US companies have turned to leather from India. They have been hit by tariffs on products imported from China. So there is an US company which is looking to buy 50 million pairs of footwear from India. The leather industry in India has prepared a roadmap to raise exports from $5.6 billion to $10 billion by 2021-22. And the US-China trade war has come in handy for meeting the target.

Footwear sub-sector accounts for half of India’s leather exports. The leather garment sub-sector produces 16 million pieces a year and accounts for one-tenth of exports. Other products such as articles (wallets, handbags), industrial gloves, harness and saddles account for a quarter of exports.

The industry employs 4.5 million people. India has come up with a Rs 2,600 crore special package for the industry— the funds would be spent over three years between 2017 and 2020. However, capacity is a constraint in the footwear sub-sector. Vietnam may have maxed out on its footwear capacity, and buyers would look toward India. The industry is seeking support to ramp up capacities.

The US has slapped tariffs on Chinese goods such as handbags and wallets. Leather footwear is not yet in the list, but this may be a matter of time.

Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association’s (PHMA) has urged the government of Pakistan to demand duty free access to Chinese to allow imports of finished fabric under DTRE and stitching machinery and after conversion of this finished fabric into garments, Pakistan will export these value added garments to China with zero percent duty at par with ASEAN countries. Pakistan can achieve a milestone in value added textile exports in view of China’s import of value added textile Items to the tune of $7,000 million. However, Pakistan exports to China amounted to only $100 million.

Grasim Industries has won the Golden Peacock award for sustainability. The Harihar polyfibers unit of Grasim which has been accorded this distinction produces rayon grade pulp. The unit began operations with an initial capacity of 32 KTPA in 1972-73. The plant today produces 70 KTPA of pulp a year from eucalyptus wood. About 90 per cent of the energy used is derived from renewable resources and chemical recovery is around 98 per cent.

Grasim, a part of Aditya Birla, is the world’s fourth largest pulp producer. It is one of India’s largest viscose staple fiber producers and is expanding capacity by 2.4 times. Grasim has ensured control over 80 per cent of the costs through backward integration, giving it an important competitive advantage over nonintegrated players. Its manufacturing input of caustic soda, power and steam and carbon disulfide is fully captive and the company has control over 60 per cent of the pulp requirements.

Started in 1947 with textile manufacturing, Grasim is a leading global player in diverse segments. It is among the largest chemical players in the world, the world’s fourth largest cement producer and among the top diversified financial services companies in India. The company, after the successful introduction of its fabric brand Liva in 2015 in the Indian market, is planning to take the brand global.

For the second quarter Arvind’s net sales were Rs 1815.98 crores as compared to Rs 1609.10 crores during the period ended September 30, 2017. Net profit was Rs 75.08 crores as against Rs 64.51 crores for the period ended September 30, 2017. EPS was Rs 2.80 as compared to Rs 2.40 for the period ended September 30, 2017.

For the six month period net sales were Rs 3640.02 crores as compared to Rs 3300.01 crores during the six month period ended September 30, 2017. Net profit was Rs 139.39 crores as against Rs 121.26 crores for the six month period ended September 30, 2017. EPS was Rs 5.37 as compared to Rs 4.69 for the six month period ended September 30, 2017.

Arvind wants to double the revenue from its textile business over the next four or five years. The company is also looking at developing garment clusters in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Each of these clusters will employ 4000 to 8000 workers. These clusters will be like a global supply chain. Arvind already has a cluster operational in Ethiopia in Africa, which the company uses to reach out to American and European markets. Arvind is also planning to foray into performance and functional clothing (active wear) and synthetics.

"Fast Fashion, denim, knit, tailoring, leather and the latest offers by the Moroccan brands were highlighted at Maroc in Mode-Marc Sourcing fair, held from October 11-12, 2018 at Marrakech. In line with current market trend, the fair focused on fast fashion and sustainable ecosystems. It deployed a specific promotion strategy to attract a large number of German, Dutch and Scandinavian retailers. The fair was organised AMITH in partnership with Moroccan Ministry of Industry, AMDIE (Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments), and Banque Populaire Group."

