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In the first quarter of 2014, global yarn production increased by 10 per cent. Worldwide yarn stocks decreased slightly in comparison with the previous quarter as a result of lower stock inventories in South America and Europe. Year-on-year global stocks jumped with higher stock levels in Asia and Europe. Yarn orders in Europe and Brazil were up in the first quarter of 2014. Compared to the last quarter, yarn orders were lower in Europe and Brazil.
Fabric orders rose in the first quarter of 2014 in Europe and Brazil. Global fabric production was down in the first quarter of 2014, due to lower fabric production in Asia, with South America and Europe recording higher output levels. Year-on-year basis fabric production decreased slightly, with Asia’s output shrinking and Europe’s and South America’s output growing. Worldwide fabric stocks were lower in the first quarter, with South America and North America recording lower stock levels, despite higher ones in Asia and Europe.
Estimates for yarn production in the second quarter of 2014 looks positive in Asia and North America, unchanged in South America and negative in Europe. The outlook for yarn production in the third quarter of 2014 is promising in Asia and unchanged in Europe.
Readymade garment exports from Bangladesh hit a record high at $24.50 billion in the immediate past fiscal year, rising 13.86 per cent year-on-year, reveals Export Promotion Bureau data. Industry players have attributed the rise to competitive prices of Bangladeshi products and a higher demand among western consumers.
Export of knitwear products rose 15.02 percent to $12.04 billion, while that of woven garments grew 12.70 percent to $12.44 billion. The total garment exports were worth $21.51 billion in fiscal 2012-13. The total earnings from exports also saw a boost, rising 11.65 percent year-on-year to $30.17 billion in fiscal 2013-14. However, the amount narrowly missed target at $30.50 billion for the year.
Experts feel Bangladeshi manufacturers need to strengthen their capacity in home textiles as the demand for such products is rising among western customers. Besides traditional markets like the US, the EU and Canada, Bangladesh is also performing well in Japan, India, China, South Korea, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Australia and Turkey. Home textiles have the potential to earn one billion dollars a year as the sub-sector already brought in $792.53 million in fiscal 2013-14. Jute and jute goods earned $824.49 million in fiscal 2013-14.
From model and actress Amber Valetta to representatives from Gucci, Eileen Fisher and the Council of Fashion Designers of America will gather to discuss sustainability issues across the supply chain on July 22–23 during the Première Vision Preview New York event in New York. Titled ‘Responsible Creation: Issues and Values for Fashion’, the event will cover responsible creation in the textile and fashion sector.
The panelists include Valletta, who is founder of lifestyle brand Master & Muse and Yoox curator for a clothing, jewelry and accessories collection from environmentally responsible brands. This year, Valetta was also the face of H&M’s sustainable Conscious Exclusive collection. Other panelists include Rossella Ravagli, Head of Gucci’s corporate sustainability and responsibility; Inka Apter, Manager of fabric R&D at Eileen Fisher; Melissa Joy Manning, jewelry designer and member of the CFDA’s Sustainability Committee; Giusy Bettoni, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of C.L.A.S.S.; April Crow, Global Sustainability Director at the Coca-Cola, which is developing a clothing collection made from recycled soda bottles.
The summit will be held on July 22, this will be the third time Première Vision has organized the sustainability panel, which was first held last September at Première Vision Paris and then in October at Première Vision Shanghai. Moving from its longtime home at the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building, Première Vision Preview New York will have more than 300 exhibitors representing high-end European and international textile mills. Première Vision’s textile print and surface design show, Indigo New York, will also be held concurrently at Pier 92 in New York.
US cotton exports may grow by two per cent due to an expansion of the Panama Canal set to be complete by April 2015. Transit time to China from the East Coast through the Panama Canal will be 7 to 8 days longer than the intermodal route. But once the canal can accommodate bigger ships, all-water shipping from the East Coast will be much cheaper than the intermodal option. The expansion will reduce maritime costs for shipments from the Gulf and South Atlantic ports to China by 28 per cent.
