Exports are expected to return to 100 per cent in the next two months, at Mark One Apparel.

The garment manufacturer, the largest operator of its kind in Fiji, regained 60 per cent of its pre-COVID-19 ratings, in a turnaround time of just over a month.

Even staff attendance recorded an improvement, Mark One managing director, Mark Halabe, said.

“The strong take up of double vaccination for all our staff is on track to be 100 per cent, by the end of September,” he said.

Mark One Apparel employs 350 people, all of whom have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

In April, the company’s Valelevu factory was closed, when a garment factory worker tested positive with COVID-19.

It prompted the sudden temporary shutdown of the manufacturing sector.

Customers of a number of Fiji’s garment factories were shifting orders to China, Bangladesh, and other Southeast Asian countries.

The textile clothing and footwear industry net exports over $100 million a year, Mr Halabe said.

The industry employs 7000 people.

Feedback: frederica.elbourne@fijisun.com.fj