There is no corner around the globe where human civilization survives without clothing. Apparel and garment industries, therefore, work around the globe to fulfill this basic necessity of man which satisfies its need and pride. The textile industry is considered to contribute to the national and international economies because it is core industries of both developed and developing countries.
Developed countries like US and UK do not produce the garments by their own, rather they prefer to buy raw material or semi-finished and even finished goods from developing countries in order to save their labor cost and production cost. Famous international brands like Nike, Adidas have set up their plants majorly in Asian countries because these countries have low currency rates, cheaper labor, plenty of natural resources and expert supervisors which collectively help to produce best quality garments in minimized cost, which ultimately help the textile giants to gain higher profits with least expenses. In the year 2017, Asia was found to record 70% share to the global apparel and garments exports while Europe contributed only 12% out of total 500 billion dollars. The all-time good players from Asia are Hong Kong alone stood third with 7.4% share to global apparel and garments export, China stood fourth with 6.5% share, Taiwan stood sixth with 5.7% share and Korea remained seventh with 5.6% of share, other countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Burma are also part of this race but they still have some time to reach the winning line as they provide shorter orders. It is quite understood that top standards of quality inspection in Asia have been followed and Asian countries have great contribution in the international textile and clothing industries, therefore, they need to be appreciated. Like the shift in the form of advanced production techniques, training sessions, international quality standards and fashion trends have reshaped the textile industry of Asia after the 1960s. Therefore, these countries now need special attention because if they collapse the world can lose a major share of textile exports, similarly the developed countries also now fear that if Asian countries join together to set new trade rules then they can give a total set back to the developed countries by holding their share or setting trade limits to their shares.
Asian Industries Dominance
Asian countries are found to depend on their textile industries mostly along with other industries because they are agrarian countries, therefore they have a major role in internal textile trades as well. Garments from Asia are exported around the globe hence they have dominance on the internal textile market nowadays in which China and India are indicated as the leading holders from Asia. As factors indicated India is expected to grow its textile industry to $221 billion in 2020 which is indeed a huge figure. On the other hand textile industry in Asia is also supported by Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which are the emerging textile hubs of Asia. Although the Asian countries are exporting their own textile products, they have productions plants of foreign brands, they export both finished goods and raw material to international markets but still, Asian countries do not have world-renowned textile brands to offer in the international market as competing brands to the existing market giants like Adidas, Nike etc. There is a brand from Japan called Uniqlo, which has a strong international image, other brands are the runners in this race but not the winners.
Since textile industry of Asia is not itself a hub of good brands but is serving as the backbone to international brands by providing expertise, labor, good quality material, time, natural resources and reduced rates. Hence, ignoring the role of the textile industry of Asia in the international textile industry will not be a wise consideration. Besides their international roles, Asian countries are also promoting the textile trade within the region like Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) is one of the examples of such inter-regional trade act that allows China and India to enjoy textile trade liberation. Such integrations are helping to provide directions to the bound countries to expand their textile trade sectors in right way that can help national and regional economies to grow.