Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association on Wednesday launched a dedicated Japan Desk to accelerate apparel exports, diversify markets and strengthen trade and economic ties with Japan.

Speaking at the inauguration, BGMEA president Mahmud Hasan Khan said Bangladesh should not remain overly dependent on a few traditional export markets and stressed the need for product and market diversification.

Bangladesh currently exports $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion worth of readymade garments to Japan annually, against an estimated Japanese market potential of $22 billion to $25 billion, he said.

BGMEA president said Japan was a highly promising market for Bangladesh’s apparel sector, adding that the Japan Desk had been established to help tap the market’s potential.

He identified lead time as one of the biggest challenges in increasing apparel exports to Japan, given the advantages enjoyed by regional competitors such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

To address the challenge, the BGMEA president outlined several measures, including establishing direct shipping routes between Chittagong and Japan, leveraging JICA-funded projects such as the Matarbari deep-sea port and the Third Terminal at Dhaka Airport, and expanding direct air-freight services from Dhaka to Narita.

The Japan Desk will also provide bilingual communication support in english and Japanese to facilitate trade interactions.

Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi congratulated the BGMEA and other stakeholders on the launch of the desk and expressed hope that it would help accelerate trade between the two countries.

He stressed the importance of export diversification for sustainable growth and urged Bangladeshi manufacturers to move towards higher-value products, including man-made and chemical fibres, semiconductors and upstream sectors such as steel and construction materials.

The ambassador said the upcoming Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement and ongoing initiatives to promote foreign direct investment would further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

President of the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan said the Japan Desk would serve as a practical bridge between businesses in the two countries.

He said Japan was a demanding but dependable market that placed importance on quality, punctuality, compliance and traceability.

The desk would provide practical training on Japanese management systems and facilitate targeted buyer-supplier matchmaking and dispute resolution, helping build long-term business relationships and encourage repeat business, he added.