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Australia is all set to almost touch a figure of one million tons in raw cotton exports to become the third largest exporter of raw cotton in the world, says the National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness Rural Commodities Wrap report. It further said that recovery in cotton prices was likely to have acted as an incentive to production, with prices above historical average levels and more favorable than alternative crops.
However, dry-land cotton planting are minimal due to the extended and extreme drought conditions that impact growing areas. According to the report, the Australian dollar was forecast to track lower to 84 cents by the 2014 December quarter, which should provide further benefits to exporters. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) is also predicting an easing off of exports this year to just below one million tons. Australia had hit record exports of cotton in the year 2012-13.
China will continue to hold its influence on global exports, continuing the trend it has followed over recent years. Two years of stockpiling cotton has lifted China's stocks-to-use ratio to the point where it would be self-sufficient for 18 months without any production or trade. This has pushed the world ratio to an all-time high of 89 per cent. Report also said that a speedy recovery in the economy of major developed countries is also contributing to a turnaround in the global textile sector.
www.nab.com.au
As a part of its expansion plans, South Korean company Daewoo International Corporation, has decided to pump in $22 million in two production capacities of Daewoo Textile Fergana and Daewoo Textile Bukhara in Uzbekistan. With the expansion of production capacities, they plan to increase their production volume to $170 million by 2016 and $300 million by 2020.
The relevant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Uzbekengilsanoat State Joint Stock Company and Daewoo International Corporation on expansion and modernization of production capacities of the Daewoo Textile Fergana and Daewoo Textile Bukhara. Both the companies will invest $12 million dollars from their own resources in 2014-2015 to expand their spinning capacities by 4,000 tons. The companies will invest another $10 million dollars to modernize and expand their capacities in 2016-2017. Around $3 million were invested in spinning production in Fergana and Bukhara to purchase new spinning equipment for improving the quality and volume of produced goods.
Daewoo Textile Fergana was founded in 1996 by Daewoo International Corporation which invested about $100 million in development of textile production. It specializes in textile production, in particular cotton fabric and yarn. The textile plant is located in the south of Fergana valley in the Eastern Uzbekistan. While, Daewoo Textile Bukhara is a leading company in textile field was launched by Daewoo International Corporation in Bukhara in 2008. Yarn produced by Daewoo Textile Bukhara is exported to many countries. In 2013, Daewoo Textile Fergana produced goods for $107 million and Daewoo Textile Bukhara worth $44 million.
Sheikh Ilyas Mahmood, Chairman and Adil Tahir, Vice Chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) feels technology constraint is one of the major reasons why Pakistan has not been able to achieve rapid socio-economic development. He demanded that the government must introduce latest technologies in all sectors to revive the economy and ensure sustainable growth of the country.
He further added that Pakistan has not been able to make requisite advancement in modern technology in the fields of industry, production, energy, infrastructure and other sectors due to which the country has not been able to exploit untapped potential in many sectors of the economy. He said that to facilitate investments in modern technology, the government should lower tariffs on the import of latest technology and machinery apart from conducting surveys in industrial units and providing technical expertise to industries for applying modern technologies to reduce wastage and improve energy efficiency.
www.ptea.org.pk
Gaziantep, which is the center of the Southeastern Turkey, is all set to welcome OTM 2014 Middle East Textile Machinery Exhibition participants and visitors. Expressing interest in the exhibition, authorities from domestic and foreign companies have said that for the first time such an expansive exhibition is being organized in Gaziantep, Turkey after ITM exhibitions. Leading brands in the field are getting ready to participate and showcase their latest machineries at the OTM 2014 to be held from October 16 to 19, 2014.
Tüyap Tüm Fuarcilik and Teknik Fuarcilik, which organized the ITM Texpo Eurasia textile machinery exhibition of the world, have this time partnered for a new meeting in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, a center of textile investments. OTM 2014 exhibition is organized with the partnership of Tüyap Tüm Fuarcılık and Teknik Fuarcılık and the collaboration of Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce.
Investments in textile have started to be made in cities such as Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Malatya and Niğde besides Adana, Gaziantep, Kayseri and Kahra manmaraş which are the important textile cities of Turkey. Gaziantep, which is located in the center of this region, has ideal features to host the most important textile and ready to wear manufacturer firms of the world. Gaziantep is the most suitable city in the region to host local and international participants as it has become the economic and commercial center of the region.
Morocco's industrial strategy has made textiles a priority. Five projects are underway and agreements have been signed. These projects will create 400 new jobs. The government wants to raise the contribution of industry in GDP from 14 per cent to 23 per cent by 2020 and create 5,00,000 manufacturing jobs. Pursuing a policy of increased job creation and value addition, it is developing productive eco systems and groupings of industry sectors. This has already been successful in the automotive industry which has overtaken the textile industry in the amount earned by exports.
One factor that has always been to Morocco’s advantage is its proximity to Europe, and the other is the relatively lower wage costs and the natural skill and dexterity of its workers, the majority of whom are women. Morocco has become a major supplier to fast fashion brands, where fast turnaround times and delivery are required. The American market also remains very important for Moroccan textiles and garments and is aided by the free trade agreement between the two countries.
