Global Cotton Sustainability Conference will be held in Chinafrom June 12 to 13, 2019. The global conference provides access to an international audience, prominent stakeholders within the cotton industry and organisations with a commitment to sustainability. The event will bring the entire sector together to shape a more sustainable future for cotton. Industry leaders and experts will get an interactive opportunity to explore topics at field level, in the supply chain and in the consumer-facing business.

Prior to the conference, the Better Cotton Initiative will host its annual member meeting to share organisational updates, report on Better Cotton supply and facilitate a new peer-engagement platform.

Although globally China has retained its position as the major producer of cotton, India has edged out the United States as the second largest producer of cotton. The location of China’s cotton production has tended to shift towards its west, particularly Xinjiang. This shift has had a positive impact on aggregate yields of cotton in China because growing conditions for cotton tend to be more favorable there than in eastern China, especially compared to areas in the Yellow River region. Improvements in farming systems have also played a role in increasing cotton yields in China and elsewhere.

The trade conflicts between the United States and China will benefit Bangladesh apparel production and exports. Since China’s exports to the US will dip and it will lose competitiveness, and the supply chain will be affected, emerging trade relations could offer an opportunity for Bangladesh to increase its export and capture greater space in the global value chain.

Given the demographic dividend Bangladesh enjoys, this could emerge as a sustained contributor towards creating new job opportunity for the youth. In the next two years, overall exports from Bangladesh can fetch an additional $400 million under the escalation of trade conflicts and GDP can grow by 0.19 per cent in the same period.

Of the $400 million additional export earnings, $00 million are expected from the textile and garment sectors. The apparel sector is likely to benefit the most from the trade tariff tension. Leather and leather goods and ICT may also prosper.

Business may relocate to Bangladesh and other Asian countries. Already for the last few months, new export orders are coming in for Bangladesh. For January to November 2018 Bangladesh’s exports to the US market were up by 5.72 per cent. Apparel exports to the US market jumped six per cent in the same period.

The European Union will decide whether or not to revoke Cambodia’s preferential trade status. Following concerns over democratic and human rights setbacks in Cambodia, the EU has launched a process to temporarily suspend the Everything But Arms (EBA) deal that grants Cambodia preferential access to the European market. A number of sectors may be impacted by the suspension of EBA, including tourism, construction, and agriculture. However the EBA will probably not be revoked, as Cambodia has plenty of time to negotiate with the EU and defend its position. The temporary suspension of the EBA is an 18-month process.

EBA preferences can be withdrawn in case of some exceptional circumstances, notably in the case of serious and systematic violation of principles laid down in fundamental human rights and labor rights conventions.

Cambodia is expected to remain an attractive destination for foreign investment. It is no surprise if European firms continue to invest in Cambodia even if the EBA is suspended because the country has great potential in several industries. The EU is a key trading partner for Cambodia, especially for garments and footwear. Cambodia is expected to grow by seven per cent in 2019. Growth will be driven by garment exports, tourism, construction and real estate and agriculture.

Information provider World Textile Information Network (WTiN) has been accepted as a member of the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA). This is one of a growing number of industry partnerships that plug into the information provider’s unrivalled value as a source of intelligence on smart manufacturing and materials.

AFFOA’s mission is to bring about a domestic manufacturing-based revolution in the US by advancing and strengthening the supply chain through the development of sophisticated, integrated and networked textile devices. As a member, WTiN will assist in the creation of business opportunities within the AFFOA community and may host or participate in AFFOA Education and Workforce Development activities.

WTiN, based in the UK has established its leadership position as a provider of intelligence on advanced materials and digitalisation technologies through its recently expanded portfolio of online channels: digital textiles; textile 4.0; performance textiles; protective textiles; and smart textiles. WTiN aims at promoting advanced digital techniques within the luxury fashion sector by giving designers the necessary skills. Its network spans design, manufacturing and retail. For a UK-based information provider to be admitted into the heart of the US community of advanced textile developers is a major endorsement of its global service and the value its team can bring by its communication and analysis of the latest ideas in textile and apparel technology.

American imports of blue jeans rose 7.83 per cent in 2018. Mexico’s shipments of blue jeans to the US grew 3.11 per cent in the year. Mexico has a 21.2 per cent share of the US market. US blue denim apparel imports from China rose 1.51 per cent in 2018. China has a 24.29 per cent share of the US market. Jeans imports from Bangladesh rose 11.73 per cent, giving the country a 14.68 per cent market share. Vietnam’s shipments jumped 43.02 per cent, giving Vietnam a 7.68 per cent market share. Imports from Pakistan were up 15.26 per cent, giving the country a 6.39 per cent market share. Cambodia’s shipments rose 20.5 per cent with a market share of 2.93 per cent.

African countries are slowly establishing themselves as a low-cost sourcing alternative. Egypt’s blue jeans shipments rose 6.06 per cent for the year, with a four per cent market share. Imports from Lesotho increased 5.57 per cent. Madagascar’s shipments were up 10.46 per cent and imports from Kenya jumped 50.57 per cent.

In the western hemisphere, where goods generally land in the US duty free under free trade agreements, imports from Nicaragua increased 14.19 per cent, Colombia’s shipments rose 33.92 per cent and imports from Guatemala were up 15.87 per cent.

