizes meet their potential, but in today’s fraught geopolitical environment, it’s nice to get a little guidance. One session at February’s event, “Discovery of Sourcing Countries: Diversify Your Sourcing Supply Chain,” featured the expertise of Dr. A Sakthivel, President, Federation of Indian Export Organizations, and Matthias Knappe of the Division of Enter- prise Competitiveness and Institutions (DECI) representing Egypt and Jordan, and was moderated by SOURCING at MAGIC’s own Ashley McPherson, Buyers Relations Specialist. There are so many things that make these three nations wonderful places to manufacture, but to get specific, Sakthivel explained that the Indian Government is focused on expanding its textile sector, building on the nation’s existing completely vertical supply chain. Beyond sponsoring training at its network of National Institutes of Fashion Technology, the country has also set up a
“plug-and-play” system so that a manufacturer can set up a factory there in as little as 15 days. While Egypt is renowned for its extra-long staple cotton, until recently, the fiber was not processed there. Investment by the Egyptian government is changing that, to create a more vertical industry. Further financing is helping to modernize infrastructure for the textile industry and the whole country, allowing manufacturers to move goods faster. The private sector in Egypt is also investing in the apparel industry to be sure that the country can fulfill the rule of origin agreements that other countries require. Jordan is a major trading partner for the U.S. Market, already importing about 1.9 million garments. As Knappe points out, the environment is so favorable that wholly foreign-owned Asian manufacturers are even bringing their own workforces to set up shop there. One particularly bright spot: The nation is recognized for its niche production of “modest wear/Islamic wear for women,” a growing market here in the United States.