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The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Naren Goenk has said that decline in Chinese garment exports to Japan provides an immense opportunity for the Indian apparel industry to boost shipments to the island nation. He said a strong Indian garment industry with its unique offerings has a huge scope for Japanese trading companies to source from India. 

Moreover, Goenk said the duty-free access for Indian ready-made garments post-Indo-Japan free trade agreement as against about 9 per cent for China and Turkey is a big advantage for India. He noted that apparel imports into Japan have witnessed a positive mark in the last three years. Japan's total import from the world, which was $28.49 billion in 2018, has now risen to $ 46.72 billion. Japan is the fourth largest garment importer in the world after the US, Germany and France. Out of the total garment import of $23 billion by Japan, India's share is just one per cent. 

Besides, vice-chairman of the council Sudhir Sekhri has said that as India has the largest raw material availability of cotton, jute, silk and wool in the world, supported by the world's second largest spinning and weaving capacity, and 95 per cent value addition, India offers to the world a complete value chain solution from farm to fashion.