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Coloreel, based in Sweden, has gone into a partnership with Ricoh, an inkjet technology leader. The partnership will launch an EU-supported innovation which increases design options, improves production efficiency and minimises the environmental impact.
With the support of EU funding, Coloreel has developed technology which achieves high-quality textile thread coloring on demand during production. The unit to be launched later this year will be developed with Ricoh, which will build one of its major sub-systems based on its inkjet printing technology. It is intended to be used in conjunction with existing industrial embroidery machines and will improve production efficiency and expand the range of unique designs possible.
The project uses one thread reel instead of several, opening up embroidery design to new colors and gradients which can now be combined in innovative ways, for example, for smooth color shifting and shading. By instantly coloring a white base thread during embroidery production, Coloreel enables freedom to create unique embroideries offering completely new combinations of colors.
Development of the thread coloring unit was undertaken with Ricoh’s engineers in Japan and England, in tandem with Coloreel’s engineers in Sweden. Working with specialists in computer software and hardware alongside mechanics, chemistry and physics has meant the project could develop this disruptive technology from a synthesis of cutting-edge solutions across disciplines.
In fiscal years ’16 and ’17, Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan kept declining.
However, fiscal year ’18 recorded better results than the past two years. Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan reached a two-year high during the first ten months of the current fiscal year.
The performance in the remaining two months could help surpass the previous three-year record.
Afghanistan imports mostly food products such as wheat flour, rice, meet, etc from Pakistan. However, up to 50 per cent of flour mills have now been closed due to low exports.
Pakistan’s textile products have historically had a large share in Afghanistan but the recent penetration of Indian and Chinese products has replaced the country from its traditional market for finished and unfinished textile products.
It is also believed due to prevalent smuggling to Afghanistan, the size of the exports is likely to be twice as much as the official figures of Pakistan report.
Overall exports of the country have shown a growth of 14 per cent during the ten months, with sales to Afghanistan being a contributory factor.
Exports of pharmaceutical products from Pakistan have sharply dropped due to cheaper supply from India and China.
Pakistan is a major exporter of pharmaceutical products to Afgha¬nistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh as well as some African countries.
The global lingerie market has been bifurcated on the basis of product types.
Bra has captured the largest market share in 2015. Knickers and panties also occupied a significant position in the same year, thus contributing significantly to the overall market size of the lingerie industry.
The market is further segmented on the basis of distribution channel into online stores and storefront. Online stores captured the largest market in 2015 due to high penetration of internet services and rapid advancements in the field of technology, thus creating a strong platform for the manufacturers of lingerie.
Further, the e-commerce giants are engaged in strong promotional activities due to which they provide with continuous discount options and various other offers which attract both consumers and manufacturers to avail this platform.
The global lingerie market is experiencing moderate growth in the apparel segment as nowadays individuals are more inclined towards branded items, most of which are usually priced on the higher.
Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
Although majority of business organisations and industry associations such as the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the National Retail Association (NRA) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) are protesting against President Trump’s proposed tariffs, there is one association which is taking the contrary stance and actually proposing new 25 percent tariffs on apparel and textile products coming from China.
National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), has proposed to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office on behalf of the U.S. textile industry to add apparel and textiles to the government’s initial proposed list of categories that will make up the first $50 billion in targeted China imports.
This 25 per cent proposed tariff on clothing would be in inclusion to all other duties currently leveled against clothing, which make up a significant portion of all the import duties collected by the government.
Levying of these tariffs, according to NCTO, will not only protect the intellectual property of the U.S. textile industry but also punish China for its unfair trade policies.
India’s GDP growth is likely to cross eight per cent in the next two years.
The vision is for a five trillion dollar economy in which a trillion dollars will come from manufacturing, three trillion dollars from services and a trillion dollars from the agriculture and allied sectors.
GDP grew at the fastest pace in seven quarters at 7.7 per cent in the January-March quarter of last fiscal, retaining the fastest growing major economy tag on robust performance by the manufacturing and service sectors as well as good farm output.
On a yearly basis, however, it grew at a four-year low of 6.7 per cent in 2017-18, down from 7.1 per cent in the previous fiscal.
The RBI's decision to raise the benchmark lending rate by 0.25 per cent is not expected to hamper investments.
India is actively engaged in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations and also holding bilateral talks with member countries including China, Australia and New Zealand.
Since RCEP is a comprehensive economic partnership pact India feels services should be an integral part of the agreement.
