First Overseas Exhibition of 2026: Chinese Sewing Machinery Shines at GTB Bangladesh

From January 14 to 17, the 23rd Bangladesh International Sewing Equipment Exhibition (GTB)—the first overseas sewing machinery exhibition of 2026—was held at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The exhibition attracted nearly 300 exhibitors, covered an exhibition area of 15,000 square meters, and welcomed more than 20,000 professional visitors. Dozens of leading Chinese sewing machinery manufacturers and their overseas distributors—including Jack, SGG, Zoje, MAQI, Typical, and Hikari—showcased their core automated and intelligent products at GTB, once again becoming a major highlight of the exhibition and drawing strong attention from buyers in Bangladesh and neighboring South Asian countries.

In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Bangladesh’s garment exports reached USD 47.39 billion, maintaining its position as the world’s second-largest apparel exporter. For many years, Bangladesh has been an important strategic market for Chinese sewing machinery enterprises expanding internationally. In 2025, China’s exports of sewing machinery to Bangladesh continued to grow steadily. From January to November, exports reached USD 155 million, up 22.85% year on year, accounting for 4.26% of China’s total sewing machinery exports and ranking Bangladesh as the industry’s fifth-largest export destination.

In recent years, Chinese sewing machinery companies have continuously strengthened their overseas market presence through international exhibitions, localized service networks, and long-term market cultivation. Founded in 2002, GTB is the largest professional sewing equipment exhibition in Bangladesh. Organized annually by ASK Exhibition Group with support from the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh and major industry associations, the exhibition has become an important procurement platform for the apparel industry in Bangladesh and South Asia, with a growing number of Chinese enterprises participating each year.

At this exhibition, Chinese sewing machinery brands responded to challenges facing the Bangladesh garment industry and the South Asian market, such as intensified competition and rising costs, as well as the urgent demand for high-efficiency, low-cost and high-quality production driven by large-scale orders and “small-batch, quick-response” manufacturing. Through providing automated and intelligent products and solutions, sharing successful application cases in global markets, and engaging in in-depth exchanges with garment manufacturers, factory managers and technical experts, exhibitors listened closely to real pain points in production efficiency, worker skills training and capacity upgrading. They gained extensive attention and recognition, laying a solid foundation for further market expansion.

A representative of ShangGong Group stated that Bangladesh, as the world’s second-largest garment exporter, is currently at a critical stage of transformation from a labor-intensive model to a technology-driven industrial structure. Participation in the GTB exhibition not only generated orders and market_attach attention but also enabled the company to gain a deeper understanding of regional market dynamics. Going forward, ShangGong Group will further embed itself in local production scenarios to deliver greater technological and service value. Pan Jianhua, Assistant to the President of MAQI Technology Group, noted that MAQI  has been deeply rooted in the Bangladeshi market for over 20 years. Since entering the market in 2005, establishing a local office in 2015, and preparing to set up a Bangladesh subsidiary in 2025, Meiji has actively advanced its international strategy while accelerating localization, with the goal of providing end users with more comprehensive one-stop solutions and fast, responsive after-sales support. Li Qiuling, General Manager of Dollar Bangladesh, stated that the “new-generation Dollar sewing machine” product portfolio closely integrates advanced sewing technologies with market demand, providing core support for the upgrading of the local garment industry.