Fast Fashion, denim, knit, tailoring, leather and the latest offers by the Moroccan brands were highlighted at Maroc in Mode-Marc Sourcing fair, held from October 11-12, 2018 at Marrakech. In line with current market trend, the fair focused on fast fashion and sustainable ecosystems. It deployed a specific promotion strategy to attract a large number of German, Dutch and Scandinavian retailers. The fair was organised AMITH in partnership with Moroccan Ministry of Industry, AMDIE (Moroccan Agency for the Development of Investments), and Banque Populaire Group.

Fast fashion in the forefront

Around 1.853 visitors from 22 nations attended Maroc in Mode -Maroc Sourcing to research on new production companies and finalise existing contacts. Of these, 32 per cent visitors were from France, 8.5 per cent from Italy, 8 per cent from UK, 7 per cent from Portugal and Spain and 6.5 per cent from Germany, etc. Fast fashion and sustainable production were the focus of the visitors, and the quality of the production impressed most visitors.

Five eco systems were presented, viz: fast fashion; denim; jersey, knit, and lingerie; technical clothing, sportswear, leisurewear; and brands. Around 175 exhibitors from Morocco displayed their collections at the fair. Moroccan Denim Cluster included over 20 companies that almost exclusively use denim fabrics treated with a laser/ozone technique, methods that need environmentally friendly little water for the finishing of the fabrics.

Emphasis on sustainable textile production

Environmental management, textile eco-design and new technologies were in focus at the lecture series. Exhibitors and visitors were attracted by the presentations on sustainable textile production and changing global production and procurement processes at the trade fair.

The speakers of the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) program talked about corporate environmental management as a holistic approach to tackling hazardous chemicals along the entire value chain, a program that has already been joined by Moroccan companies. A common sustainability concept and a uniform assessment of sustainability performance by apparel producers through the Higg Index was the topic of Baptiste Carrière Pradal of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

Possible changes in the production process due to Industry 4.0 and their benefits were presented by Abdelaziz Sifaoui, Director, Lectra and exhibitor at Maroc in Mode. AMITH launched a think tank strategy for 4.0 a year ago and designed a sector plan for human resources. These presentations and lecturers will aid Moroccan manufacturers prepare for the future by developing a technological ecosystem and training staff accordingly.

The 18th edition of Vietnam International Textile & Garment Industry Exhibition (VTG) will be held from November 21-24 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) concurrent with Vietnam International Textile & Apparel Accessories Exhibition (VitaTex). The event will be organised by Ministry of Industry & Trade – Vinexad National Trade Fair & Advertising J.S.C., Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co., Ltd., Guangdong Sewing Equipment Chamber Commerce and Paper Communication Exhibition Services.

Co-Organised by Hong Kong Apparel Machinery Association (HKAMA), the event has also won robust support from both the government and industrial sectors, Association of Vietnam Cotton & Spinning Association (VCOSA), Garment-Textile-Embroidery-Knitting in HCM City (AGTEK) and China Sewing Machinery Association (CSMA). VTG 2018 features 400 exhibitors including top brands from 11 countries and regions listed as China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam.

The event will not only showcase the pavilions by strategy partners such as China Textile Machinery Association and Hong Kong Apparel Machinery Association, but also the strong performance of international delegation by Korea Textile Center (KTC), Chamber of Commerce and Industry Portugal – Vietnam (CCIPV), Taiwan Textile Federation (T.T.F.) and Turkish Textile Machinery and Accessories Industrialists’ Association (TEMSAD).

The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and WWF have announced the launch of a project to transform the textile industry into a more sustainable 'Made in Vietnam' sector. This project will engage multiple players in the sector to promote better river basin governance and contribute to water quality improvement and sustainable energy use.

