The SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF), a facility established and managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank Group, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) is pleased to sponsor the first Bangladesh Knitwear Sourcing Trade Show in the USA as part of its Post MFA Program of technical assistance for Bangladesh knitwear sector. The trade show will provide an excellent opportunity for knitwear manufacturers to exhibit their high-value products to buyers in the USA.

The growth of the Bangladesh knitwear sector over the last 15 years has been phenomenal. The cumulative average growth rate of the sector is 27%. The epic story of the knitwear sector has been the massive industrialization in a sustainable way affecting all aspects of human development. The core strength of this knitwear sector is its backward linkage with a 75% value addition within the country. This became possible due to integrated growth of spinning factories in line with the growth of the country's stitching capacity. As a result shorter lead times were achieved - a bonus for buyers. In the post-MFA world, lead time has emerged as a crucial determinant of competitiveness.

The goal of the Bangladesh Knitwear Sourcing Trade Show is to increase export sales of Bangladeshi knitwear products to the USA. This trade show will also assist Bangladeshi knitwear manufacturers to develop new market contacts and enter into other collaborative arrangements with knitwear buyers and importers in the USA.