FW
As per data released by the US Department of Commerce's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), apparel imports from Vietnam witnessed the most rapid growth to the US in November. Vietnam has gained the biggest share of US apparel imports so far this year. Apparel imports have not grown much this year. The value of total apparel imports for the first 11 months of 2014 increased by only 2.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2013, to just over $75.8 billion.
Many US apparel brands spurred away due to rapidly rising wage rates in China which had led to a shift away from that country. As Vietnam has aggressively expanded its apparel and textile capabilities to attract more customers in the US and Europe, US apparel imports from Vietnam totaled a record $8.5 billion, up 14.6 per cent over the first 11 months of 2013.
Vietnam is exporting more expensive garments to the US than in the past. Key categories for Vietnam are women's cotton knit tops, women's and men's cotton pants, women's manmade fiber knit tops and dresses, and cotton underwear.
China has suffered the biggest share loss so far in 2014, dropping from 37.4 to 36.6 per cent of total US apparel imports. Imports from China fell 4.5 per cent in November to $2.1 billion. Indonesia edged ahead of Bangladesh as the third largest source of apparel to the US. Both countries have lost share so far this year. India has gained a small amount of US apparel import share this year (4.2 per cent) of total US apparel imports. Mexico has declined to 4.5 per cent of total dollar imports of apparel. A decade ago ,it was the second largest source, after China.
A state-of-the-art fiber-weaving-dying and complex is on the cards in Vietnam as the Vietnam Textile Group, Vinatex, is set to build it in the country’s Que Son district. The unit to come up this year will cost of $71 million. Deputy general director of Vinatex, Tran Van Pho, says that the complex is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Vinatex and the province signed two years ago.
The complex is in the central region to be prepared under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement will boost the textile and garment industry in Quang Nam, Da Nang and other neighboring coastal central provinces.
The project would contribute to the provincial budgets as well as add jobs. It has been designed to produce 4,600 tons of spindles and a production line of textile, knitwear and dye manufacturing of 5,000 tonnes of products. Vinatex will also start construction of a fiber production plant in Thang Binh District and a garment plant in Nui Thanh District.
A sharp fall in the euro, the official currency of 19 EU-member countries, is affecting Bangladesh’s exports, mainly of apparels. This has added to the countries woes at a time when trade is also struggling hard against damaging domestic problems stemming from blockades and strikes.
The 27-member eurozone remains the largest export destination for Bangladesh and the euro has fallen to a four-year low in January through erosion of its value by 12 per cent. On the other hand, in view of the downturn, some developing countries considered rivals to Bangladesh in the export market have depreciated their currencies to tap the benefits from falling euro.
Exports from Vietnam and Cambodia to the euro zone grew 28.9 per cent and 23.9 per cent respectively from July to September. Exports from Pakistan that enjoys a GSP plus status with the European Union, surged 30 per cent during the period under review.
Bangladesh’s total garment exports to the EU rose only 5.1 per cent during the July to September period. The usual growth in the market share used to be double-digits earlier. The decline in euro is affecting the garments sector in terms of price cuts as buyers usually want to lower the prices of imported goods to remain competitive in their respective countries.
As the new President of International Apparel Federation (IAF) for the next two years (2014-2016), Rahul Mehta, President has chalked out an active roadmap for the association. There are several new initiatives that Mehta aims to introduce during his term. This includes increasing the interaction among members, organizing Asia specific buyer-seller meets, facilitating students to take up internship programs among others.
Plans to further establish IAF positioning
Mehta who is also the president of Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, is looking to boost the Association with various initiatives. “My first goal is to increase interaction between members and the secretariat and provide more information. I am planning to tie-up with an agency in India, which will prepare a quarterly or monthly report on the industry across the world and share it with our members. We have tie-ups with international trade publications but these tend to be commercial in nature. Now, I want a non-commercial venture. An agency will do research and analysis out of its own resources and distribute it to members,” explains Mehta, elaborating on the goals, he is looking to implement immediately.
He feels merely being a member of IAF is not enough, association members should also 
benefit from IAF activities. The Netherlands-based IAF, is a federation of the national clothing associations of nearly 50 countries, including the US, UK, Europe, Japan, China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, among others. It represents over 150,000 companies who provide products and services to the apparel industry. Each country is represented by only one industry association which is invited to be a member of the federation.
Elaborating further he says, “I am hoping to organise buyer-seller trade meet ‘A2A-Asia to Asia’. There are international students who want to work in Indian or Chinese companies. There could be some exchange program to benefit them. Fashion students from the UK or the US may undertake an internship with Indian brands and vice-a-versa. IAF can probably act as a facilitator for such activities.”