The United States would gain in cotton exports mostly at the expense of India and Brazil. Most other cotton-producing countries would experience a modest gain in business. Even so, the deepening of the canal will redistribute wealth among the states as well, increasing cotton exports from Atlantic and US Gulf ports at the expense of Pacific Coast ports.
Historically, the top three destinations for cotton exports are China, Turkey, and Mexico. The top three ports of cotton exports from the US are Long Beach/Los Angeles, Savannah and Houston. Exports from Savannah are growing, with much of the cotton going to Asia.
A 28 per cent reduction in costs would double exports from Savannah and New Orleans and result in a 57 per cent increase in exports from Houston. These gains would come at the expense of exports from Los Angeles and Long Beach, which would see their traffic drop by 70 per cent.
The Zimbabwean textile industry requires at least $200 million in the short to medium term to recapitalize. About $50 million is required to support cotton farmers while the same amount is needed for plant upgrades. The textile sector also needs to recapitalize and restructure to achieve plant and technology upgrades to raise production capacity. The textile sector is a high volume, low margin business. It has to reduce production costs, upgrade technology and increase production capacity.
Zimbabwe’s textile sector at its peak employed about 51,000 people. But the numbers sharply reduced from 13,500 in 2009 to 12,506 in 2010, then to 8,627 in 2011 and to a mere 4,748 in 2012. The textile industry fared even worse than the clothing industry during the same period.
The textiles and clothing sub-sector is an important arm of the manufacturing sector. But there is need for the creation of an enabling business environment. Zimbabwe has major competitive advantages over other textile manufacturing countries. These include: proximity to the industry’s primary raw material cotton, skilled labor and a highly literate population.
Recovery and further development of the cotton chain has potential to strengthen industrialization in Zimbabwe in future. The country should create competitive advantages through legislation.
Eurovet has signed a partnership agreement with Igedo to develop the Body & Beach sector of CPM in Russia. Eurovet is a leader in lingerie and beachwear trade shows with 22 shows globally. CPM is a fashion fair held in Russia since 2003 for men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. The fair is run by trade organizer Igedo. Igedo aims to provide an optimal network that connects exhibitors and visitors and creates added value for participants.
Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States make up a geographical area of significant strategic importance to lingerie and beachwear brands. In 11 years, CPM has moved from 300 brands to approximately 1,700 collections, and welcomed 19,850 visitors last March 2014. The show is presented twice a year and showcases Russian and international brands.
The Body & Beach sector was launched in September 2012, with 80 brands from 15 nations. As a result of the agreement, Eurovet moves in as a co-owner with Igedo for the February 2015 session. The CPM Body & Beach will evolve to become Moscow Mode Lingerie & Swim, in line with the new global campaign of Eurovet’s brands shows in 2015 in Paris, Shanghai, New York, Las Vegas and now Moscow.
www.eurovet.fr/
Hyosung has launched a new eco-friendly elastane, creora easy scour, designed to reduce water use and improve mill quality. Hyosung is an elastane producer. It introduced the product at the Paris Mode City Interfilière show that took place from July 5 to 7 in Paris.
The new product is said to enhance the color appearance of fabric. The company developed this technology using its proprietary finish to meet the needs of mills who are using finer gauge knitting and finer yarns for more delicate fabrics.
The creora easy scour elastane has environmental and quality benefits as the reduced residual oil on fabric surface after scouring will allow mills to dye and finish more effectively. Core compression and lighter weight fabrics that propel the body and enhance performance feature creora high chlorine-resistant spandex or elastane for longevity.
Creora is Hyosung’s spandex brand. Hyosung is one of South Korea’s leading multinational conglomerates. It has factories in Vietnam and Turkey for production of Creora. It maintains a global network of more than 73 subsidiaries and international branch offices around the globe. The company operates in seven performance groups – textiles, industrial materials, chemicals, power and industrial systems, construction, trading and information and communication.
www.hyosung.com › HOME › Business Area › Textile
The 19th edition of the Italian Textiles Trade Show was launched in the Sala Alessi at Palazzo Marino. The launch took place in the presence of Cristina Tajani, Milan City Councillor for Work Policies, Research, University, Fashion and Design, Silvio Albini, President of Milano Unica, Fabrizio Servente, Global Strategy Advisor for The Woolmark Company, Luigi Guarducci Entrepreneur, and Salvatore Mercogliano, CEO of Lineapelle. The trade show will run from September 9-11, 2014 at Fieramilanocity.
