In a first, Walton to start exporting handsets to USA

In a first, local handset maker Walton is going to export their smartphones to USA.

Walton, the local tech conglomerate will send the first consignment from their Gazipur plant on March 1 -- a milestone for the country.

Walton has also scheduled a celebration to mark the occasion on the day at Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited (WDIL) at Chandra in Gazipur, said SM Monjurul Alam, managing director of Walton.

Walton will supply smartphones to a renowned American brand as the original equipment manufacturer where the "Made in Bangladesh" label will be on the devices. It, however, denied to disclose the name of the US brand.

This kind of production is known as "contract manufacturing" which is common in the garments sector.

"The dream of exporting made in Bangladesh smartphones is now becoming true," said Alam.

"The quality of the locally-finished smartphones with advanced features has drawn the buyers' attention," Alam added.

Walton is also expecting to extend their market to Europe, Australia and other developed countries.

Last year, Walton inked an agreement with Amazon to market "Made in Bangladesh" labeled electronics and ICT devices in the US market.

After meeting the lion's share of domestic demands, Walton has been exporting a wide range of electronics and electrical appliances to around 35 countries of Asia, Europe, Africa and Middle East.