The 13th Dhaka International Textile and Garment Machinery Exhibition organized by Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Taiwan's exhibition management firm Chan Chao International Company and Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service Company of Hong Kong will begin in Dhaka tomorrow where more than 1,000 textile equipment manufacturers from 34 countries, including Bangladesh, will display a variety of state-of-the-art textile and garment technologies and machinery, Tapan Chowdhury, president of BTMA, said at the association's office yesterday.

Exhibitors will showcase the latest in textiles and apparel technology through 1,160 booths to spinners, weavers and knitters, said Judy Wang, an executive director of Chan Chao International Company.

Global brands such as Barudan, Jakob Muller, Karl Mayer, Loepfe Graf, Lonati, Oerlikon, Pai Lung, Picanol, Rieter, Santoni, LMW, Shima Seiki, Thies, Truetzschler and Zimmer will display and sell their products.

The participating countries include Belgium, Brazil, China, Finland, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the USA, France, Germany, India, Pakistan and Vietnam.

BTMA is a 1,350-member association representing spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing mills in the country, with a total investment of about $4 billion. The association's contribution to the country's gross domestic product amounts to 13 percent, according to the platform.

The sector has established a strong backward linkage industry for the country's garment industry. As a result, the apparel sector has been able to keep up its growth momentum and remain sustainable.

At present, textile mills meet 90 percent of the requirement for knitwear and 40 percent for woven fabric by the garment factories. In doing so, they are helping the country save a substantial amount of foreign currency.

Owing to sourcing raw materials from the local market, garment makers can now ship finished goods within 32-45 days. If fabric is imported from China instead, an additional 30-40 days is required.

Last year, exhibitors sold machinery worth $220 million at the fair.

The four-day international fair of leading brands in textiles and garment technology, machinery and parts will begin at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. The fair is open to visitors from 12pm to 8pm tomorrow and from 12pm to 7:30pm on the last three days.