H&M mulling production in south America, Africa

Swedish fashion giant H&M is considering starting production in South America and Africa, chief executive Karl-Johan Persson told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday. "When that part of the world is growing, which it is, it becomes even more interesting to look at production in South America or Central America. So, we are exploring that opportunity ... We're looking at (Africa) as well," he said. His comments come almost one month after the collapse of a nine-storey garment factory complex in a suburb of Dhaka caved in and buried thousands of workers. Persson, who last week called for a higher minimum wage in Bangladesh, had no suppliers in the building. H&M announced on May 13 that it would sign an agreement drafted by global unions to improve safety in the Bangladeshi textile factories it uses. The Swedish company plans to open its first store in Chile in 2013.