26 February 2014
Mogotex plans to join USFIA in 2015
MINSK, 26 February (BelTA) – OAO Mogotex (Mogilev) plans to become a member of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) in 2015, Mogotex Director General Viktor Matievich told BelTA.
“The American market is huge. The volume of textile imports into that country is more than $30 billion. Of course, we would like to see the products of Belarusian manufacturers present on the U.S. market, including those made by OAO Mogotex. One-time minor supplies to the U.S. market are possible. But if you want to import on a consistent basis, you need to join the USFIA, and this is what we are working on today,” Viktor Matievich said. Last year, the company together with the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took part in the Texworld USA expo in New York for the second time.
Currently Mogotex is collecting the package of documents required for the entry into the USFIA. These are financial and customs documents, certificates. It takes time and money to prepare and verify them. “As a rule, this process takes approximately 1,5-2 years. I think that before the end of this year we will join the USFIA and become an equal participant on the United States market,” said Viktor Matievich.
Speaking about the benefits of the membership, Viktor Matievich noted that by joining the association, the manufacturer will receive a personal code of the provider to get access to all electronic trading and tenders that are held in the United States. This is the major advantage of the membership, he explained.
Over the past four years Mogotex has ramped up export by 70%. Last year the company reported export worth $84 million. This year Mogotex is set to increase it by 5 to 6%. According to the head of the company, about 80% of products is exported. "We are constantly working on diversification of markets, but at the same time trying to preserve our traditional market - Russia," he said.
The company aims to increase the production capacity. "We just came back from Japan where we participated in the exhibition. There we held talks with the two major Japanese companies on the supply of weaving equipment. I think that this summer we will sign a contract and get the new equipment by the end of the year,” said Victor Matievich.
Founded in 1973 and reincorporated as a joint stock company in 2000, Mogotex is a major manufacturer of textile products in Belarus and the CIS states. The company offers fabrics for special apparel and uniforms, fabrics for raincoats, garment-lining fabrics, ready-made overalls, and home textile products. The company comprises a weaving factory, a finishing factory, a garment factory, and other manufacturing facilities. Mogotex operates more than 20 entities of the commodity distribution network. It also has eight joint ventures and six dealers in the CIS, a joint venture operates in the Baltic states, and a dealership in Poland.
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