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Anna Mitchell has been appointed as Managing Director of Coats Group’s UK Crafts business. The company is the world’s leading industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business.
Mitchell was Group Director of Communications, earlier, which also included overseeing investor relations and has been with Coats since 2013. By developing and implementing UK Crafts’ business strategy and activities, including financial and commercial metrics, customer and supplier relations, sales, marketing and distribution, Mitchell will be responsible for ensuring the profitable and successful operation of its business.
With the sale of the EMEA Crafts business to the Aurelius Group, recently, the Coats Crafts business has undergone change. The deal, which was announced in February and completed in July, excluded the UK Crafts business, which remains part of Coats, as does the Americas Crafts business.
CEO Crafts, Coats plc, Michael Schofer said that the UK is an important sales and distribution market for some of the best known textile craft brands and that they have strong relationships with large retail chains, online players, independent retailers and some exceptional designers. He added that Mitchell be a great asset to their business as they build and develop it further in this key market.
www.coats.com
Since India adopted genetically modified cotton in 2002, two states have been suffering the first major pest infestation since. This has raised concerns over the vulnerability of the lab-grown seeds that yield almost all the cotton in the world's top producer.
According to local officials and experts, in the states of Punjab and Haryana, damage from whitefly attack on the Bt cotton variety is likely to be extensive and has even been blamed for farmer suicides.
There’s debate over the usage of GM crops, though the country’s overall crop losses are expected to be low as the states are not major producing centres. At Monsanto, Bt cotton was tweaked by scientists to produce its own insecticide to kill pests such as bollworms. However, two years of drought have encouraged the spread of whitefly against which the strain has no resistance. The leaves of the cotton plant are damaged by the winged pest by sucking out fluid.
A spokesman for Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) said that Bt technology is effective only against specific type of bollworms that are known to cause maximum yield loss and economic damage to the cotton crop. To counter the infestation of whiteflies, at present there are no approved agriculture biotechnology solutions and farmers are recommended to spray approved pesticides as a solution.
Older cotton strains are cheaper than Bt seeds and these have to be bought new each year by farmers. Companies marketing GM cotton say that growers are better off as they get higher yields and save money on pesticide. However, some farmer groups are concerned about the growing dependency on the new varieties.
www.monsanto.com
The leading multinational conglomerate of Korea, Hyosung Corporation is introducing some trend right fabric concepts using specialty creora spandex at Interfilière Shanghai.
The new fabrics are thus—creora eco-soft low heat settable spandex with nylon for intimate apparels with fine gauge and light weight, creora Color+ dyeable spandex with MIPAN Aqua-X for cool touch for sports bras, creora Color+ for lace in colourful and delicate fabrics for moulded bras and shapewear, creora Black dope dyed black spandex for interesting effects, such as stripe and two-tone, and creora highclo super chlorine resistant spandex in 20,30 denier for lighter weight fabrics and 55 denier for more compressive performance.
Hyun-Joon Cho, President, said that Hyosung has a competitive advantage in its ability to develop new fabric concepts using their technical development centre in Jiaxing. He added that they could leverage innovations in creora spandex, combined with new Mipan nylon and Hyosung polyester fibres, to support their customers in new business development.
The company will be conducting customised business development workshops to help its creora partners growth their business at the Shanghai Interfiliere trade show, Cho explained.
www.hyosung.com
About 80 per cent of respondents said they expect the TPP to affect their business practices. However, the level of impact depends on the rules of origin and market access provisions, she said. Hughes concluded by saying that the final agreement contains a yarn-forward rule of origin and limited short-supply list, though they remain hopeful it will also include many opportunities for fashion brands, retailers, importers, and wholesalers to expand their global businesses.
Cambodia split over TPP
The successful conclusion of the TPP though, received different responses. In Cambodia, industry insiders are split over whether or not the new pact will limit the Kingdom’s trade growth potential in the US market and see future investments diverted to Vietnam.
The 12 members of the TPP agreed on a framework that would liberalise trade between the members and foster inclusive development and promote innovation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Secretary-General of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia, Ken Loo, felt that while the agreement was expected, it could eat into the Kingdom’s already declining economic competitiveness, which is plagued by rising labour costs and logistical deficiencies.
He added that the TPP will remove most tariffs in the textiles and apparel segment, apart from a few sensitive products where tariffs will be eased off over a longer time frame. This, at the end, he said may act as an advantage for Vietnam with a rise in their garment exports.
Other important nations at advantage
Vietnam undoubtedly seems to be the biggest winner in this agreement, where the booming garment and shoe industries are set to benefit from the elimination of tariffs in the US and other major importing nations.
