American Apparel & Footwear Association wants quick restoration of normalcy in Bangladesh

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) hopes the situation will improve and normalcy will restore soon in Bangladesh, which is the third largest goods supplier to the USA.

"We are heartbroken by the ongoing tragedy in Bangladesh that has taken hundreds of lives. We continue to urge calm and urge all sides to come together peacefully so we can jointly move past this crisis," AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar said in a statement.

"It is imperative that full democratic institutions be maintained and stability be assured; these are key steps in supporting the lives and livelihoods of Bangladeshi citizens and ensuring short term disruptions will indeed be temporary," Lamar also said.

The AAFA released the statement on August 5 in response to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid political unrest.

At present, Bangladesh is the third largest supplier of garments and has been a fast-growing supplier of footwear and travel goods to the United States, the statement also said.

The USA is the single largest export destination of Bangladesh as the American clothing retailers and brands consider Bangladesh as an important sourcing destination for their end-consumers.

Currently, the local garment makers face 15.62 percent duty on export of garment to the US markets and the south Asian nation ships goods worth over $10 billion to the USA every year, of which more than 95 percent are apparel items.