Major Apparel Exporting Countries in Asia: A Study of Technical Efficiency and Its Determinants

Abstract

Asia has many significant players in the global apparel market, contributing more than half of the apparel output. There is stiff competition between eight countries within the region to capture the market share—China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. Using raw data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, a two-stage analysis was conducted for each country—in the first stage efficiency scores were computed using data envelopment analysis, and in the second stage factors influencing efficiency were identified using tobit regression and disaggregate comparison. The results revealed a poor efficiency performance across countries, but the drivers varied between them. It was observed that smaller firms performed better and there was a need to revamp quality certification and training modules to promote competitiveness.