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The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), and the HEC-NYU EU Public Interest Clinic have filed a formal complaint against the European Union (EU) for failing to adhere to human rights obligations regarding trade policies towards Bangladesh.
Bangladesh benefits from preferential tariffs on its exports to Europe under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP).
But the country has committed serious and systematic violations of fundamental workers’ rights. Additionally, its labour laws create significant obstacles to the exercise of the right to freedom of association, to organise and to bargain collectively.
Further, the government has also not effectively enforced even these flawed laws, and workers complaints to authorities are routinely ignored.
Despite all this, EU has not launched a formal investigation concerning Bangladesh's GSP status. Furthermore, the commission has failed to create a transparent and objective process for deciding when an investigation should be launched, making it impossible for NGOs or others to participate.
Dozens of clothing manufacturers in Tel Aviv have decided to dump garments them into a pile that eventually grew to 20,000 items, available for passerby to pick through and take home. The event was organized by a group called the Movement for Israeli Fashion, and was designed to protest what the over 150 members of the group said was the government’s failure to protect them from unfair competition.
Some of the issues that are clothing manufacturers and retailers are because of the overrated shekel, next to zero duty on clothing imported from the far east, and the requirement that Value Added sales Tax (VAT) to be paid on purchases from Israeli retail stores while items that are bought online from foreign sales sites are exempt from all taxes in most cases..
The organization is also demanding that the government impose tariffs on Chinese imports, or negotiate a trade deal that will make it as easy and as cheap for them to export to China to protect manufacturers. All Western countries except Israel have tariffs in place on Chinese imports. The EU has a 12 percent tariff on such imports, Canada and Australia an 18 percent tariff, and the United States between 17 percent and 33 percent, depending on the item.
The Islamic Fashion Institute was founded nearly three years ago in Indonesia's third largest city of Bandung. The school is teaching students in the world's largest Muslim majority country the usual skills of design, styling and marketing but with a religion-specific twist. It offers nine-month courses in fashion styling, marketing, and basic styling and about 140 students have signed up now
Institute aims to teach students to make unique designs and become leaders in modest fashion and they need to be taught about wearing clothes according to Islamic rules.
The trend towards garments that meet religious requirements is becoming more visible among the burgeoning middle class in Indonesia, where, for years, few Muslim women covered their heads, or opted for traditional batik or Western clothing.
The Indonesian websites of leading online retailers such as Lazada.com and Zalora.com now have pages dedicated to Islamic fashion.
The country hosted its first Muslim Fashion Week in 2015 and the industry ministry aims to make Indonesia a "Muslim fashion hub" by 2020.
Pakistan’s garment industry wants help in increasing the country’s exports to overcome the trade deficit of the country.It’s felt this will ultimately increase the foreign exchange of the country which is the need of the hour.
Exporters want payment of refunds to be expedited. They say exports should not be taxed and that the Export Development Surcharge should be withdrawn. They feel great dividends can be reaped by abolishing this levy.
Pakistan’s textile exports rose 7.2 per cent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year. Other economies like China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam grew their exports at a compound rate of 20 per cent or more during the same period.
Textile exports make up around 60 per cent of the country’s total exports. The textile sector has the largest share in Pakistan’s exports.
Pakistan’s competitors are upping the ante on textile exports to make inroads into more global markets. While China’s share in global textile exports is 36 per cent, Vietnam contributes 12.4 per cent, and Pakistan seven per cent.
Various problems are being faced by the country’s textile sector including the high cost of doing business, multiple taxes and surcharges.
Pakistan predominantly being a textile export economy is struggling to maintain its share in global textile markets both in basic and value added textiles.
A textile cluster is being set up with 40 units near Kariapatti in Virudhunagar district near Madurai. This is likely to provide employment to around 2,000 people.
While sectors such as engineering and automobiles are non-starters in the region, industries manufacturing tyres, rubber parts, garments, knitting and hosiery, powerloom and ancillary units are functioning in the industrial estates at K. Pudur, Kappalur and Uranganpatti and outside.
