US hikes garment orders from RP

US garments buyers have pledged to increase their purchases from the country following a successful sales promotion mission led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II recently sent Executive Director Fe Agoncillo-Reyes, of the Garment and Textile Export Board (GTEB), on a three-day sales promotion trip to Hong Kong to meet with US garments buyers and convince them to increase their orders from the Philippines.

Roxas has been concerned over the deteriorating export performance of the garments industry.

Gap International, one of America’s largest garment retailers, for one agreed to increase its imports of locally made garments by $20 million, while Liz Clairborne indicated that it would increase last year’s order worth $51.8 million by about 15 percent.

Other brands such as Target, Cutter & Buck ( of S &R Price Club) and Tamarind International (representing Debenhams, NEXT and Marks and Spencer) also reaffirmed that the Philippines is still included in their existing expansion plans.

Gymborgee USA placed orders with Eastland Manufacturing and M.R. Knitwear Specialists for sweaters valued at about $617,000.

Foreign garments buyers agreed to support the DTI’s campaign to make the Philippines a major supplier of complementary products like fashion accessories, bags, luggage and handicrafts.

Small and medium sized companies are expected to benefit from the current trend of small volume re-orders.

The quota market is normally the country’s biggest garment export destination.

American firms cited product quality, reliability, competitive cost and social compliance of local manufacturing operations in their decision to increase their orders.