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India may replace China as the world's largest cotton producer in the next marketing year. The country is expected to produce 39.62 million bales in 2014-15 compared with 40.05 million bales in the current year. In contrast the Chinese crop would be lower in 2014-15 as it has started focusing more on food crops while crop coverage in India could hit a record if the weather remains favorable.
A bumper harvest in India for a second straight year will further pressure global cotton futures, which have already dropped 24 per cent so far this year, as global year-ending stocks are estimated to rise for a fifth straight season. However, Indian cotton exports could drop in 2014-15 as its biggest buyer China is offloading its own inventory and cutting down on purchases from overseas.
Global trade could decline 12 per cent in 2014-15, as Chinese imports could come down by 26 per cent. India is the second largest producer of cotton in the world after China accounting for about 18 per cent of world cotton production. It has the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world ranging between 12.2 million hectares and constituting about 25 per cent of the world area under cotton cultivation. The yield per hectare is, however, the lowest against the world average. Over the last two years it has shown potential to reach world average levels in the near future.
The global dyestuff (black color) market for textile fibers is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 8 per cent from 2014 to 2020. Black dyestuff is used to color a wide range of textile fibers such as polyester fibers, nylon fibers, acrylic fibers and olefin fibers. Polyester fiber is the most widely used variety of textile fiber. Hence, it is the largest product segment of the global black dyestuff market for textile fibers, accounting for over 56 per cent of the total market volume in 2013.
A broad range of textiles produced from these black colored fibers is utilized in end-user industries such as home textiles, apparels, protective clothing, automotive textiles and agricultural textiles.
Asia Pacific dominated this market, accounting for over 55 per cent of the total market volume in 2013. Rising demand for apparels, home textiles, automotive and agricultural textiles is expected to drive the market for textile fibers in Asia Pacific in the next few years.
Gradual recovery of the economy in North America and Europe is anticipated to positively impact the dyestuff market for textile fibers in the next few years. Key players operating in the market include Huntsman, Clariant, Sumitomo, DuPont and Kemira.
Techtextil 2015, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, will be held in Frankfurt from May 4 to 7, 2015. The fair will be held over four days instead of the usual three. Most exhibitors are from functional apparel textiles.
South Korea, a growing market with a great export potential, will be represented by a joint stand for the first time. Belgium, China, France, India, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the US have also confirmed participation. England may have a pavilion. Thirteen countries had joint stands at Techtextil 2013. The same four days will also see the Texprocess exhibition. This is an international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials.
The world economy is building on technical textiles. Sales of non-woven products and technical textiles were positive in the first half of 2014. The European Union had a four per cent increase in production of technical and industrial textiles from January to May 2014 compared to the same period last year. The US textile industry reported a growth of five per cent in 2013 in sales of technical textiles. China continues to expect a double-digit rate of growth in terms of sales and the production of technical textiles because domestic demand for automobiles, medical supplies and infrastructure is rising steadily. Thanks to the buoyant export market, the Indian textile industry is also doing extremely well.
While Indian companies already export two percent of their raw garment and textile materials to Vietnam annually, and they seek to increase their market share to 25 per cent over the next few years. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has said that the two-way trade turnover in the garment sector has witnessed robust growth in recent years especially, after the signing of a Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and India in 2010. In 2013, Vietnam imported $419 million worth of textile materials from India, up 36 percent compared to 2012′s figure.
Vietnam Customs statistics show that in the first seven months of 2014, India exported cotton, fibre, and fabric to Vietnam, earning $224 million, $39.2 million and $30.96 million respectively. India’s export turnover of garment, leather, and footwear accessories to Vietnam also garnered $58 million.
The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council of India (TEXPROCIL) sent 20 companies to Vietnam in February 2014 to explore the market and seek partnerships. In August, 12 Indian garment companies also arrived in HCM City for an exchange program to facilitate business connectivity between the two countries.
www.moit.gov.vn
PTT (poly trimethylene terephthalate) is an advanced polymer that can be spun into fibers. The fibers and yarns have a unique combination of properties including stretch and recovery, softness, bulk, and easy dye. Fabrics produced from PTT fibers and yarns clean easily and have superior durability.
PTT unifies the main and best characteristics of nylon and polyester for many applications. As compared to other synthetic fibers, PTT is softer, easy dye, keeps vivid colors longer, loses shape easily and just as easily goes back to its original shape. It’s also dirt-resistant and easier to clean and dry. The new generation polyester series elastic fiber PTT, because of its easy processing, excellent elasticity and dyeing, is estimated to make inroads into part of the conventional nylon and PET market.
At one time PTT couldn’t be mass produced. In recent years, though, with rapid development in production technology, PTT fiber manufacture and development has made giant strides and has found its way into commercial production.
Major PTT raw material suppliers in the world are DuPont and Shell. DuPont adopts an environment-friendly biochemical synthetic technology while Shell does it by chemical synthesis. Recently China has developed a bio-based PTT fiber production technology chain.
Shandong has introduced a denim dyeing technology, a combination of denim paints and dyes dyeing technology. It integrates paint staining technology with the existing indigo and sulphur dyeing. The project uses pigment dyeing techniques that enriches the denim fabric staining method, overcomes the shortcomings of traditional single color dyeing, reduces the discharge of sewage water during dyeing and washing and achieves energy saving, emission reduction as well as clean production. The group has also developed anti-bacterial textiles.