Besides Vietnam, experts feel that the Japanese car and auto parts and Malaysia’s electronics and semiconductor industry will also benefit from the trade deal. Eventually, China too could join in, if it meets the environment and labour standards.
South Korea too will be affected by the TPP. In free trade agreement (FTA) terms, the country has an edge over Japan, but there is a more positive side for Japan from TPP membership in terms of cumulation of origin (terms). Japan has an applied tariff rate of less than one per cent for South Korean exports there, while South Korea’s tariff rate on Japanese imports is over seven per cent. Japan’s non-tariff barriers are beyond resolution by an FTA, and South Korea’s has a technology edge in key parts and materials areas.
For Australia too, the benefits are immense. About A$9 billion of import taxes from Australian trade will be removed and the country will have access to the US sugar market. Also, tariffs will be reduced on iron and steel products, pharmaceuticals, machinery, paper and auto parts, which will help the Australian manufacturers.
For New Zealand, 93 per cent of the tariffs will be removed with its TPP partners representing annual savings of about NZ$259 million ($168 million). The dairy industry itself will save around NZ$102 million a year; this industry accounts for about a quarter of exports. Tariffs on beef exports will be eliminated with the exception of Japan where they will drop to 9 per cent from 38.5 percent.
Indian exports too would be affected by the TPP, though it has stayed away from the pact. India will now have to compete with regard to exports from other TPP members. FTA negotiations with the EU for maximum gains, is something India needs to relook into. Also, India’s strategic ambition of membership of APEC should factor in TPP. India’s foreign policy has been robust in this regard and has succeeded in creating strategic goodwill for the country’s entry in APEC. However, the country’s trade policy has to match up to the goodwill. Thus, TPP may have brought on its biggest challenge for convergence in foreign and trade policies for India.
The biggest trade agreement in history, the TPP, according to the White House, will eliminate 18,000 tariffs on U.S.-manufactured goods, while giving everyone from Vietnamese shrimpers to New Zealand dairy farmers’ cheaper access to markets across the Pacific. However, critics say, this will kill American manufacturing jobs, reduce environmental standards and raise drug prices.
Ustr.gov/tpp
At FESPA China 2015 to be held from October 21-23, 2015 in Shanghai, China, over 400 exhibitors are slated to show digital wide format, screen and textile printing technologies.
In stand N 1166, Kiian Digital will launch the latest product in their range of sublimation inks, Digistar Evo, and inks designed for Ricoh print heads, states a FESPA press release. While, the J-Lux, a new series of dye-sub inks with superior light fastness designed for polyester substrates and for applications such as fashion, home decoration, sportswear, flags and banners, will be at stand N 1064, J-Teck3.
Stand N 1361 will have Microtec, that will showcase its two flagship products—Wunderboard HD Aluminium Photo panels, and APEX UV Printers which are designed for industrial bulk production. Inkcups Now Corporation at stand N 1028 will demonstrate Tagless Printing or pad printing of neck labels directly onto garments.
Moreover, there will be a full day of conference sessions on October 22 in both Chinese and English, with seminars covering various topics including the growth of digital textile and screen printing across Asia.
Roz McGuinness, FESPA Divisional Director stated that they are anticipating a great event when FESPA China opens. Those visiting would discover applications and technologies, which will help them to grow their business, as exhibitors would be bringing their very latest equipment, he stated.
Besides, McGuinness added that visitors would be able to combine their time in the halls with attendance at educational sessions, which would give them insight and inspiration into how to evolve in a rapidly changing market.
www.fespa.com
Sales of outdoor clothing and footwear in the UAE are rising. Outdoor climbing, hiking and running are becoming popular in the country in the winter months. Sales are likely to grow by 15 per cent month-on-month from October to February.
The outdoor apparel and footwear market in Dubai is up six per cent year-on-year mainly driven by increasing awareness of health and wellness. Another factor driving sales of outdoor goods is the government’s investments in new running and cycling tracks, which encourage people to take part in outdoor activities.
This year, outdoor apparel is projected to amount to around 70 per cent of total demand. In the last few years sales of outdoor apparel and footwear in the country have increased due to rising consumer per capita disposable income, coupled with more health-conscious individuals, an increase in the population of the UAE and major international sporting events and championships being held in the country.
However while sales of outdoor goods will increase in the cooler months, they are expected to be softer than last year, as the retail sector’s growth slows down this year. The strong dollar, to which the UAE dirham is pegged against the euro and the rouble, has lowered spending of European and Russian tourists.
Clothing giant Primark has joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), a non-profit that helps clothes companies measure their ethical performance. The Higg Index developed by the SAC is a self-assessment tool that allows companies to calculate the sustainability performance of their supply chain and identifies areas that need to be improved. The tool assesses both environmental and social impacts of products.
