Dutch Seminar on Outsourcing Garment and Textile Production in North Korea

[The Dutch company MODINT Buying and Production and MODINT Logistics are holding a sourcing and production seminar on 19 April 2012 in Zeist, Netherlands. The following information reached CanKor through Paul Tjia, Director of GPI Consultancy. –CanKor]

The production costs in China, where wages are rising fast, are increasing and companies are searching for cheaper locations. This is already visible in the field of garments and textiles. For this reason, MODINT, the Dutch trade association for fashion, interior design, carpets and textiles, will organize again a seminar on sourcing and production countries (19 April, from 13.00-17.00 hours). In this edition, MODINT will focus on alternative production countries, including North-Korea, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Several speakers will share their thoughts on how realistic these countries are as alternatives to China.

For the production of garments, North-Korea is one of these upcoming destinations. Although the Cold War has not ended, and political tensions remain high, more than 70 South-Korean garment companies are already producing clothing in own factories in the Kaeasong Economic Zone, employing tens of thousands of North-Korean workers. Also a number of Chinese and European enterprises are producing textiles in North-Korea, where the labor costs are the lowest of Asia, and its skilled labor is of high quality. Some of the North-Korean garment companies are large, and operate dozens of factories and employ more than 25.000 workers.

The program of this Dutch garments seminar has been attached; most presentations will be in English. To register, click here.

Note: later this year, a business mission to North-Korea will take place. The program will include individual matchmaking, various company visits (e.g. garments, software, animation, agribusiness), network receptions and dinners. Furthermore, we will meet European business people who are working and living in Pyongyang. For the first time, we also plan to visit the new ‘Special Economic Zone’ Hwangjinping (near Dandong in China). The program of a previous mission (November 2011) is available here. This time, there might be a possiblity for some journalists to join this unique business mission.

Please direct any inquiries to Paul Tija, GPI Consultancy, P.O. Box 26151, 3002 ED Rotterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: paul@gpic.nl tel: +31-10-4254172 fax: +31-10-4254317 Website: www.gpic.nl
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