While the textile park near Vadipatti is functioning well, it is not the case with industries in K. Pudur and.
Many small and cottage units are no more viable due to competition from cheaper goods imported from China. Modernisation of plants requires huge capital and expertise but the lack of support from the government and pressure from financial institutions has forced many entrepreneurs to wound up their business.
China’s exports to the U.S. of textiles and apparel may have plummeted by 10.9 percent to 2 billion square meter equivalents (SME) in April 2018.
But this hasn’t stopped textile and apparel shipments to the U.S. from increasing by 1.1 percent in April to 4.99 billion (SME) compared to a year earlier, led by major increases from Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, India and Cambodia, according to the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA).
In dollar terms, China’s exports to the U.S. in April fell 12 percent to $2.3 billion, as industry imports overall rose 3.9 percent to $8.02 billion.
Among the top 10 suppliers, imports from India rose 13.2 percent to $707.27 million, Pakistan’s shipments increased 24.5 percent to $236.98 million, Bangladesh’s grew 16.8 percent to $460.88 million, Vietnam’s were up 6 percent to $978.22 million, South Korea’s rose 6.8 percent to $73.54 million, Cambodia’s increased 27.8 percent to $218.32 million and Indonesia’s were up 11.3 percent to $426.48 million.
"The industry has been slow to learn lesson, things are getting on track. The women’s plus size fashion market has witnessed growth of over 38 per cent from two years ago, reports Smith. The plus size market is the fastest-growing segment in the US, but it still accounts for 1.6 per cent of the market, which is mysterious when around 67 per cent of women in the US wear a size 14 or larger. Nordstrom is now expanding its plus-size selections to include 100 brands and integrating them in with its core size range, rather than segregating it into a separate woman’s department, where the shopper is reminded that she doesn’t belong where the real fashion is."
The average American woman wears between size 16 to 18, according to research by assistant professor Deborah Christel, at Washington State University’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles. She has made it her mission to make the industry aware about inherent fat biases by teaching a class to expose weight discrimination as a social justice issue. For too long, the industry has been entirely blinded by the fact that a consumer can be plus size and passionate about high-quality clothing and have the money to shop for it, said Katie Smith, retail analysis & insights director, Edited. Social media has helped fuel discussions around inclusivity, acceptance and is challenging old stereotypes. The Gen Y and Z consumers are far more open-minded and inclusive than any other consumer before them. And their impact on luxury, advertising and beauty has been, and will continue to be, enormous. The increased body-positivity these consumers are creating is finally hooking the fashion industry.
The industry has been slow to learn lesson, things are getting on track. The women’s plus size fashion market has
witnessed growth of over 38 per cent from two years ago, reports Smith. The plus size market is the fastest-growing segment in the US, but it still accounts for 1.6 per cent of the market, which is mysterious when around 67 per cent of women in the US wear a size 14 or larger. Nordstrom is now expanding its plus-size selections to include 100 brands and integrating them in with its core size range, rather than segregating it into a separate woman’s department, where the shopper is reminded that she doesn’t belong where the real fashion is.
The company, however, said it will still maintain a separate plus-size department for convenience, but its ‘size-inclusive’ initiative will give size 14 shoppers access to the same styles as her size 2 shopping companion. A company statement stated that petite and plus sizes shouldn’t be considered special categories. They are just sizes. Now Nordstrom shoppers can select from extended size offerings from inclusive brands like Topshop, Rag & Bone, Theory and J. Crew’s Madewell on the same rack. Specialty fashion retailer Express is also broadening its range of sizes from 00 to 18, but only in 130 stores out of its total base of 600 full-priced and factory stores.
Designing requires great expertise
Designing plus-sized clothing requires greater expertise and awareness of how to dress the real woman’s body, not designers’ favorite 6-foot-tall, size-00 model. According to Tim Gunn, long-time chair of fashion design, Parsons the New School of Design, there is no reason larger women can’t look just as fabulous as all other women. The key is the harmonious balance of silhouette, proportion and fit, regardless of size or shape. Kim Camarella-Khanbeigi, founder, Kiyonna and an early pioneer in plus-size fashion, stated that the fit is science. You can’t just grade up and expect the style to flatter and fit the same. Today, her brand is displayed at 250 stores nationwide, as well as being available on its own website, Amazon and Zappos. The business opportunity to dress the curvy woman is great and growing.
