French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet on Wednesday visited Snowtex Outer Wear Limited and Snowtex Sports Wear Limited, located in Dhulivita, Lakuria Para, Dhamrai.
“This is my first visit to a ready-made garment factory, and I am very pleased with the visit,” the ambassador said.
He added that French companies invest in Bangladesh because they believe that Bangladeshi workers are capable of producing high-quality products for the French market.
“I have seen a strong commitment to product quality and worker welfare here, which will further strengthen the relationship between France and Bangladesh,” he said.
Snowtex Group’s assistant director of marketing and merchandising Md Tariqul Islam said that the bilateral trade volume between France and Bangladesh was about $2.2 billion in the last fiscal year, of which Snowtex contributed more than $100 million.
“We first started exporting to France in late 2014—mainly outerwear, such as jackets, sports and hiking clothing,” he added.
The company is focusing on developing relationships, competitive pricing and fast delivery to strengthen its position in the French market.
“Environmentally friendly production is now essential to survive in the European market. We have mainly produced basic products for so long, now the goal is to increase high-quality production and efficiency.
In the last few years, Snowtex’s business in France has grown by 15%-20%.
Currently, the company exports products worth $110-115 million to France annually. They have set a target of exporting products worth $150-160 million in the next five years.
About 20,000 workers work in these two factories in Dhamrai, where about 30 million outerwear are manufactured every year.
The company won the National Environment Award 2024 and the Green Factory Award 2020 in recognition of its special contribution to environmental protection.
Regarding the role of environment-friendly factories in maintaining competitiveness in the European market, and in light of changing tariff situations, Snowtex Group’s Md Tariqul Islam said that challenges will always arise.
“That’s why we must focus on enhancing our capabilities and diversifying. Until now, we have produced mostly basic products; now we must move toward high-end manufacturing and greater efficiency. His visit was highly motivating for us.”
“When an ambassador like him visits despite a busy schedule, it inspires us to aim higher. We are confident that our collaboration with France will continue to grow,” he added.
Among Snowtex Outerwear officials, Md Tofazzal Hossain, Director, Operations, Md Joydul Hossain, Assistant Director, Operations, and Md Mahbubur Rahman, Senior DGM, Merchandising, were also present.
