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G7 countries are taking action to promote sustainable global supply chains by boosting labor rights, decent working conditions and environmental protection. Group of Seven (G7) member countries are Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States.
An estimated 450 million people work in global supply chains. A multi-donor Vision Zero Fund will be created. The fund will support social dialogue and standards on occupational safety and health and fundamental principles and rights at work in global supply chains.
About 2.3 million men and women die every year from work-related accidents and diseases. An estimated four per cent of the world’s GDP is lost annually due to the costs of work-related accidents and diseases. The Vision Zero Fund will help prevent and reduce the number of workplace-related deaths, injuries and diseases. Gaining access to global supply chains can be an important part of strategies for poverty reduction. The fund will help make this route safer.
G7 has also expressed support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its sustainable development goals, especially by working alongside developing countries. It also stressed the need to provide more information to consumers and to promote more responsible value chains.
The ‘Sustainable Development and Business Practices – 2015 Green Supply Chain Forum’ was convened jointly with Tianjin Green Supply Chain Center (TGCC), China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC), Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) on October 22. Industry associations and 60 internationally known companies and over 200 guests from relevant government departments, and NGOs, included Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), SEE Conservation, China National Textile And Apparel Council (CNTAC), China Electronics Standardization Association (CESA), Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Amazon, Unilever, Huawei, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Toyota took part.
The Head of the Steering Group of Tianjin Green Supply Chain Management Pilot Project, Jindu Cui, expressed his sincere wishes to the forum, hoping that it can be held on a timely, regular and customised basis henceforth, to continually enhance the demonstration effect and multi-stakeholders communication.
A plenary session and four afternoon sub-sessions around the themes of Green Procurement, Green Supply Chains and Green Consumption, Green Transformation of the Textile Industry and Green Supply Chain Innovation in the IT Industry were held at the forum.
Managing Director, TSC Greater China, Weidong Zhou said it was a great honour for TSC to hold the forum with partners and support the translation and publication of the Chinese version of the study. He pointed out that it is the crucial time for accelerating ecological civiliaation construction to achieve industrial green upgrade under China's 13th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development in China. TSC would bring its research strength and product sustainability tools to actively promote sustainable development and supply chain management in China's manufacturing industry, Zhou stated.
Two Dhaka RMG factories have been pulled up by a review panel for unsafe conditions. ARA/Apparel Exports has been asked to suspend production partially by a review panel of factory inspections.
Safety faults were found by the panel and it advised the factory to go for detailed engineering assessment (DEA). Apart from this, Finery Limited in Dhaka was also asked by the panel to conduct DEA in next the 10 days. The panel warned that closure will be the option if the factory fails to fall in line. Both the garment factories are located in the city’s Darussalam area.
Structural flaws in the building were discovered by Accord and Alliance earlier and they asked for partial evacuation and DEA. However, the authorities refused to comply. Government review panel was sought for help by Accord and Alliance.
Syed Ahmed, Chief Inspector of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishment stated that the review panel members visited two factories and asked one to suspend production in the top two floors while another was to do DEA within 10 days. He added that the ARA/Apparel Export Ltd produces RMG products for EU retailers, while Finery Ltd supplies to the North American buyers.
Alleging violation of a global trade rule for export competitiveness in textiles, the US has opposed India’s latest round of incentives to boost exports. The US raised this issue after India increased support for exports of several products including textiles while expanding the scope of the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) on October 30,.
Leading markets including African countries came under government exports of cotton fabrics, both woven and knitted, and made-ups, under the MEIS. When the export share of a developing country with per capita income below $1,000 a year touches 3.25 percent in any product category for two consecutive calendar years, it is deemed to have gained ‘export competitiveness’. This is as per the World Trade Organisation's agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures.
For eight years, from the second year of breach, such a country is then required to phase out export subsidies for the items. The WTO mandates developing countries to phase out the export subsidies within the eight-year period, preferably in a progressive manner. in 2010, the WTO had asked India to consider phasing out the subsidies for textiles and clothing.
India cannot give additional subsidy during the phase-out period said a US official and the US has flagged the issue of export competitiveness in textiles. India has crossed the export limit and the government is aware of this but the market is moving slow, said another official in the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council.
Australia’s cotton shipments to nearly all major markets are down. Over the previous four seasons, Australia had shipped nearly two-thirds of its exports to China. However, since the harvest started for 2015 crop, Australia’s exports as a share of the crop are at a 10-year low, largely on weak import demand from China.
In fact, many cotton exporters’ shipments have been affected thus far in 2015-16 by weak demand from China. Major importers have resorted to hand-to-mouth buying. In contrast, the United States has thus far in 2015-16 managed to offset lower shipments to China with higher shipments to markets in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.
Brazil and Turkmenistan have had robust sales. Competitively priced, quality varieties remain in demand, especially for export to destinations where mill use remains relatively strong, notably Vietnam and Turkey.
World production is lowered, mostly due to changes in India, China, and Pakistan. Consumption is slightly lower, ending stocks are lowered, while trade is about even. For 2015-16, Brazil’s exports are expected to be four million bales. Turkmenistan’s exports are likely to touch 1.1 million bales. On the other hand, Mali’s exports would decline to 1.1 million bales. Likewise exports from Greece are projected to fall to one million bales.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is gaining ground with at least five more countries planning to join the trade pact. At present there are 12 TPP members including Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the United States and Vietnam.