Business of luxury plus size fashion
As per data, only about 0.1 per cent of the luxury and premium market is plus sized. What luxury brands don’t seem to pay attention to is that plus-size shoppers are already their customers, be it of their beauty, perfume, footwear, accessories or leather goods lines, rather than apparel. While it is true that affluent women are less likely than lower-income women to be plus sized, it is safe to assume that at least 25-33 per cent or more of the nation’s affluent women don’t fit into the luxury industry’s standard 0-12 size range. Gucci for one has paid attention and offers an increasing range of styles in large and XL sizes. It will also help Nordstrom fill its racks as it broadens its plus-size offerings. Smith asserts that plus-size celebrities and influencers now have very visible global platforms for voicing their frustrations with an industry that can’t dress them. With social attitudes towards inclusivity shifting rapidly, luxury brands don’t want to lag in this opportunity.
Asian garment manufacturers are eyeing North Korea as the region’s next low-cost sourcing destination. The country’s garment and textile industry was estimated to be worth $725 million in 2016, a substantial proportion of its economy, and even with sanctions in place, apparel manufacturing employs a significant number of North Korean citizens in state-run factories around the country.
Manufacturing in North Korea allows manufacturers to move sourcing closer to existing supply chains, while making goods in one of the cheapest markets. Wages in the country are less than half of what they are in China and North Korean workers are reported to be more productive than Chinese workers.
Also, as China focuses on producing more complex, technical garments and Vietnam’s continues to grapple with labour shortages, a reformed North Korean manufacturing sector could solve a number of regional supply chain problems. For many years, low-cost industries had to move to countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh; the arrival of North Korea on the scene would certainly provide them a welcome change.
Kenya has opted to commercialise Bt cotton. This is expected to revive the textile industry and promote the economy while creating jobs by 2022. Hybrid cotton is expected to increase production threefold as compared to traditional cotton.
There will be a shift from traditional farming methods. Bt cotton remains confined to field trials. Adoption of technology to produce Bt cotton is seen as one of the solutions that can help the continent produce sufficient cotton and also revive the collapsed sector. Kenya can save on foreign exchange which is spent on imports from neighboring countries like Uganda and Tanzania.
Bt cotton has benefits like reduced exposure to pesticides, reduced spraying, reduced workload and reduced use of water. At present only 40,000 farmers are involved in cotton production instead of the projected 2,00,000. The sector is characterized by a low lint production of 4,000 tons against a market demand of more than 25,000 tons.
Cotton production in Kenya has been on the decline in the past two decades mostly due to neglect of farmers and the collapse of cotton mills following massive imports of second hand clothes. While the country has the capacity to produce 3,68,000 bales annually, it produces less than 30,000 bales.
Cinte Techtextil will be held in China from September 4 to 6, 2018. This is Asia’s largest biennial event for the entire technical textile and nonwoven sector. It will feature some of the industry’s biggest machinery brands. Andritz Nonwoven whose specialty is technologies for dry laid, wet laid, spun bond, spun lace, needle punch and textile calendaring will highlight its aXcess product portfolio, which has been especially designed for medium-capacity production. Its neXline spunlace eXcelle line features state-of-the-art TT card web forming and JetlaceEssentiel hydro entanglement units for high capacity and speed.
Lindauer Dornier will offer a number of weaving machine varieties including rapier, air-jet, open reed weave and more. Its rapier weaving machines have set the technological standard in the high quality wool textile market for decades, and this quality will be on display at its booth with the Dornier P1 rapier weaving machine.
Oerlikon will introduce spun bond technology to the Chinese market this year. As the Chinese domestic and export markets’ demand for quality technical textiles and nonwovens products continues to increase, overseas machinery brands enter the country, using Cinte Techtextil China as their starting-out platform. China is the world’s largest producer of technical textiles and nonwovens.
