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The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.

This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.

On January 1, 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) officially came into force. It was implemented in six ASEAN countries and four non-ASEAN countries (China, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia) as the world's largest free trade agreement (FTA) and the first direct free trade area agreement between China and Japan, indicating that the agreement to develop China–Japan FTA relations has borne brand new results. It will be the first time China signs an FTA with the world's top 10 economies. In the context of global de-internationalization, unilateralism, and trade protectionism, as well as the adoption and implementation of various restrictions on international trade by some countries to strengthen their capacity to protect the market economy, the RCEP is an important activity for the major economies in the Asian region to actively seek change in the face of the crisis. Under the RCEP, China and Japan have reached agreements on bilateral trade in commodities, trade in services, and rules of origin, all of which will jointly promote trade between China and Japan. Analyzing the current trade situation between China and Japan, this chapter discusses the impact that the entry into force of the RCEP may have on bilateral trade between China and Japan. Moreover, this chapter provides suggestions for further developing Sino–Japan trade for reference.

Discussions about the elimination of apparel quotas have focused on countries that obviously benefit or are harmed by their demise. Little attention has been paid to countries for which the post-quota environment is uncertain – and vital. As quotas were lifted in January 2005, uncertainty loomed particularly large for Turkey, the world's fourth largest apparel exporting nation. This paper utilizes secondary data and a survey to chronicle Turkish apparel exporters’ strategic expectations, preparations, and responses to the post-quota environment. The case details the unexpected consequences of quota elimination for the industry, including how the new competitive environment catalyzed many manufacturers to locate production in foreign lands.

This study traces the internationalization strategy of Hering, a Brazilian-based apparel company active in manufacturing and retail.

The data set and analysis is presented in chronological order and decisions taken by the company are viewed based on internationalization theories. It presents two main internationalization frameworks, the production network and the value chain models.

While the company started the internationalization process in the 1960s and reached a consistent global presence in distinct markets, it has now retracted from main markets in Europe and North America and is focused on its own distribution network in South America. Hering has changed its strategy of a global production network player into a leader in the retail value chain model with regional distribution. This strategy change has been possible by valuing brand management and distribution instead of manufacturing capacity.

BRIC countries are known for exporting commodities but have poor performance in selling its own branded consumer goods abroad. This study provides such a rare case of a Brazilian consumer good company operating abroad.

After three decades of reform and opening up, China’s economy has experienced huge changes. Against the background of economic globalization, foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in China’s economy. China has become one of the world’s largest FDI inflow countries, which has had an important impact on its economic development. FDI has preferred the industrial sector, which also has serious environmental pollution. This study will consider vertical and horizontal FDI location choice theory and conduct theoretical analysis concerning the FDI location choice within the industrial sectors, as well as empirical analysis to test the distribution of FDI in pollution-intense industries. Furthermore, the “Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment” is one of China’s important industrial policies to guide foreign investment. Since being implemented in 1995, it has made five adjustments. The analysis of the distribution of FDI in the polluting industries and the impact of the change process will provide advice instructive for the government to amend the catalog.

This chapter measures total factor productivity growth (TFPG) using Malmquist productivity index (MPI) and the growth of MPI of Indian Textile Industry employing nonparametric data envelopment analysis (DEA), during 1995–2016, exploring company (firm) level Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE) Prowess data; examines whether TFPG has improved after the withdrawal of multifiber trade agreement (MFA) since 2005; decomposes TFPG into technical change (TC), technical efficiency change (TEC), and scale efficiency change (SEC); and explains the factors behind the movement of TFPG, considering the effect of R&D (RD), exports (EX), marketing expenditures (MKTs) advertisement expenditures (ADVs), imports (IMP), using second-stage panel regression. Empirical evidence supports fluctuating pattern of TFPG during 1995–2016, with a marginal declining tendency. TFPG has increased in 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2009–10, and 2012–13. After dismantling MFA, MPI level has significantly declined, with an increase in its growth rate, but the increase is not statistically significant. The effect of EX, RD, ADV are nonlinear, U-shaped, and IMP and MKT are inverted U-shaped, implying that the sign effect of any variable depends on its size. There are joint interaction effects of (a) RD and EX; RD and MKT which are positive, (b) ADV and MKT as represented by the ratio (ADV/MKT), having nonlinear inverted U-shaped relation. The joint interaction effect supports that the impact of one variable depends on the magnitude of other. The marginal effect of EX, IMP, and ADV are positive; increase in these variables promotes TFPG. The greater role of ADV over MKT is evident. The marginal effect of RD is negative; the average level of RD is too low to generate positive effects, and, thus, there is an urgency of increasing RD. The promising part of the decomposition analysis is that highest contribution to growth rate of TFPG is the growth rate of TEC followed by growth rate of TC, and thus by increasing TEC and TC, higher growth rate of TFPG is achieved and may be beneficial in the long run and may lead to absorption of economic shocks for an economy facing recession in its output growth. Some policy suggestions are made for boosting up TFPG.

Traditional industry was initially built with kinship, cultural value, and unique characters representing a particular system of production. However, current industry challenges pressurized traditional industry bond of primordial system with the need of adaptations to survive. Some traditional industry may resist the twenty-first-century challenges and pressures, but many of them are transforming their cultural and production characters to adapt modern business competitions. Indonesian traditional furniture industry Jepara has their familial system of productions which constitute “flexible specialization” where particular kinship and work contract created from a very specialized household small-scale furniture producer. However, this production system in fact struggles and is contrasted with the community needs to survive in the industry. The likely occurring progress of traditional industry are then remaining on the senior members of the industry to preserve knowledge which has empowered over many generations, while the younger generations consider transforming their ability for survivability and better financial rewards.

This chapter is the further elaboration of how Indonesian rural traditional furniture industry in Jepara presents its survivability and whether it is sustainable. This chapter exemplifies participants’ quotes and statements which create anxiety toward their future, cultural value, bond of industry kinship, and doubting their ability to withhold global and local pressures.

The chapter deals with China-Pakistan economic relations under China-Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC), which is considered to be a flagship corridor under the Chinese ‘The Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), also known as ‘One Belt One Road’ or ‘New Silk Road’. COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the composition of the world economy. Now BRI has become even more important for China's economic strategy to sustain its long-term growth. The authors investigate CPEC to be Beijing's most ambitious project so far and mark, that despite possible concerns and challenges, CPEC will succeed. The authors identify the advantages and benefits that both Pakistan and China will gain. Further promoting of ‘westward’ strategy, which facilitates the economic and social development of Western China, boost in the export of capital, technology, production capacity is considered to give a new impulse of Chinese economic development. Rise in industrial potential, stimulating socio-economic development, improvement of population well-being, as well as maintenance of internal stability are among Pakistan's benefits from CPEC.

The chapter identifies the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 on implementing CPEC, as well.