In a statement, Primark said that it was “committed to reducing the impact that it has on the environment and would use the SAC's sustainability tool to improve the environmental performance of its supply chain. By measuring sustainability performance, the industry can address inefficiencies, resolve damaging practices, and achieve the environmental and social transparency that consumers are starting to demand. By joining forces in a Coalition, we can address the urgent, systemic challenges that are impossible to change alone.
" Almost forty apparel and footwear brands, including Adidas, GAP and H&M, are already members of the SAC, along with manufacturers, retailers, industry affiliates, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), academic institutions and environmental non-profits. Primark was one of several companies implicated in the 2013 collapse of a garment factory in Rana Plaza, Bangladesh, in which more than 1,100 workers lost their lives. Primark contributed $12million in compensation to the workers.
www.primark.com
Addressing a textile event ‘Pakistan Japan Textile Day’, organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Japan Textile Importers Association (JTIA) Senior Expert Yasuhiro Shoda said that Pakistan could enhance its textile exports to Japan since the country offers a wider scope and available cushion for them to excel in the Japanese market. He further said that the country needs to work on the process design and curtail its costs.
Shoda said that in Pakistan, the labour cost is high and process design is uneven and there is a dire need of more production management techniques and problem solving methods for quality improvement. QTEC General Manager Hisao Nishiyama said, “Japan has a $100-billion apparel market and Japanese consumers are quality conscious and like maintaining quality standards.
” TDAP Director General Shahzad Hussain Rana stressed that Pakistan had a dynamic, vigorous and export-oriented textile industry that has an overwhelming impact on the economy and this is a good time for Pakistan to take positive steps towards entering the Japanese market. He also said that events like these would raise awareness among Pakistani companies regarding the trends and requirements of Japanese importers to increase exports.
www.jica.co.jp
International Textile Fair was held in Dubai on October 11 and 12, 2015. A wide range of brands and products that meet all tastes and needs was available at competitive prices. It’s had around 200 exhibitors, mainly from Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Turkey along with various traders from the local market.
This is the second edition of ITF. It is the United Arab Emirates’ exclusive trade show for fashion and textiles. It gives global fashion, home and industrial textile companies a platform to cater to the local market and reach out to the emergent gulf textile industry. It also allows visitors to access top international suppliers of textiles in multiple product categories.
Much of the importance the fair has gained is credited to Dubai's global status as a prominent hub for the textile and apparel trade in the Middle East, Africa and nearby markets. The United Arab Emirates is becoming the world’s leading centre for textile industry automation with a presence of about 150 apparel manufacturing companies. It accounts for about 5.5 per cent of the world’s annual textile and clothing sales. It’s the world’s fourth largest trading center of fashion and apparel.
In time the UAE hopes to become the world’s leading high end textile and garment re-export center.
www.internationaltextilefair.com/
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has announced a "Black Day of Unviability of Textile Industry of Pakistan" from Karachi to Peshawar on Wednesday, October 14, 2015. Addressing a press conference, Tariq Saud, Central Chairman APTMA, said that Pakistan's textile industry was facing worst-ever crisis of its history and thus unable to compete in the world market.
Pakistan's textile export share in global market has decreased from 2.2 per cent to 1.8 per cent from 2006-2013, whereas exports share of regional competitors enhanced by 75 per cent, from 1.9 per cent to 3.3 per cent for Bangladesh; 35 per cent, from 27 per cent to 37 per cent for China and 35 percent, from 3.4 per cent to 4.7 per cent for India respectively. “If the situation persisted and the government would not take preventive measures to protect the domestic textile industry, Pakistan would be out of the list of exporting country of textile items,” he said.
Raising issues faced by the industry, he said that government has increased gas prices for the captive and general industry in addition to levy of GIDC @ Rs 200 for Captive Power Plants. "Due to the levy of GIDC and increase in gas tariff by 23 per cent, the cost of gas for industry has been increased to $6.7/MMBTU for Industry and $7.7/MMBTU For captive power plant as compared to India $4.2, Bangladesh $3.1, Vietnam $4.2/MMBTU." In addition, electricity tariff in the regional competing countries is between 6 to 9 cents whereas it is Rs 15 per unit or 14.5 cents per unit in Pakistan. He said that unplanned import from India is directly hurting the domestic industry as custom duty on import of cotton yarn in Pakistan is 5 per cent whereas India has imposed 28 per cent duty on yarn import making export of yarn to India from Pakistan unviable.
Pakistan's textile industry could never compete with the Indian industry because of the high cost of doing business which has led to the closure of number of mills resulting in the rate of unemployment is increasing day by day. He said that the government should review trade with India and impose a minimum 25 per cent regulatory duty on import of yarn from India.
www.aptma.org.pk