The organizers took the opportunity to present to the new projects that will characterise the trade show. The projects envisaged range from the organisation of the event, the new section dedicated to the garment-dyed supply chain, the Japan Observatory and the synergy with Lineapelle, which has come back to Milan after many years.
Exports and imports of Italian textiles in the first quarter of 2014 reversed the negative trend of 2013. It’s now in line with the broader projections made by the international economic bodies and Confindustria’s Research Centre. Signs of recovery are visible in Europe, while there is a slowdown in the Far East, China and, especially, Japan.
In addition to the companies which have supported the event like the Woolmark Company, the event will have Vogue Italia and Carla Sozzani, who will make the space of Gallery at 10 Corso Como available for an exhibition ‘On Stage’. Eight designers, selected from the 50 who participated in the project, will be featured at the inauguration event of Milano Unica on September 9, 2014, through a series of installations inside the Sozzani Gallery.
In its continuing focus on Made-in-Italy excellence, Milano Unica, in collaboration with an exceptional partner like Pitti Immagine, spotlighted a group of entrepreneurs operating in a specific supply chain – particularly important in the Italian textiles-accessories industry – through a striking event that combines business and communication strategies.
Milano Unica China will also be held in China from October 20-23. The 6th edition of this important and successful event will see a team of 126 exhibitors presenting their collections to the demanding Asian market.
Export orders from Bangladesh-based readymade garment factories have dropped by 20 per cent during the January-June period of 2014 against the same period of last year. Small and medium readymade garment units have no fresh work orders as buyers prefer large and compliant factories. A large number of factories have gone for a long vacation for want of work orders. Almost all global brands including Wal-Mart, JC Penny, Zara, Tesco, IKEA, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Uniqlo and Li & Fung are increasingly sourcing from compliant factories.
In such a situation, garment units are desperate for export orders and are searching for new markets like Brazil, Russia, South Africa and Japan. Cost of production has increased due to a 77 per cent wage hike and manufacturers and exporters expect fair prices from retailers.
Bangladesh will face challenges in the European market as the trade block has awarded trade preferences to Pakistan too for the same products. Currently, Bangladesh enjoys zero-duty benefits from the EU under the GSP scheme. Bangladesh also imports textiles and cotton. Given that the country grows little cotton of its own, the local textile and apparel sector is almost entirely dependent on imports of the fiber to spin. Cotton consumption in Bangladesh may rise 8.75 per cent in 2014-15 with higher demand for garments.
Disrupt Unlimited and the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC) have entered into an agreement to establish a partnership to promote innovation in Sri Lanka and enhance opportunities in the fields of textile, apparel and accessories. SLIC through its regular programs will identify inventors with potential to commercialise their inventions in these fields and introduce them for consideration by Disrupt Unlimited. Disrupt Unlimited is the apparel start-up seed accelerator funded by Brandix.
Disrupt Unlimited will review such inventors introduced by SLIC and select suitable candidates to go through its incubator or the Disrupt-a-thon programs, which could lead to funding and additional mentoring to commercialise their ideas. The purpose of Disrupt Unlimited is to take big ideas to the global market. Launched in early 2014, Disrupt Unlimited seeks to inspire, mentor and fund start-ups with breakthrough solutions to disrupt products, practices, processes and business models in the apparel, textile and accessories sectors. The company’s role is to encourage innovators from across industries to develop technology-driven solutions that address challenges at every stage of the supply chains, leading to revolutionary changes in the way apparels, textiles and accessories are made, packaged, distributed and consumed.
www.disruptunltd.com/about/