The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders for sanctions to be lifted to give the country a chance to recover from its economic crisis. Sanctions were imposed under the rule of Robert Mugabe, who brought the country to near ruin during his 37-year tenure. The west accused him of rigging elections, rights abuses and oppressing opponents before he was ousted after a coup in 2017.

Zimbabwe believes the new dispensation has laid a firm foundation for future relations with the United States. But a military crackdown on post-election violence last August and fuel price protests in January offered stark indications that the country is reverting to the authoritarian streak that characterised Mugabe’s rule.

The sanctions bar US officials from voting for Zimbabwe to access funds from foreign lenders like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, hobbling its economy, which is gripped by a severe shortage of dollars. With high inflation, and a shortage of cash in circulation eroding ordinary citizens’ spending power, the fragile state of the economy is at the heart of the country’s political troubles. The EU has retained sanctions on Mugabe as well as an arms embargo on Zimbabwe.

The Sewn Products Equipment and Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) hosted its ninth Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference on February 27, 2019 bringing together a group of leaders on the frontline of manufacturing to discuss the current and future state of innovations in the sewn products industry. Held in conjunction with Techtextil North America, the event attracted more than 90 attendees from 18 states (including the district of Columbia) and five countries.

SPESA started the Advancements Conference nearly a decade ago in response to continual changes in manufacturing technologies, including advancements in sewn products equipment. This year’s event focused specifically on issues and opportunities related to microfactories, on-demand manufacturing, software connectivity and automation, touching on the role robotics now play in the industry.

The conference featured Mike Fralix of [TC]2 as moderator, who was joined by a leading group of panelists, including Michael Rabin, president at Morgan Tecnica America; Leonard Marano, vice president at Gerber Technology; Yoram Burg, President at EFI Optitex; Kirby Best, President & Chairman at PAAT International; Toni Lublin, Communications and Partnership Manager at Lectra North America; Roberto Mangual, CEO at Exenta; Mariano Amezcua, President at DAP America; Rick Frye, Director of Engineering at Brother International; and Henderson.

The Tamil Nadu government has announced a host of incentives for the textile sector. The just released Integrated Textile Policy 2019 includes a 2 per cent interest subvention for investments on technological upgrade and modernisation in existing spinning mills, increase in interest subsidy for handloom weavers, cooperative societies to 6 per cent, scheme for free supply of power to powerloom weavers at 750 units bimonthly, and 10 per cent credit-linked capital investment subsidy for processing the sector under the Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS), among others.

The state government will also extend 2 per cent interest subsidy for modernising spinning machines, a 10 per cent capital subsidy for the weaving and garment sectors,a subsidy of up to 25 per cent of project cost with a ceiling of Rs 10 crore for a trade facilitation centre, a 10 per cent capital subsidy for wider width fabric processing, a 5 per cent interest subsidy for common effluent treatment plant, a 15 per cent capital subsidy for the individual effluent treatment plant, and a Rs 1-crore R&D assistance for effluent treatment plant.

This apart, the state government also announced incentives for technical textiles, including a 9 per cent capital subsidy, a 6 per cent interest subsidy, 100 per cent stamp duty exemption and also Rs 1-crore assistance for overseas study. The sops also include setting up of mini textile parks with 50 per cent subsidy.

AIC-NIFTTEA Incubation Centre for Textiles and Apparels will join hands with ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT) to promote ‘Salt-free dyeing technology’, which would not use salts for setting dyes on fabric or yarn resulting in reduced virility of effluents. The eco-friendly method, already successfully tested in woven fabric, was developed by the Mumbai-based CIRCOT, and the institute wanted to take it to the knitwear industry now.

Since cotton gets negatively charged once soaked in water, negative-charged reactive dye would not get transferred on it. To convert cotton into positive charge, common salts are utilised. But in the technology developed by CIRCOT, cotton would be pre-processed to positive charge by cationisation. So fabric or yarn can absorb dye without using salt as catalyst.

For one kg fabric or yarn, 0.5 to 0.6 kg salt is used in the current technology. It would result in formation of effluents which would even carry TDS up to 80,000ppm, and after the treatment of effluents, it will be reduced to 16,000 ppm.

With the salt-free technology, TDS of the effluents would be reduced to 1,600ppm from 16,000ppm, below the CPCB permissible level — 2,100ppm. This technology will save cost of the dyeing process as the units have no need to buy salts or spend more in the effluent treatment process.

India has extended rebates for apparel and made-ups manufacturers and exporters. Rebates of state and centre levies and taxes will be done through IT driven scrip system thereby preventing delays and ensuring speedy disbursal. The decision is important as apparel and the made-ups sectors have a combined share of 55 per cent in the total Indian textile export basket. It will have a direct impact on these segments thereby increasing the competitiveness of India’s textile exports globally.

The proposed measures are expected to make the textile sector competitive. Rebate of all embedded state and central taxes and levies for the apparel and made-ups segments would make exports zero-rated, thereby boosting India’s competitiveness in export markets and ensure the equitable and inclusive growth of the textile and apparel sector. So far, apparel and made-ups segments were supported under the Scheme for Rebate of State Levies (RoSL). However, certain state and central taxes continue to be present in the cost of exports.

There are many levies outside GST that are embedded in export prices, and so Indian apparel exporters often demanded higher duty drawbacks and RoSL rates. The ROSL scheme is in tune with the recognized economic principle of zero rating of export products.