Talking about the importance of IAF activities, Mehta says, “The associations interact with each other under one roof. So you can understand the economies, markets, policies of each country. And through the associations you can submit your views and suggestions to those economies and you can somehow also influence the policies of those countries. While we don’t represent any government and can’t enforce our views beyond a point, it helps in better coordination and cooperation between different countries. The federation consists of buying nations and supplying nations. So it’s a bridge where the concerns of both are addressed.”
Giving examples, he points that though Accord and Alliance are from the Europe and the US and working independently in Bangladesh, IAF has been invited to be an impartial coordinator between these two. “We have a global responsibility committee which addresses the concerns of manufacturing countries. One issue we are taking up is audit fatigue. For instance, a large manufacturing unit in Sri Lanka goes through 300 audits a year, which means an audit almost every day. Does it make sense? Is it needed? It may not be practical to aim at just one global program. But IAF is trying to create some common features so that individual buyer audits can be restricted to just a few of their requirements.”
Under his leadership, IAF is trying to create a formal structure for information sharing, under which if an association is a member of IAF, it has a payment dispute with a buyer who is also a member of IAF, then one can address the issue through IAF. Also, so far most international fairs have been between the west and south-east Asia. “But there is very little Asia to Asia trade exchange. IAF is trying to do something about this,” he avers.
There is a technology committee that strives to continuously update the industry on latest technological developments across the world. IAF is trying to explore whether it can be looked at from the apparel perspective. IAF discussed RFID technology before any retailer or a brand invested in it. The virtual trial room was also discussed three years back, so IAF plans to help members update on the technological developments. “IAF can become a useful networking platform, where members can meet people from the same industry and explore opportunities,” Mehta sums up.
In a recent finding, compliance service provider AsiaInspection (AI) says that factory inspection results in Bangladesh improved gradually in 2014 as brands pushed for higher standards. The Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) inspection results in the country had improved through the year. It is likely due to the enormous pressure being applied on brands to demonstrate ethically compliant supply chains in Bangladesh following causing buyers to be more careful about selecting suppliers and push them to improve standards, AI said in its 2015 Q1 Barometer report.
Meanwhile, 5.6 per cent of ethical audits in Asia failed on child labour grounds, a slight increase, the company said. AI auditors continue to discover child labourers in factories. Tackling the issue is not easy for brands and retailers in supply chains that are increasingly complex and fragmented, but action can be taken to safeguard these children’s childhoods, said AI CEO Sebastien Breteau.
The main reason for failing ethical audits was health and safety, with India the worst offender, behind Bangladesh and China. Working hours and compensation was the second most common cause of failure, AI said. Changes in global manufacturing cost-competitiveness were likely to prompt buyers to target countries like Mexico in 2015, taking advantage of lower costs and proximity to markets, the company has said. The erosion of China’s estimated cost advantage would also give a potential boost to Asian rivals such as India and Indonesia.
Première Vision Pluriel has now become Première Vision Paris and the next edition will be held from February 10 to 12, 2015. Première Vision Paris, the ensemble of six shows, mutually complementary shows, has been integrated since last September and is now managed by a single and unique organization, Première Vision. This strategic evolution will be solidified at the forthcoming edition with the launch of a new brand policy based on the name Première Vision.
The six shows of Première Vision Paris respond, in effect and above all, to the same exigencies of quality and creativity in terms of offer and services. Their total integration under the aegis of Première Vision allows the coordination of their selection processes. For each show - and for the first time for Première Vision Leather, the exhibitor companies were rigorously selected by a committee composed of professionals in the sector. Despite this meticulous selectivity, some 127 new international companies were chosen for the six shows. Première Vision Yarns: The next edition of the international yarn and fibre show, Première Vision Yarns (ex Expofil), will present the latest developments in the sector for Fall Winter 2016-17.
A larger number of exhibitors from 35 countries will present their latest developments for Spring/Summer 2016. Première Vision Designs show (ex Indigo): This season, Knitwear Solutions will present for the first time the collections of seven new knitters, selected by an expert committee. Première Vision Manufacturing (ex ZOOM): A logical and coherent reorganization of the offer directly linked with the recent integration of the six shows of Première Vision Paris.
Maison d’Exceptions in its 4th edition promotes encounters between exceptional products, traditional or innovative, and high-end and luxury brands and fashion designers searching for unique pieces or limited editions. For its 4th edition, this exclusive and annual space - situated at the centre of Première Vision Fabrics in Hall 6 and accessible only by invitation - has been revamped.
