The T&C industries are very important for a handful of countries, in terms of trade, GDP and employment and have contributed significantly in several other countries. The T&C industries provide opportunities for export diversification and expansion of manufactured exports for low-income countries that can exploit their labour cost advantages and fill emerging niches and meet buyer demands. There are also dynamic effects of T&C industries and these dynamic effects are greater, the more linkages have been built up between the garment industry and local textile suppliers. At the macro level there are a number of ways in which the T&C industries affect economic development. • T&C industries are a major contributor to incomes for selected countries. The contribution of T&C production to GDP differs by country but is up to 5% in Sri Lanka, 12% in Cambodia and 15% in Pakistan; • T&C are the dominant source of exports and foreign exchange in several countries. Low income and developing countries such as Cambodia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka depend on T&C exports for more than 50% of total manufacturing exports (e.g. 80% in Cambodia, 83.5% in Bangladesh); • The employment effects are also significant. Employment in T&C production for least developed and low income countries as a share of total employment in manufacturing ranges from 35% in selected low income countries, 75% in Bangladesh and 90% in other selected LDCs (e.g. Lesotho, Cambodia).