"All four micro-factories at the upcoming Texprocess will demonstrate how integrated textile processing works and where micro-factories are already being used. The event, in collaboration with the German Institutes of Textile and Fibre Research in Denkendorf and partners from the industry will display a ‘Digital Textile Micro-Factory. This ‘Digital Textile Micro-Factory’ will showcase three production lines for apparel manufacture, 3D-knitted shoes and processing technical textiles, largely for the motor-vehicle and furniture industries."

Micro-factories, based on networked and integrated procedures, represent the progressive way of making textile processing quicker, more flexible and more sustainable; whilst, at the same time, producing personalised products. These micro-factories will be the main theme of Texprocess to be held in Frankfurt am Main from May 14 to 17, 2019.

Combining 3D simulations with direct data transfer

All four micro-factories at the upcoming Texprocess will demonstrate how integrated textile processing works and where micro-factories are already being used. The event, in collaboration with the German Institutes of Textile and Fibre Research in Denkendorf and partners from the industry will display a ‘Digital Textile Micro-Factory. This ‘Digital Textile Micro-Factory’ will showcase three production lines for apparel manufacture, 3D-knitted shoes and processing technical textiles, largely for the motor-vehicle and furniture industries.

These production lines will demonstrate various stages involved, including CAD/Design, printing, cutting out, assembly, finishing and labelling. They will also combine 3D simulations of clothing with direct data transfer in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

The ‘3D-knitting Line’ demonstrates the entire process from the 3D model to the creation of a geometrically accurate knitting pattern by the software, based on the 3D data set, and the development of a specification of the final knitting data, through to the manufacture of a 3D-knitted prototype. Knitting is the additive manufacturing process for textiles. This line’ is partnered by Stoll.

The focus of the third production line of the ‘Digital Textile Micro-Factory’ 2019 is on the automated processing of technical textiles, personalised for the individual customer, taking us right through to the finished product. Trade visitors will see an on-demand inkjet printing and networked machines with integrated sensors, which are linked through a bus system – a future-oriented topic for integrated manufacturing. In addition, the display will also show how creative ideas from the Cloud can be incorporated in the manufacture of technical products.

Smart Textiles Micro-Factory to provide new interaction techniques

In the ‘Smart Textiles Micro-Factory’, the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA) at the RWTH Aachen University, together with partners from industry and research, will produce a ‘smart’ pillow which, with the help of integrated LEDs, provides new ways of interaction. The partners in the project will present an exemplary, industrial-style manufacturing process for a smart textile from design to finished product. The following companies are involved in the ‘Smart Textiles Micro-Factory’: the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA) of the RWTH Aachen University (project coordination), Gerber Technology GmbH, the Korea Institute for Industrial Technology, VETRON TYPICAL Europe GmbH, Wear it GmbH and ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH .

World of Digital Fashion to focus on customisation of apparel

Six companies have grouped together under the ‘World of Digital Fashion’ umbrella. Together, these companies will showcase ways of integrating and combining their products in a variety of workflows within the value creation chain. Their focus will be on the customisation of apparel and fashion items.

Efka and Gemini to showcase individually designed knitted garments

Manufacturers of drive mechanisms for industrial sewing machines Efka will, in collaboration with CAD suppliers Gemini, showcase the production of a knitted garment that can be individually designed. The core element of this micro-factory, which closely reflects industrial practice, is the link to the sewing stage of production, something which is already available today as an economic, partially automated solution.

The weavers in Surat are upset as the Finance Minister has reduced allocation under Amended Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (ATUFS) to Rs 700 crore. The ATUFS scheme and Rebate on State Levies (ROSL) have been reduced from Rs 2,300 crore to Rs 700 crore and Rs 2,164 crore to Rs1,000 crore, respectively.

This will likely to affect the modernisation in the textile industry. The power loom weavers who have to repay loan installment will face a difficult situation. Backlog in the ATUFS would be over Rs 2,000 crore as over 3,000 projects that got implemented are yet to receive subsidy due to complicated guidelines of ATUFS. The government had earlier allocated Rs17,822 crore, including Rs5,151 crore for ATUFS for the 13th Five Year Plan in order to clear long-pending committed liability.

