The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has appealed to the Union government to remove the ban on export of personal protection equipment (PPE).
Production of PPE kits has hit eight lakhs a day and the manufacturers are eyeing the $60 billion global market, said the Council chairman A. Sakthivel.
The Indian apparel export industry wants to grab the lion’s share in the $60 billion global market. The industry, which was hit hard after the outbreak of COVID-19, has been able to rejig its production facilities and in four months reach the level of eight lakh PPEs a day though it was almost nil production before COVID.
“The AEPC has requested the government to lift the ban on export of PPE kits. Countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan have lifted the ban on PPE exports and are receiving huge orders. We are afraid of losing export markets to our competing countries. The current production of PPE is more than sufficient to cater to the needs of the country and can be opened up for exports,” he said.
Pakistan received $100 million export orders last week which is likely to go up to $500 million. Bangladesh has also aggressively captured global business from countries such as the United States, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kuwait.
It is learnt that the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington has established a channel of communication with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health and Human Services. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has created an ‘air bridge’ to quickly get medical supplies like 2.25 million PPEs exported from Vietnam, Mr. Sakthivel said.
“India is also part of the US ‘air bridge’ initiative. We should not lose out on an attractive global business opportunity and the need of the hour is to initiate PPE exports. India should consider the economic and political dividends that timely PPE exports will generate in the post-Covid era,” he added.