The Shandong D&Y Group ranks among the top 20 textile enterprises in China. It’s equipped with 5,00,000 spindles, 10,000 air spinning, 2,000 looms, 3,500 sets of sewing equipment. It employs over 10,000 people and annually produces 80,000 tons of cotton yarn, 20 million meters of denim, five million meters of wool and five million pieces of clothing. The group owns the textile company Daiyin, the Sino-US joint venture denim weaving company Jin Kate, and the apparel company Renault. D&Y exports yarn, cloth, woolen clothing products to Japan, Korea, southeast Asia, the United States, and the European Union.
By 2020, the Daiyin group hopes to own 3,00,000 spindles and produce 50 million meters of woven garments, sales revenue in excess of 50 billion yuan, and profits of 500 million yuan.
www.daiyin.com/English/article.asp?articleid=1
The preparation for 'Preview in Seoul 2014 (PIS)' exhibition organized by the Korea Federation of Textile Industries, to be held from September 3 to 5 at the COEX Hall, has commenced. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the exhibition promises new experiences for exhibitors and visitors.
Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI) has organized a strategy committee with participating exhibitors, buyers, exhibition agencies, consulting firms, and other related experts to upgrade the exhibition experience. Since its first edition in 2000, PIS has become Korea’s professional textile exhibition, and from 2005, it has been nominated as a certified international exhibition every year by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), thereby establishing its reputation as a credible source.
Shifting to a much bigger venue, this time, the organisers have fulfilled the wishes of several exhibitors, who want to display their product selection. In the global textile market, Korea’s export of textile goods has augmented. No wonder, PIS, initiated as an international textile exhibition in Korea, soon turned to be a one stop sourcing collection system of both domestic and international yarns and materials, apparel enterprises, subsidiary companies, and digital print companies. Moreover, the exhibition endeavors to become a professional source of innovative and unique fashion and textile trends.
The recent popularity of well-being lifestyle and leisure sports spread wildly in Korea, and the Korean outdoor market is estimated to be the second largest in the world. The upcoming Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics in 2018 will further intensify global interest in the Korean outdoor market. Moreover, the projected prospective growth of the Chinese market increases the possibility of success of the Premium Outdoor Section.
During the exhibition period, new technology, material, fashion, and trend related experts will conduct seminars, an outdoor fashion show, and a brand PT show as well as a variety of other events are also lined up.
www.previewinseoul.com
Leading chemical fiber company from Korea, Hyosung & Kolon is participating in the forthcoming edition of ‘Preview in Seoul 2014’ (PIS), after a long gap of eight years. At the end of May, Hyosung, Kolon FM, and other 130 domestic and foreign companies submitted their applications to exhibit at PIS.
This year’s PIS will consist of rapidly growing outdoor market and local
Chinese brands at the ‘Premium Outdoor Section’, ‘Powerful Apparel Sourcing Section’, ‘Eco-Material Section’, ‘Functional Material Section’, ‘DTP Section’, and ‘Subsidiary Section’. ‘Premium Outdoor Section’ will not only offer outdoor products but also materials that can link different markets, and ‘Powerful Apparel Sourcing Section’ will consist of global apparel vendor companies that have strong competitiveness in the global market.
At a prior briefing, KOFOTI announced the main theme of the exhibition which is: ‘ab-REAL’. ‘ab-REAL’ is a new trend that connects ‘Tactile’ and ‘Fantasy’ together and can portray a fusion of practical suggestions and innovative future market trends. The exhibition’s theme is also further divided as ‘Tricky Ordinary’ (every day’s tricks), ‘Melting Chaos’ (mixed by novelty), and ‘Innovative Fantasy’ (fantasy by technology).
Better Cotton Initiative has become a member of ISEAL alliance, a global membership association for sustainability standards. BCI met the three baseline criteria codes: standard setting, impacts and assurance. Adoption of ISEAL practices by sustainability initiatives provides companies an assurance that the initiative is credible and not just a marketing program or awareness-raising campaign.
Membership of ISEAL demonstrates that Better Cotton Initiative’s global standards program follows credible and effective practices. Following the approval, BCI can now work with other ISEAL members to improve its effectiveness and help demonstrate impact as well as look towards building confidence in its stakeholders that a standard or a label is making a difference to Better Cotton production. In 2013, nearly 7,49,000 tons of Better Cotton were produced through 210 licensed farmers. The year also saw two new brand signatories to the Better Cotton Fast Track Program – Tesco and Tommy Hilfiger.
The International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance was founded in 2002. It is the global association for social and environmental standards. It works with companies, non-profit organisations and governments. ISEAL members are committed to creating standard systems that give business, governments and consumers the ability to choose goods and services that have been ethically sourced and that help the environment and guarantee producers a decent living.
www.isealalliance.org/
The rift between the North American retailers group Alliance and the European group Accord over garment safety inspection in Bangladesh has surfaced again as Accord has declined to accept inspection of any factory by any individual retailer under Alliance. Bangladesh garment factory owners say this stance of Accord would add to the problems of the embattled garment industry. This means more than 200 factories will have to be inspected again even after this has been done by American retailers under Alliance.
Accord says it would consider inspection reports of Alliance on some conditions. All corrective action plans for a faulty unit will have to meet the approval of Accord and all Accord obligations will remain in full effect for Accord brands regardless of whether Alliance brands accept these obligations.
European retailers feel that Alliance is lenient in factory inspection. Accord, on the other hand, has been criticised for its tough stance on the inspection process and its reluctance in giving any fund to workers of any factory closed during the inspection. After the Rana Plaza factory collapse on April 24 last year that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers, western retailers and apparel brands, reacting to public outrage, began a major push to improve safety at the Bangladeshi factories they do business with. But instead of joining forces, the western brands have divided into two feuding camps.
