In a few LDCs, arm's-length or other non-equity forms of foreign direct investment engagement, such as subcontracting, have been facilitated by the prior existence of a potential domestic supply chain. However, the readiness of entrepreneurs in LDCs to become original equipment manufacturers or original design players in the textiles industry is incipient and currently confined mainly to relatively unsophisticated sectors. Weaknesses in infrastructure and trade facilitation also hinder the competitiveness of LDCs and tend to favour larger firms and those that are already part of supplier networks, as do volume and flexibility requirements.