The project titled 'Greening Vietnam’s textile sector through improving water management and energy sustainability' is part of the 'Driving impact reduction through the textiles value chain' project sponsored by HSBC to support the green textile industry in China, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. The 'Driving impact reduction through the textiles value chain' belongs to pillar Sustainable Network and Entrepreneurs, one of three pillars under HSBC’s current sustainability strategy aiming at supporting the shift to sustainable global supply chains.

With a vision to transform the textile-apparel sector in Vietnam, the project will be implemented from 2018 to 2020. It will focus on the Mekong and Dong Nai deltas where more than half of Vietnam’s apparel factories are located.

The main focus of the project is to improve water and energy sustainability within the sector, thus reducing its impacts to the environment. The project will also work with textile–apparel manufacturers to encourage them to be more active river stewards, practice sustainable energy planning and discuss collective actions to achieve long term sustainable investments and development in the textile-apparel sector.

Vietnam will host four exhibitions from November 21 to 24, 2018. These are a textile and garment industry exhibition, a textile and apparel accessories exhibition, a footwear machinery and material exhibition (VFM) and InterDye Asia 2018.

The first two will display technologies, equipment, products, and services used in the textile and garment industry. They will have more than 400 exhibitors, including 100 top brands from China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam. Brands like Bao Lun, Richpeace, Tajima, and ZSK will display their latest embroidery machines and Heinz Walz, Epson, Grafica, and Sulfet their printing machines. Beworth and Silk Road will have their latest flat knitting machines and Maika will present a textile CAD system. There will be Japanese sewing machines brands like Brother, Hikari, Juki, and Yamato.

VFM will introduce injection machines; footwear, artificial leather, handbag, suitcase, and shoe knitting machinery, CAD/CAM systems, and footwear materials representing a wide selection of components in the footwear value chain.

InterDye Asia is a dye, pigments and textile chemicals exhibition. It will exhibit dyestuffs, intermediates, organic pigments, textile chemicals, inspection, testing, monitoring, dyeing, and printing equipment, printing materials graphic arts, paper, paints, wallpapers and lacquers.

Istanbul Yarn Fair will be held from February 28 to March 2, 2019. This event showcases products like knitted fabrics, cotton yarns, cotton blended yarns etc. in the textile, fabrics and yarns industry. It is a platform where professional visitors, buyer groups and investors from Eurasia and Africa will meet and exchange information.

This is the world’s second biggest yarn fair. It brings together the international textile industry. It hosts participants and visitors from various countries to become a sales and marketing platform that shapes the international yarn trade and textile production.

The fair is the most important commercial gathering of the international yarn industry. It stands out as an opportunity not to be missed for yarn companies that want to access new markets.

Turkey is a major yarn manufacturer. Istanbul Yarn Fair allows the formation of new distribution channels while increasing the export opportunities of the yarn industry in Turkey. As a reflection of the Turkish yarn industry, Istanbul Yarn Fair is opening up new markets in parallel with the growth trend. The fair aims to create new export and import opportunities for the industry. Among the fabric manufacturers are those of knitted fabrics, tricot, underwear, hosiery, blankets, denims, home textile, carpets, yarns, technical and military textiles.

The 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement will be implemented on December 30, 2018. Six legislatures of member states have ratified the pact. The trade deal takes effect 60 days after at least six countries complete the ratification process. Nicknamed the TPP-11, the agreement was once known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership but was formally renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership last year.

Australia notified New Zealand that it has ratified the agreement. Mexico, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and Canada had already completed the procedures. Vietnam's parliament is expected to approve the deal by mid-November. Once the trade pact comes into force, a TPP committee of ministerial-level officials from member states will meet and decide on needed steps for countries hoping to join, such as Thailand and the U.K.

TPP-11 will lower tariffs on agricultural and industrial goods, as well as unify rules for business. Tariffs on 99.9 per cent of Japan's industrial products and 98.5 per cent of its farm, forestry and seafood products will eventually be abolished. Tariffs on agricultural products exported from Australia and New Zealand to Japan will also go down.