Morocco’s textile industry has survived despite strong competition. After merger and rationalization, the textile industry looks to penetrate global markets.
Gütermann and American & Efird have decided to merge. The two companies are the world’s most renowned sewing thread manufacturers. By merging, the two companies will meet the challenges of globalisation and the changing aspects of customer requirements. In addition it is expected that through merging the competencies and the knowhow of the companies will lead to significant synergies and a more apt positioning on the world markets.
Germany-based Gütermann is celebrating its 150th year of existence. It is a leading European manufacturer and distributor of quality sewing thread and accessories for private customers as well as for manufacturing of clothing, shoes, leatherwork, protection wear, home textiles and the automotive industry (airbags, seat covers, etc.) with a focus on European markets. The brand has manufacturing sites in Spain, Mexico, and India.
A&E was founded in 1891 and is by far the largest American sewing thread manufacturer, number two worldwide. The product ranges apply to similar sectors as Gütermann, but go also to medical and other technical applications. A&E has manufacturing sites in over 20 countries and sells mostly in America and Asia. The group has around 10,000 collaborators and is known for sustainability and social responsibility.
https://www.guetermann.com/, www.amefird.com/
After a Northern Ireland shopper claimed to have found a message from Chinese dissident inside their trousers purchased at the Primark store, the company had to clear its stand against allegation that it sourced clothes from forced labour camps or prisons in China. Amnesty International said that a local woman handed over a secret note hidden inside a pair of trousers, supposedly written by a Chinese worker held in a forced labour camp.
Primark has said that it would investigate her claims, however, there is no evidence that any of their clothes were made from slave labour camps in China.
According to Primark, the three-quarter crop trousers, that the woman purchased were last ordered by Primark in early 2009 and were last sold in Northern Ireland in October 2009. They found it strange that the matter was brought to light now, given that the trousers were on sale four years ago.
Nine inspections of the suppliers have been carried out by Primark's ethical standards team since 2009. And the team did not find any prison or other forced labour of any kind during these inspections. It was the first UK retailer to sign the accord on fire and building safety in Bangladesh in order to work collaboratively with other brands and stakeholders in the industry to bring about sustainable long-term change in the country.
At the recent Tokyo Girls Collection 2014, held in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, audience was mesmerized to see model Ashley gliding down the ramp in a bridal dress with trail made from Fairy Feather silk, weighing just 600 grams. Fairy Feather silk is the thinnest in the world and was developed locally by Saiei Orimono, based in Kawamata, Fukushima Prefecture.
This innovative silk has a distinct supple and light transparency to it lending a rippling effect and shimmer to the ensemble. The town of Kawamata has long been one of Japan’s renowned silk production centers. It is said that Kawamata silk has been in production for at least 1,300 years. In the Meiji Era (1868-1912) local manufacturers began mass-producing of silk, boosting the industry’s status. Saiei Orimono, which was founded in 1952, began developing ultrathin silk fabric in 2009.
Of late, silk production in Kawamata is hit hard by cheaper overseas products dumped in the market. The volume of production has decreased to a dismal 10 per cent compared to the buoyant times, it had witnessed in the past.
www.saiei-orimono.com
Zimbabwe is set to benefit from the €11 million funds set up by the European Union to revive its clothing and textile industry. Under the Cotton to Clothing Strategy, the European Development Fund has made available several resources to African countries. Zimbabwe is in the second and last stage for considerations which is expected to be finalised and polished before being launched on September 4, 2014. Zimbabwe held a second consultative workshop on Cotton to Clothing Strategy for the country. This step is expected to assist revival of the entire cotton value chain. Additionally, the EU has also launched a new program called Support for the Consolidation of the Action Framework under the EU-Africa Partnership on cotton.
Zimbabwe was also set to benefit from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) €4.8 million and another €1 million allocation as a part of the regional economic integration efforts to support Zimbabwe. The textile and clothing subsectors were contributing two per cent to the country’s gross domestic product from 5 per cent in the 90’s. At its peak, the industry used to employ over 35, 000 workers.
South Africa will soon have a new sustainable textile and apparel cluster to supply more traceable products. The initiative is backed by a five-year production plan to leapfrog the local industry’s competitiveness in sustainable textile and apparel manufacturing. It will supply local and international customers with fully traceable sustainable apparel and household textile products.
One of the main aims is to support local industry, both by developing production capacity and using local raw materials -- starting with cotton and then broadening its scope to include all natural and synthetic fibers. There are also plans to establish a National Sector Body to represent the entire value chain from fiber to end-product, with sector leaders working closely with government to map out the future development of the industry and address mutual issues of national concern.
Funding for the initiative is through the Competitiveness Improvement Program, which, in turn, is part of the overall Clothing and Textiles Competitiveness Program aimed at stabilising employment and improving overall competitiveness in clothing, textile, footwear, leather and leather goods manufacturing. The textile and clothing industry in South Africa offers the full range of services, from natural and synthetic fiber production to non-wovens, spinning, weaving, tufting, knitting, dyeing and finishing.
