FW
Bangladesh exports in August rose 7.25 per cent from a year ago driven by an increase in readymade garment exports and ending a brief slowdown in July. Exports fell 1.4 per cent in July from a year earlier, the first decline since August 2012. The August figures were still 17.5 per cent below the government’s monthly target. Exports in 2013-14 were up 11 per cent from the previous year, on the back of stronger garment sales. Exports for 2014-15 are expected to rise 10 per cent from a year earlier. Garment exports for the current financial year have been fixed at $26.9 billion, up 10 per cent since the previous year when clothing sales surged 14 per cent.
Bangladesh is one of the cheapest countries in the world to make large quantities of clothing. It is the second largest exporter of readymade garments after China. Last year, the government raised the minimum wage for garment workers by 77 per cent and amended the labor law to boost workers’ rights. The sector employs nearly four million people and generates 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s export earnings.
However, the garment industry, which supplies to many western brands, has come under pressure after a string of fatal factory accidents.
Pakistan's apparel exports to the European Union surged by 25.18 per cent in value and 26.17 per cent in volume during January to June 2014. During this period, Pakistan posted the highest growth in apparel exports to the EU compared with all other major exporters. However, the per kg value of garments and knitwear remained the lowest compared to its major competitors.
Pakistani exporters have been facing stiff competition from India. Indian exporters lowered their per unit rates in 2014 because the Indian government provided them additional rebates and incentives after Pakistan was granted GSP Plus status by the EU. Another problem Pakistan has is that local manufactures use only cotton based products while the global demand is predominantly for apparel made from blended fabrics. That is a key reason for low value addition in Pakistan’s apparel exports.
The ratio of cotton to manmade fiber use in Pakistan is 75:25 while the world ratio is the reverse. The textile industry in Pakistan feels it’s kept out of blended textiles because of the huge protection that the government provides to polyester fiber plants in the country. The conclusion is that value addition in Pakistan would continue to suffer until the domestic industry is provided level playing field in manmade fiber as provided in cotton. <br/>
Australian wool production for 2014-15 is expected to fall 3.7 per cent from the 2013-2014 levels. This decrease reflects the reduction in sheep numbers due to the high slaughter rates in 2013-14 even though average fleece weights are expected to increase marginally. Queensland and northern New South Wales shorn wool production is expected to be the most affected due to the ongoing tough seasonal conditions, while South Australia has seen a recovery as a result of the good season in that state.
The average fleece weight is expected to rise marginally. Regionally, the expected declines in 2014-15 wool production for New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania outweigh the expected increase in South Australia. Australia is the largest wool-producing country in the world. Its annual production consistently accounts for over one quarter of the world’s wool. Australia is also recognised as producing the world’s highest quality woolen fiber – Australian merino wool.
The total world wool production is forecast to be down in the coming financial year. Production would drop in Australia, China and New Zealand, three of the major wool- producing nations. The biggest gains would be in smaller wool-producing countries. This would include the UK and Mongolia.
Bangladesh now looks to BRICS nations to further boost apparel exports. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are considered to be potential markets for readymade garment exports. Every year apparel imports by BRICS nations have been on the rise. The main reason is cost of production in these countries has risen significantly following the growth of their economies.
And Bangladesh hopes to grab a share of these growing markets. Presently Bangladesh exports apparels to China and India with duty-free facility but exports to Russia and Brazil are hindered because of high duties. Russia joined the World Trade Organisation in 2011. As one of the least- developed countries, Bangladesh hopes to get tariff preferences in Russia.
Even exports to China and India face some roadblocks. Weakness in land-port operations and other infrastructural establishments, laboratory accreditation, non-cooperation in visa issuance, and some non-tariff and para-tariff barriers are among the problems.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to non-traditional markets increased significantly due to facilities from the government. In the fiscal year 2008-09, apparel exports to non-traditional markets amounted to 6.88 per cent of the total. The government has raised cash incentives for exporting clothing items to new markets, other than the US, Canada and the European Union, to 3 per cent this fiscal year.
