Australia’s leading fashion brand CRG eyes greater trade with Bangladesh

A delegation from the Country Road Group (CRG), one of Australia’s largest specialty fashion retailers, visited the Gulshan office of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka on 13 December.

The purpose of the CRG delegation’s visit to MCCI was to discuss ways to improve bilateral cooperation and increase trade between Australia and Bangladesh, according to a press release.

The Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Jeremy Bruer, attended the interactive event as the chief guest.

Rachid Maliki, general manager of Global Supply Chain and Sourcing at CRG, led the CRG delegation and was also the special guest of the event. The event was moderated by the MCCI President Md Saiful Islam.

Upon welcoming the CRG team, Saiful Islam noted Bangladesh’s need for product and market diversification in the export market.

Bangladesh would need to address the loss of export market preferences after graduating from LDC status in 2026, he said, while commending Australia’s decision to continue providing preferential treatment to Bangladeshi exports even after graduation.

MCCI will always pursue improving trade between the two countries, reaffirming its commitment to facilitating trade and commerce.

The Country Road Group is a subsidiary of Woolworths Holdings Limited and is a market leader in the mid to upper tier segment. As of 2022, its brands will include Country Road, Mimco, Trenery, Politix, and Witchery.

Both the CRG and MCCI have emphasised how Australia and Bangladesh can take bilateral trade to higher levels

Since Bangladesh’s share in CRG’s sourcing is very low, there is much room for improvement, Rachid Maliki said, praising Bangladesh’s latest factories and how those underscore safety, security, and green transition.

The chief guest, Australian High Commissioner Jeremy Bruer, said that as Australia and Bangladesh produce complementary products, tapping into those could push the bilateral trade up. Bruer said that Australian LNG and wool could be useful to Bangladesh, while Australia could find Bangladesh’s agricultural products useful.

The ambassador affirmed that Australia was ready to help and support initiatives to increase bilateral trade at the government level. He also underscored the need for sustainability.