The Sri Lankan apparel export sector received a shot in the arm, with Sweden, one of the countries in the world with the highest per capita income, extending its support to the industry.

This was conveyed to Rishad Bathiudeen, minister of industry and commerce of Sri Lanka by Nesli Almufti, Trade Policy Advisor of Swedish Government’s National Board of Trade-Open Trade Gate.

“Sweden is highly innovative in textile and fashion designs and we are also among the top apparel industry technical research and development leaders,” Almufti said.

She added, “We are focusing on extending sector-based support to Lanka products. Boras Textile Fashion Centre is a starting point for Sri Lanka and we can link you to Boras so that the process could start.”

Almufti is in Sri Lanka along with Helena Hafgren, a Swedish apparel and fashion expert consultant to the National Board of Trade-Open Trade Gate.

“We have a high standing in fashion design and more importantly, we are ranked at top in apparel research and development,” she informed the minister.

She added, “We believe that Boras Textile Fashion Centre area and its University in Gothenburg are famous for apparel R&D including smart textiles, high tech textiles, apparel technical incubators, etc.”

“That’s a starting point for Sri Lanka and we can link you to Boras so that the process could start,” she observed.

“One reason we are encouraging imports from countries such as Sri Lanka is that one third of our exports consist of high quality imports coming to Sweden,” she noted.

“I am pleased with support received from Sweden which is also timely since negotiations to regain GSP Plus status from Europe started a day back,” said minister Bathiudeen.

Apparels are Sri Lanka’s topmost merchandise exports earner and its apparel exports in 2014 stood at $4.9 billion, up 9.2 per cent from 2013.
(fibre2fashion.com)