Garment exports in the Philippines are expected to fall below the $1.4-billion projection for the year due to disruptions from the pandemic-induced lockdowns and shipping space constraints, according to the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP), which recently said exporters are facing order cancellations. Curfew, lack of transport and other restrictions have added to the problem.

Bataan, where many garments exporters operate, is among the areas that have been placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or the most stringent quarantine classification from Aug. 8 to 22.

FOBAP president Robert Young said all manufacturing activities by exporters located in the Freeport Area of Bataan have been ordered to halt operations during the ECQ given the surge in coronavirus cases.

While exporters located in Philippine Economic Zone Authority zones and factory suppliers in Clark and Laguna are operational, he said their productivity is affected by the lack of transport, curfew and other restrictions.

“The shipping space crisis, which caused previous order cancellations too, is still on our shoulders and seems to have no solution yet,” he was quoted as saying by a newspaper.

By Fibre2Fashion
https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/international-textiles-trade-news/garment-exporters-in-philippines-may-miss-1-4-bn-sales-target-275710-newsdetails.htm