Myanmar's Garment Industry: Growth, Policy, and Fashion
This paper examines the state of Myanmar's clothing and garment industry within the context of the country's broader economic transformation following democratic reforms. It surveys Myanmar's GDP growth, the emergence of a middle class in major cities, and the government's deliberate policy choices — including WTO and ASEAN membership, the National Export Strategy, and wage controls — that have shaped the garment sector. The paper also explores the near-absence of a domestic design industry, compares Myanmar's position to that of the mature U.S. fashion market, and argues that investment in fashion education and vertical integration would allow Myanmar to move beyond its current role as a low-cost manufacturer.
- Introduction: Myanmar's economy and clothing export overview
- The Economic Situation: Emerging middle class and economic growth risks
- The Garment Industry and Trade Policy: Export growth, WTO membership, and key buyers
- Legal Policies and Wage Controls: Government wage-setting and competitiveness strategy
- The Design Side: What Is Missing: Absence of local brands and fashion education
- Comparison with the United States: U.S. as mature design-focused market counterpoint
- Conclusion and Recommendations: Policy suggestions for sustainable industry growth
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What makes this paper effective
- It grounds its analysis in concrete data — GDP growth rates, per-capita income rankings, export valuations, and minimum wage figures — giving the argument empirical weight without overwhelming the reader.
- It maintains a clear comparative structure, contrasting Myanmar's nascent, production-focused industry with the design-and-marketing-oriented U.S. fashion market, which sharpens the policy recommendations at the end.
- The paper avoids a purely descriptive approach by identifying a specific gap — the absence of a domestic design industry — and proposing a targeted remedy: government-sponsored fashion education and support for cottage industry.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of industry and government sources to support a policy argument. By triangulating reporting from trade publications, regional newspapers, and official data (CIA World Factbook), the author builds credibility across multiple dimensions — economic, legal, and market-facing — before drawing normative conclusions about what the Burmese government should do differently.
Structure breakdown
The paper moves logically from macro to micro: it opens with economic context, narrows to the garment sector, then examines legal and wage policy, identifies the missing design-side infrastructure, compares Myanmar to the United States as a mature-market counterpoint, and closes with forward-looking recommendations. Each section builds on the previous one, making the final policy argument feel well-prepared rather than bolted on.
Introduction
In the past few years, Myanmar has been one of the world's fastest-growing economies. This success has been the result of a new government under Aung San Suu Kyi, which brought democratic reforms and a shift toward a more capitalist economy. Annual GDP growth rates have been around 7%, placing Myanmar in the top ten globally for GDP growth, yet the country remains very poor, with a GDP per capita of $6,300 — ranked 163rd in the world. While several neighboring countries are global leaders in textiles, the industry is relatively nascent in Myanmar. Even so, clothing ranks as the sixth-largest export earner for the country (CIA World Factbook, 2018). This paper examines the current state of Myanmar's clothing industry and what it means for fashion merchandising.
The Economic Situation
When Myanmar was under military rule, even in Yangon — the largest city — the average person was very poor. Under the new economic landscape, that is beginning to change. Major cities such as Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw are seeing the emergence of a middle class, complete with shopping malls and modern retail stores. While the country is clearly in the early stages of this transition, it appears to be following a development pattern not unlike that of other Asian nations, most closely Thailand and, more recently, Vietnam.
There are risks to this progress — in particular a current account deficit — but in general the conditions for growth are positive and capital is starting to flow into the country (Chern, 2017). There are differing views on the state of the economy (Lwin, 2017), which suggests that the high end of the economy may continue to do well while those more dependent on government support for financial security face greater risk.
Surrounded by major players in the textile business, Myanmar is starting to develop its own manufacturing industry. Akter (2017) notes that the country's low cost of production has drawn the interest of buyers. Garment sector exports were worth $1.8 billion, and the industry got an early head start when the former military government designated it as one of the only open sectors of the economy in 1988. The removal of sanctions following the installation of a democratic government opened up many export markets for Burmese clothing. The industry is expected to be worth as much as $12 billion by 2020 — a remarkable growth rate if realized (Akter, 2017).
References
Akter, A. (2017). Low cost production has drawn foreign buyers' attention to Myanmar apparel industry. Textile Today. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from https://textiletoday.com.bd/low-cost-production-drawn-foreign-buyers-attention-myanmar-apparel-industry/
Chern, K. (2017). Why the Myanmar economy is slowing, and how it could bounce back. Myanmar Times. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from https://www.mmtimes.com/business/26948-why-the-myanmar-economy-is-slowing-and-how-it-could-bounce-back.html
CIA World Factbook. (2018). Burma. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html
Friedman, A. (2017). Myanmar's garment industry is on a growth path. Sourcing Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from https://sourcingjournalonline.com/myanmars-garment-industry-growth-path/
Lwin, M. (2017). Time to focus on Myanmar's economy. Straits Times. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/time-to-focus-on-myanmars-economy
Micro-Pak. (2017). Myanmar's increasing influence in the textile industry. Micro-Pak. Retrieved March 8, 2018 from http://www.micropakltd.com/myanmars-increasing-influence-in-the-textile-industry/
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