Countries that have at various times indicated interest in joining TPP are South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Colombia, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India. The Trans-Pacific Partnership would affect 40 per cent of the world economy. It’s expected to cut red tape globally and set the rules for the 21st century for trade.
The deal could reshape industries and influence everything from the price of cheese to the cost of cancer treatments. It is seen as a challenge to China’s growing dominance in the Pacific region. It sets tariff reduction schedules on hundreds of imported items from pork and beef in Japan to pickup trucks in the United States.
The deal sets minimum standards on issues ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection. It also sets up dispute settlement guidelines between governments and foreign investors separate from national courts. It would give Japan’s automakers a freer hand to buy parts from Asia for vehicles sold in the United States.
A denim archive is being set up in the Netherlands. It will hold a multi-brand collection of denim garments contributed by industry leaders, brands and iconic denim wearers. The focus of the archive is the period between 1945 and 2045. Pieces may be of interest because of their design, fabric, construction, wear, finish, fit, era, or simply because of a story behind them.
Archival garments will be stored, along with their attached story sheet, and kept separately in closed containers, with the most valuable pieces under lock and key. On display will be a pair of knit-denim flare jeans with no waistband, no pockets, no fly, and 360 degree stretch; a pair of jeans in original, organic selvedge cotton, with a bright blue wash and mild cracking, paint splatter and some distress; a pair of handspun, hand woven, natural indigo jeans with irregularity in the thread, in the weave and in the color because it is all hand done.
The aim of the archive is to connect and inspire people in their passion for denim, to show the range of what denim has been, can be, and what it means to people. The project wants to make denim accessible to everyone for inspiration, study and reference, both in the physical form and soon also online.
Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo will make Turkey its production hub for the exports to Europe. Uniqlo produces a billion units a year. Now, It’s planning to boost production to five billion units. Uniqlo is the third largest company globally on a sectoral basis.
Turkey will become Uniqlo’s fifth production hub in the world following India, China, Americas and Southeast Asia. The group is targeting sales worth $50 billion in 2020 and hopes to open a ,1000 stores a year. It currently reaches customers through 1,427 stores in 16 countries. Its business volume in 2013 was $14 billion while growth was at of 20 per cent on an annual average. The group has seven brands. The major one is Uniqlo, which accounts for a 30 per cent share in the group.
Fast Retailing is the parent company of Uniqlo, Theory, and J Brand. Uniqlo started as a chain of suburban roadside stores in Japan. In Japan alone the company operates over 840 stores. It has over 400 stores in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan). The company has a relatively small European presence: one in Germany, 10 stores in the UK, 8 stores in France and five stores in Russia.
www.uniqlo.com/
Ludhian-based Kauno Baltija has adopted the 3D virtual prototyping solution by Lectra, with which it has been partners for 20 years. Kauno is a high-end women’s wear manufacturing company that makes goods for European brands.
With Lectra’s 3D virtual prototyping solution, Kauno has been able to reduce development time, facilitate seamless communication at the product development stage and achieve perfect fit. Lectra’s solution enabled the company to visualise, adjust, and virtually grade styles on a 3 D avatar, which helped in producing clothes that fit perfectly in every size.
Also, the virtual prototyping solution helped the company incorporate design into its process along with communicating the new brand aesthetic between the designers and in-house patternmakers. Lectra’s prototyping software provides visibility between the designers who work freelance and our in-house teams, and this allows for early decision making.
The software also helps in raising the skill level of workers and revamping their processes. Lectra solutions deliver a new approach to product development by combining advanced pattern-making tools, such as digital grading with 3D technology. Its industry and solutions experts provide companies with insight, expertise, best practices and support to help them meet today’s industry challenges.
www.lectra.com/en/fashion-apparel/lingerie-solutions
Spun-dyed yarns continue to be in demand because of superior colour-fastness, cost advantages and, most of all, tighter environmental rules and regulations for dyeing works within the Chinese market. An influence on the development of micro-components and original parts is a logical consequence of this trend. During ITMA the Oerlikon Manmade Fibres segment focused on solutions for customer-specific requirements and looked into the subject of spun-dyeing, as it is a technology company.
A new sensor that identifies yarn breaks in particularly critical yarns such as extra-fine or spun-dyed yarns has been developed by Oerlikon. Many times, conventional optical sensors do not register extremely fine or coloured yarns and thus signal a yarn break, which results in a direct interruption to the spinning process. The black yarns, commonly used in the automobile industry are a particularly serious challenge for sensor technology. The new dual sensor of the Manmade Fibers segment can prevent this misdetection, reliably identifying yarn breaks, with a second ‘eye’.
Small components used in texturing also are challenged by spun-dyed yarns and they result in considerably faster wear to the coatings of yarn guides to this end. Due to their high carbon content, black yarns in particular have a very aggressive impact on yarn guides. This is a considerable cost factor for texturing companies with increasing market shares for black yarns.
After Sales Manager Achim Beul, while talking about the new coating in practice, said one of their customers has been running the new yarn guides without any noticeable wear and with outstanding yarn parameters for six months now.
