Slump in garment industry profits, workers

The latest figures on the garment industry – which date back three years – tell the story of the virtual destruction of the trade in the course of a generation, commerce minister Dwight Sutherland has revealed.

From its heyday in 1983 when it made $70 million a year and hired 4, 000 workers, apparel-making in 2017 earned  only $300 000 annually in exports and employed 200 workers.

Sutherland said: “The apparel industry, they have generated significant foreign exchange over the years prior to the 1990s.

“Its overall contribution to Barbados’ economy is now but a shadow of what it previously was.

“Export earnings from apparels in 1983 were approximately $70 million.”

He further explained: “In 2017  you want to guess what the export earnings from this sector was $300 000 dollars which is less than 0.5 per cent of the 1983 figure.

“Further to this, employment that was at a level of some 4,000 jobs back in 1983 is now 200 jobs… that is from the 2017 statistics…”

Sutherland said the Barbadian indicators continue to drop even as the global market for clothing has “quite amazingly” increased.

He said: “When you look at the market for apparel on a global scale it is estimates at about US$1.7 trillion dollars strong employing over 60 million individuals worldwide and growing.

“Despite this radical decline in the industry in Barbados over the years I still believe that all is not lost and tonight is testimony to that.”

Sutherland  was speaking at the Style Out Loud fashion show, staged by designer Cicely Harewood of CH Needleworks at the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre Sunday night.

The Minister said he remained hopeful that with the right approach the local sector can turn its misfortune around and get the figures up again.

He said: “With the right skillset the likes of Cicely working in unison through the formation of cooperatives, with people that are committed and dedicated to the business and putting in place the right marketing mix, I believe that the Barbados apparel industry can be revitalised and rebuilt and Barbados be poised to access such a lucrative market with a high-end Barbadian product and at a level of international competitiveness that was in the former glory days.”

Sutherland said Government was committed to doing its part and referred specifically to the ministry’s Trust Loans but he also urged designers to remain on the cutting egde.

The Minister for Small Business said: “This Government will continue to play its part if Barbados is to realise a meaningful revitalised manufacturing sector and more particularly a vibrant apparel sector manufactures will need to move away from providing products that satisfy the customer taste of the past.

“They will need to equip themselves with market trends and products to match those strengths.”

He continued: “I speak to products that are more trendy to match the modern taste soon to be this Government will launch a National Industry Policy that is being developed to ideally drive new technology, inventions and an innovative framework that will align with global best practises and will better position Barbados industries including the garment sector to compete on the world stage.”