Première Vision Leather: For its next edition Première Vision Leather (ex Cuir à Paris) confirms its position as the premium international show for leathers and furs, and profits from the synergy among the six Première Vision Paris shows to welcome the principal leaders in the sector. Tanners, manufacturers of technical components and suppliers of textiles for accessories will all present their new collections for Spring Summer 2016.
Première Vision Designs: With the number of studios and designers already surpassing the 198 exhibitors of February 2014, the next edition of the show for textile design and creation is predicted to be dynamic and very active.
Première Vision Accessories: The next edition of the international show of accessories and components for fashion and design is expected to welcome a number of exhibitors equivalent to February 2014 - there were 294.
Britain's textile industry is getting back its glorious days. Luxury labels like Mulberry and Burberry are bringing production back home. Young tailors are once again being schooled in the art of suit making at London’s Savile Row. Britain's textile industry was once an engine of the UK economy but declined since the 1970s as firms moved to China or India to take advantage of lower costs.
Brands feel that producing in Britain will help them bring products to market faster and charge a premium. For the first time in five years, producers are investing in new equipment such as state of the art digital printers and weaving looms. Lingerie and sleepwear maker Headen & Quarmby brought all production back to England from Asia to gain greater control and proximity to its UK customers. The global appetite for British-made products is driving investment in skills at some of the country’s biggest luxury brands. High end leather goods maker Mulberry has run its apprentice program since 2006.
While Made in Germany is still the brand to beat in many areas of manufacturing, British-made goods are increasingly seen as a mark of quality in textiles. The US remains the UK’s largest export market. But the highest premiums can be found in Qatar and China. Consumers there are willing to pay up to seven per cent more for products from Britain.
The next edition of ITMF will be held in San Francisco from September 10 to 12, 2015. This is an annual conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation. Textile companies from various countries meet and discuss matters of common interest.
The textile industry of the United States is globally competitive. Over the last three years, the pace of investment has increased as foreign manufacturers are turning to the United States for production. ITMF is based in Switzerland. Apart from organizing the conference, it publishes statistics on shipments and stocks from the entire textile production chain. The conference is considered to be the most important gathering of the global textile industry.
Initially, ITMF represented and promoted the interests of cotton spinning and manufacturing industries around the world. The rapid development of man-made fibers broadened the range of membership. At the same time, vertical integration in textile enterprises changed the structure of the industry, and the federation enlarged its scope and became a multi-fiber and multi-process industry association.
The federation acts as a kind of liaison agent among textile industries and governments and intergovernmental organizations interested in the textile industry. It acts as a voice for the world textile industry in issues relating to raw materials.
www.itmf.org/
As expected, heavy footfalls were reported on the first day of Pitti Uomo which was on January 13. The expo was mostly visited by the insiders, agents and press, rather than key and international buyers who usually come to Florence starting with the second day.
Different views were reported from the exhibitors after the cancellation of Bread & Butter (B&B) in Tempelhof, Berlin. They had already decided to leave the Berlin trade show before Karl-Heinz Mueller officially announced his cancellation. The cancellation of Bread & Butter happened when exhibitors for this January edition of Pitti had already been set and decided. Entrepreneurs had already decided on their new strategies and where to exhibit before.
As per Sauro Mariani, marketing manager, Antony Morato, ‘life goes on and one has to look ahead.’ Nobody speaks about B&B being cancelled, but people take their decisions and look for alternatives. We had already decided to focus on Pitti Uomo when we saw these frequent changes of strategy, he added.
GAP expo is being held in Bangladesh from January 14 to 17, 2015. Garment Accessories and Packaging expo is a fair for garment accessories and the packaging industry. Over 300 companies from 30 countries are showcasing their products and collections to garment exporters and buying houses.
Companies making corrugated cartons, hang tags, barcodes, tags, sewing thread, printed and woven labels, zippers, hangers and buttons are displaying their wares. The fair aims to bring into focus the country’s strength in backward linkages. It provides wider access for sourcing machinery and latest technology from all over the world. Two other fairs: Garmentech Bangladesh and International Yard and Fabric Sourcing -- are also being held at the same venue simultaneously.
Garmentech Bangladesh is a technology and machinery sourcing forum. It is aimed at decision makers, sourcing managers and technical managers from the readymade garment industry in the country.The Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association is the second largest export oriented trade organization of the country and represents more than 1,200 carton and accessories industries of the country. The export-oriented garment accessories and packaging sector is growing at an annual rate of 13 per cent, with its value addition standing at over 40 per cent.