Surat based Federation of Gujarat Weavers’ Association (FOGWA) has given a representation to Textile Minister to clear the backlog of TUF subsidy. Power loom weavers stated that 1,500 files from Surat are pending for subsidy approval at the textile commissioner’s office under the ATUFS for 10 per cent subsidy. The weavers had ordered machinery from foreign countries for taking benefit of the subsidy. The complicated guidelines of ATUFS have resulted in non-reimbursement of the subsidy amount to the weavers.

Six textile dyeing industrial units in UP have been sealed.
They were found to be operating without any license or pollution clearance certificate. The dyeing units were releasing polluted water without treating it first. All dyeing units need permission for operation from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, which is granted only after an effluent treatment plant is installed at the site. The units were engaged in dyeing jeans and the waste water was being dumped in drains nearby without being treated.

Additionally, these industries were set up in a residential area which does not conform to the prescribed norms.

Following complaints by residents, the units were inspected. Electricity supply to these units has been disconnected.

Noida and Greater Noida have several dyeing industrial units. However, all of them have obtained permission from the department and have installed an effluent treatment plant. An effluent treatment plant treats acidic chemicals released by color and other raw materials used in dyeing.

The team which inspected the site, headed by the city magistrate, was formed based on instructions by the National Green Tribunal.

Meanwhile, the food safety department also inspected and sealed a spice manufacturing unit. The inspection was carried out following a complaint, and it was found that the artificial color used to manufacture the spices was not food grade.

Turkish exports rose 3.4 per cent in February.
Sales of goods to target markets like India and Mexico also recorded substantial growth.

On a sectoral basis, the automotive industry came first in February exports. Turkey’s export champion industry was followed by chemicals, and the textile and garment sector. The highest sectoral increase was seen in the shipping and yacht sector, whose exports rose by 35.4 per cent.

Exports of manufacturing goods accounted for 81.3 per cent of Turkey’s total exports last year.

The exports-to-imports coverage ratio based on the general trade system advanced to 88.6 per cent in February, up from 69.4 per cent in the same month last year. The ratio formed on the special trade system also increased from 69.4 per cent to 86.1 per cent last month.

Germany, the UK and Italy were the top three destinations for Turkish exports in February. The sale of goods to the European Union recorded a 2.3 per cent rise. The share of the EU in Turkish exports totaled 51.7 per cent. Spain and the US ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the top export markets list of February. Strikingly, exports to Malta rose by 18 times and exports to Niger and Gabon tripled.

Fashion is one of the largest industries in the world, producing 100 billion garments a year.
The fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors towards the global economy. It aids millions of jobs around the world. Overall fashion consumption is predicted to rise 63 per cent between 2017 and 2030, with increasing demand from developing countries.

This growth comes at a huge environmental cost. If growth in fashion continues along its current trajectory, by 2050 the textile industry would account for around a quarter of the world’s total allowable carbon emissions.

In order to circumvent the eco impact, leading companies are coming up with sustainable solutions to chart green growth. Nonetheless, progress from the wider fashion sector has remained slow. Brands are proving particularly slow to act in regards to their recruitment processes, worker voice policies and supply chain traceability. Although millennials vouch for sustainable fashion and social change, the eco-friendly factor of a fashion product are often dominated by factors such as price and value. Even though the generation favors sustainable apparel and accessories, the industry is not providing them with sufficient choices that also meet their most important criteria for making a purchase. Fast fashion in particular has been associated with unsustainable practices -– miserable working conditions, unlivable wages, environmental degradation and pollution.

In 2017, Pakistan’s share in world exports of garments was a meager 1.10 per cent.
The primary reason for this poor performance is the narrow export base, which is tilted towards low value-added unsophisticated items. The top six products exported by Pakistan account for 52 per cent of Pakistan’s exports, but only 20 per cent of total world garment exports.

World demand has been shifting to manmade fiber, which Pakistan has been unable to exploit. In addition, Pakistan’s garment exports are not well diversified in terms of destinations. Almost 88 per cent of the country’s garment exports are destined for the European Union and the United States.