Cotton Incorporated and the specialty chemicals company Archroma have created fluorine-free apparel using technology called Storm Cotton. The technology can be used as a water repellent in cotton outerwear. The fluorine-free material offers almost the same benefits as the fluorine material, including water repellency, but with sustainable qualities.
Fluorine-free apparel has been a goal for many apparel brands and manufacturers to help boost sustainability. A fluorine chemistry provides water repellency and oil release—or stain protection from oil-based sources-and is recharged with heat from a dryer or iron. The fluorine-free chemistry does not provide oil release but also does not require recharging from the heat of an iron or dryer.
Customers do not notice any difference in the feel, performance or care of garments made with the new fluorine-free chemistry. This technology option is now available in the full range of cotton-based fabrics like denim, fleece and twill. An outdoor apparel retailer has plans to introduce the fluorine-free version of Storm Cotton in select products during 2015.
Cotton is also working to create fluorine-free options for other finishes like its TransDRY, moisture-wicking material for athletic apparel. Archroma product packages enhance the properties of apparel and other textiles in applications as diverse as high fashion, home textiles and special technical textiles. From crease resistance to moisture management as well as repellency, its functional effects provide added-value features to textile manufacturers.
archroma.com/
Swiss company Scott Sports has won an award at the Eurobike trade fair in Germany. The award is for making a cycling outfit out of a textile made by a Swiss company Schoeller. Scott developed the ITD Pro Tec technology in collaboration with Schoeller. Scott Sports makes high end performance products intended for biking, winter sport, moto sport.
The ITD ProTec technology is a highly elastic knit fabric made by Eschler, a Schoeller brand. It has an unique ceramic coating. The knitted carbon yarn, inspired by sailing rope, has outstanding anti-static properties. It ensures a higher tearing resistance as well as an antibacterial effect. This combined with the ceramic printing on the fabric leads to high robustness and durability, even in the event of a crash on asphalt at high speed.
This technology provides a significantly higher abrasion resistance than regular fabrics. The ceramic prints ensure durability and ruggedness, even in the event of high speed falls. Fine ceramic particles, in combination with the hexagon-shaped design, make the high-tech textile exceptionally resistant to abrasion.
The clothing lines with this innovative technology will be available in retail stores in 2015.
www.scott-sports.com/
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh enjoy Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus status from the European Union. And both are strong competitors in the EU apparel market. Bangladesh has been enjoying duty- and quota-free status to the EU since the inception of the trade privilege by the EU in 1971.
Since Pakistan has been allotted zero-duty benefit for 75 specified products exported to the EU, there is also a possibility of trade diversion from China, India, Bangladesh and Turkey. But this diversion is statistically insignificant. Trade diversion from Bangladesh may take place in T-shirts, jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats, men's or boys' cotton suits, women or girls' suits, bedding material of cotton and artificial fiber. But even then Bangladesh is not expected to suffer any major impact on EU garment exports.
There were fears Bangladesh would lose its garment business after the elimination of the multi fiber arrangement in January 2005. But that did not happen and in fact exports from Bangladesh have been increasing since then.
In 2014-15, the world cotton industry is expected to enter its fifth consecutive season in which production exceeds consumption. World production is forecast to decline by 400,000 tons to 26.05 million tons while consumption could grow by 4 per cent to 24.4 million tons, resulting in a surplus of 1.7 million tons. Since 2010-11, world production will have exceeded consumption by a cumulative 12.3 million tons and by the end of 2014-15, would reach nearly 14 million tons. Much of the surplus is held by the Chinese government, but this season, more of the surplus will shift to the private sector in China and other producing countries.