As for the US’ challenge on India's export support programs, the country will counter by saying these measures are not subsidies but ways to partially offset various additional costs incurred by them.
Global luxury brand Gucci has launched a couple of sustainability initiatives.
The first amongst them is the - Gucci Equilibrium’ campaign that is designed to connect people, planet and purpose that showcases stories, ideas and the science behind environmental and social impact change, bringing Gucci’s perspective on some of these critical issues.
The initiative is anchored by three pillars covering the environment, people and new models of sustainable innovation.
The brand has developed ‘Scrap-less’, a programme that runs in association with tanneries as a key way to improve its environmental profile.
This profile is measured by Gucci by calculating the Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) of its products. An EP&L account allows a company to assign a financial value of the costs and benefits it generates for the environment, and in turn, to make more sustainable business decisions.
Indian designer Dhruv Kapoor has been nominated to represent the Indian sub-continent and Middle East region at International Woolmark Prize (IWP) 2018-19.
The designer will represent these regions and compete with 42 designers from across the globe at the semi-finals next month for the coveted International Woolmark Prize.
Dhruv Kapoor stated that he is looking forward to the development process and working with the versatile Merino Wool. He further added that it is a great opportunity where the best talent from across the world is under one roof.
IMG Reliance was the nominating body for the Indian region and selected Dhruv from hundreds of applicants from India, Pakistan and Middle East.
International Woolmark Prize 2018-19 semi-finals will be held in Hong Kong on July 5, London on July 10 and New York on July 12, The 42 designers will then be trimmed down to 12 who will compete in the International Woolmark Prize global final to be held at an international fashion week in early 2019.
The Canadian government will soon propose the law needed to approve the pending Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
The government wants to be amongst the first ones to approve the deal. The government’s decision was made public just weeks after Champagne presented the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, formerly the Trans Pacific Partnership, in the House of Commons on May 23.
The Trudeau government has been pressured by stakeholders to approve the trade agreement as quickly as possible. Mexico has already approved the multi-lateral trade deal, with Japan expected to have its ratification process concluded by the end of June.
Australia has tabled the treaty in its Parliament and vows to expedite ratification, while Malaysia and Chile are both expected to ratify quickly. New Zealand, Singapore, Peru, Vietnam and Brunei also plan to approve the law soon.
Bangladesh will need to boost productive investment by addressing infrastructure bottlenecks and strengthening the banking sector to maintain the ongoing momentum.
Boosting public investment will upgrade infrastructure (such as roads and electricity coverage), spur more private sector activity, and ultimately create more jobs.
Tax revenues in Bangladesh are currently low at nine per cent of GDP, and the country needs more revenues to finance infrastructure investment and social spending.
The country is undergoing a transformation from a low-income to a middle-income economy. Growth in Bangladesh has averaged more than six per cent over the last decade, significantly lifting per capita income.
Poverty has declined steadily and other social indicators, like gender disparity in education and maternal mortality, have also improved.
Throughout this process, the country has diversified away from an agrarian to a more manufacturing-based economy with rapid growth in the readymade garment industry.
The average tax revenue to GDP ratio for non-resource rich, low-income countries is around 15 per cent. Therefore the priority is to implement the delayed value-added tax, preferably with a single rate, reaching a broad base to help raise the much-needed revenue.
Tax policy reform should also be supported by continued efforts to strengthen tax administration and improve tax compliance with online registration and filing of tax returns.
The proposed polyester legislation from several US states in light of textile microfiber pollution appears to have hit the buffers in the respective state assemblies of California, New York and Connecticut.
Time constraints would seem to be the primary reason that any law-making on this issue has been delayed, while – with the governor’s approval – Connecticut looks set to progress the motion to a stage requiring the formation of a microfiber pollution working group.
It was in March and April respectively that the US states of California and Connecticut took the unprecedented step of proposing legislation which would see polyester garments legally required to bear warning labels regarding their potential to shed microfibers during domestic washing cycles.
Without allowing for proper research to study methods of curbing microfiber pollution, this approach would create confusion among consumers by insinuating that synthetic fibers have a worse environmental impact than natural fibers without the data to support this conclusion.
The proposed legislation in California hopes to start addressing this pollution. It’s necessary to improve the information available to consumers so warning labels on clothing about microfibers could be a positive step.
A similar bill proposed in New York State has been referred to the Environmental Conservation committee.