Pakistan faces higher production costs and lower productivity compared to its peers. High production costs are in the form of import duty on cotton and manmade fibers, high energy tariffs and minimum wage. This has led to fierce competition with other low-wage competitors leading to small export orders for Pakistan.

Unfavorable tariffs restrict market access. Its currency in the recent past was overvalued with respect to the dollar, making exports less competitive against China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Other impediments include poor access to credit, delay in the payment of tax refunds, low technological adoption, and time-consuming export procedures.

Mexico has refused to approve the labor-reform bill as a necessary step to ratifying the new North American free-trade pact ill the Trump administration lifts the punishing tariffs it has imposed on Mexican steel and aluminum imports.

The push to improve workers' rights in Mexico was a key priority for Canada and the United States during the NAFTA renegotiation as they wanted to level the playing field between their workers and lower-paid Mexican workers, especially in the auto sector.

The new Mexican government wants to rafity its ackage of labor reforms in Mexico's Congress before its April 30 adjournment to reflect the commitments that it made under the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement in domestic legislation. But that won't happen unless the United States lifts its section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum exports.

US President Donald Trump had imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum from Mexico and Canada, using the controversial national-security clause in US trade law -- "Section 232," that both countries say was illegal.

Within five years Maharashtra will have enough spinning mills to process the raw cotton grown by its farmers.
At present the state can process only 30 per cent of its cotton.

In the past, spinning mills were set up in parts of Maharashtra that were not cotton producing. The new policy ensures this mismatch is done away with and the foundation of a properly planned cotton-to-cloth chain development is laid.

Some 115 tehsils have been declared as cotton growing areas in Maharashtra.

Out of these, as many as 55 tehsils are in Vidarbha region alone. A tehsil is defined as one with cotton production of 9,600 tons per annum. This is the amount of cotton production needed to sustain a co-operative spinning mill.

The objective of the decision is to identify tehsils where co-operative spinning mills can be set up under the new textile policy. The decision of declaring 115 tehsils as cotton growing will have a long-term impact on the growth of the textile sector in a planned manner.

The state has made provisions to infuse higher seed capital and incentives for textile entrepreneurs. The market will be strengthened through the farm to fashion policy.

The decision to keep electricity tariff rates low for textile traders has made the sector, especially the handloom industry, more competitive.

Indonesia and Australia recently signed an FTA that eliminates many tariffs, allows Australian-owned hospitals to operate in the giant Southeast Asian country and increases work visas for young Indonesians.

The agreement is subject to ratification in both countries. Indonesia would complete ratification by the end of this year. It will allow Australian companies to have majority ownership of investments in various industries in Indonesia, including health care, telecommunications, energy, mining and aged care.

Nearly 99 per cent of Australia’s exports to Indonesia by value will be tariff-free or have improved preferential access by 2020, up from 85 percent under an existing trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand and 10 Southeast Asian countries. Indonesian exports to Australia will face no tariffs, but it already enjoys substantially tariff-free access to the Australian market under the Southeast Asia agreement.

Separately, Indonesia is planning to allow foreign companies to invest in higher education, where the country is lagging far behind international standards.

The agreement will increase Australia's live cattle exports. Its exports to Indonesia will increase to 4 per cent a year till reaching 700,000.

Australian working holiday visas for young Indonesians will be increased to 6,000 a year from the current 1,000 over six years.

Bangladesh knit sector saw great growth in 2018. According to economists and business leaders, calmness in the country’s political arena, the US-China trade war, and improvement in safety conditions in the ready-made garment factories were main reasons behind the increase of knit export.

Bangladesh knit sector produces top quality knit garments at lowest costs. There are a total of 4,560 garments factories in Bangladesh exporting apparel products in the global market, of them about 2500 are knit garment factories.

With almost all major retailers, Bangladesh has a significant market share in cotton & cotton-rich knit products for the last 16 years. World’s leading brands are sourcing knit garments from Bangladesh like H&M, Walmart, C&A, Zara etc.

Bangladesh exports numerous popular knit items to the global market. Recently Bangladeshi knit manufacturers have concentrated on making value-added items to sustain strongly in the global arena.