As a result of the cumulative surplus, world ending stocks are projected to increase to 22.2 million tons at the end of 2014-15 with ending stocks outside China forecasted to achieve a record 9.7 million tons. This expansion in world ending stocks outside China will put negative pressure on prices this season as China continues to liquidate its significant stocks. Sales from the Chinese reserve reached 2.3 million tons in 2013-14. During August, the Chinese government sold an additional 300,000 tons, decreasing the estimated quantity of cotton stocks held by the Chinese government to around 11 million tons. The Secretariat expects that over the next few years, the Chinese government will maintain sales from the reserve at a pace of 2-3 million tons a year.
In 2014-15, China and India will vie for the title of largest producer of cotton, as the full impact of this year’s monsoon on India’s yields is unknown. Due to the late arrival of the monsoon, the planting season was extended and area in India is estimated at 11.8 million hectares, up by 1.3 per cent from 2013-14. Assuming a yield based on the three-year average of 536 kg per hectare, India’s production is expected to decline by 4 per cent to 6.3 million tons. In response to the ending of government support outside Xinjiang, China decreased area by 8 per cent to 4.2 million hectares. China’s production in 2014-15 would decline to 6.4 million tons, assuming an average yield of 1,500 kg of lint per hectare. After much needed rain arrived in this summer, the United States should see reduced abandonment and improved yields with production forecast to reach 3.7 million tons with an average yield of 933 kg per hectare.
While world consumption in 2013-14 experienced no growth from 2012-13, it is predicted to expand by 4 per cent in 2014-15. Consumption in China could rise to 7.9 million tons in 2014-15, up from 7.5 million tons in 2013-14 given the fall in both international and domestic prices as well as improved demand overseas for downstream goods. India’s demand is projected to reach 5.3 million tons in 2014/15, which is the third season of demand growth.
World trade is projected to decline by 1 million tons to 8 million tons in 2014-15, which is largely accounted for by a 30 per cent decrease in Chinese imports to 2 million tons. With bumper crops anticipated in the United States and India, these two countries will remain the largest exporters in 2014-15.
The global market for industrial protective clothing is expected to reach $4.06 billion by 2020, says a new study by Grand View Research. The report ‘Industrial Protective Clothing Market Analysis By Application (Flame Retarded Apparel, Chemical Defending Garments, Clean Room Clothing) And Segment Forecasts To 2020’ is available on the web platform of Grand View Research.
Increasing industrialization in emerging markets of India and China coupled with rising importance of safety in industries and emergence of blue collar workforce are expected to remain key driving forces for the market. High cost and complex manufacturing process associated with industrial protective clothing are expected to be key challenges for market participants.
Chemical defending garments emerged as the leading application segment for industrial protective clothing and accounted for 36.8 per cent of total market volume in 2013. Chemical defending garments are used for protecting skin from hazardous chemicals usually used in laboratories and chemical industries. Flame retardant apparel is expected to be the fastest growing application segment for industrial protective clothing at an estimated CAGR of 11.1 per cent from 2014 to 2020.
Texworld that will take place in Thailand from September 15 to 17, 2014, is an international event for fashion fabrics and clothing. It will have nearly 900 exhibitors. Thailand will promote the richness of its textile heritage, exhibiting more than 100 silk and cotton fabrics produced by 20 rural communities. The fabrics exhibited at Texworld are entirely hand-woven. The aim is to identify and promote unique local skills, benefit from local resources and develop quality products which meet the demands of domestic and international markets.
Each season Texworld hosts the Thai pavilion, which accommodates around 20 exhibitors, including weavers who draw inspiration from traditional skills of their country, which are reflected in both the motifs and the fabrics used. Texworld is continuing to make visitors and exhibitors aware of the importance of sustainable development to the textile industry. For the first time, sustainability at this event will cover two days.
There will be workshops and seminars on sustainable development and responsibility. Young fashion designers will exhibit their collections. There will be shows by couturiers. There will be lectures on colors and palettes. A vampires collection will show voluptuous, diaphanous creations sealed in black. There will be more shows on monochrome street wear and poetically-inspired creations in natural fabrics.
