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The garment industry is plagued by reports of dodging workers’ rights in the steadily growing Myanmar garment and footwear sector with new factories popping up all around Yangon’s industrial center, generating exports of $3 billion every year.
Research indicates that along with the potential physical and psychological costs of poor working conditions in garment factories, there can be significant financial harm, to both the women and the industry.
According to a 2017 report by Care International shows that in Cambodia, the productivity cost of sexual harassment in the garment sector is estimated to be $89 million per annum: $85,000 due to employee turnover as workers leave jobs where they feel unsafe, $545,000 due to absenteeism and $88 million in reduced productivity.
Prompted by the Cambodia figures, Ellen Maynes, Gender Operations Officer at International Finance Corporation, a part of the World Bank Group, says the organisation is planning the first-ever attempt to measure the scope of workplace harassment in Myanmar and how much it’s costing the country’s businesses.
Polyester is posing a threat to all natural fibers. World production of polyester went from five million tons in 1990 to more than 50 million tons today. Most of that growth occurred in China alone.
Cotton’s share in fiber use has dropped from 50 per cent to just over 30 per cent. Pressure from polyester production will continue and that is just a reality all natural fibers, including cotton, have to face.
However all is not lost. There is evidence China is shifting away from polyester production due to its negative environmental impact: converting crude oil, natural gas and coal into fiber is damaging to the environment. China has in recent years introduced several new acts of environmental legislation which impact on polyester production and, by association, commodity prices.
Cotton could potentially capitalise on such issues, as well as concerns about microfiber pollution.
While organic cotton undoubtedly has positive connotations with consumers, it is more expensive to grow with more variable yields, making it much more difficult to get to market at a profitable price point. Organic cotton is not necessarily economically viable.
While proponents of organic cotton will undoubtedly take issue with such sentiments there is no disputing the fact that the organic cotton market has struggled to maintain any significant momentum in recent years. Indeed, it often feels like a case of two steps forward, three steps back.
Heimtextil, the world biggest textile exhibition for home and contract textiles, will be held from January 08 to 11, 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Over 160 Pakistani exhibitors are expected to participate in this international trade fair organised by Messe Frankfurt. The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will also participate with Pakistan’s pavilion in Heimtextil Frankfurt 2019.
Around 55 exhibitors participated under the Pakistani pavilion and 158 exhibitors participated individually in Heimtextil Frankfurt 2018.
Pakistani companies showcased their products in attractive stalls with premium exhibitors such as Gul Ahmed, Kamal Textile, and Al-Karam Textile.
The exhibition included 2,975 exhibitors and 70,000 visitors from across the world.
Just three years ago, low prices led to US farmers’ planting the fewest acres with cotton in over 30 years. Now they are planting more land with cotton than they have for decades, attracted by relatively high cotton prices and the crop’s ability to withstand drought.
A 20 per cent increase from last year marks a sharp turnaround for the crop.
The switch to cotton in the southern plains of the United States could be long term as farmers move away from a global wheat market that is increasingly dominated by fast-growing supply from top exporter Russia. US farmers have struggled to make a profit on wheat due to a global glut.
Cotton is a safer bet than wheat because it can be grown with less water, at a time when drought has hit some areas of the US farm belt.
In Kansas, farmers plan to sow 1,30,000 acres of cotton, the most ever. Oklahoma cotton plantings are forecast at 6,80,000 acres, the largest since 1980.
Across the country, farmers will likely plant 13.469 million cotton acres, the most since 14.735 million in 2011.
Not surprisingly demand for cotton harvesters, which strip cotton from the plants and make bales, is going through the roof.
The World Trade Organisation will establish a panel to rule on a US complaint on certain programs in India that are prohibited export subsidies. India was not given an opportunity to object to the first request for a dispute panel by the US, as is the usual practice, because the dispute involves prohibited subsidies.
The panel was established under special provisions of the WTO’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures allowing panels to be established on first request for disputes involving alleged prohibited export subsidies. The programs targeted by the US include popular incentive schemes such as the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, Export-Oriented Units Scheme and sector-specific schemes, including Electronics Hardware Technology Parks Scheme, Special Economic Zones, Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme and Duty-Free Imports for Exporters Program.
The US, in its representation, argued that the programs provided financial benefits to Indian exporters, which allowed them to sell their goods more cheaply to the detriment of American workers and manufacturers. It alleged that while the exemption given to India from the ban on export subsidies had expired (as the country had surpassed the 1000 dollar threshold for per capital gross national product), it was yet to withdraw its schemes. India however is not convinced that the time it is entitled to for a phase-out of the schemes has lapsed and wants more discussion on the issue.
Sasa, based in Turkey, is one of the world’s leading producers of polyester fibers, filaments, polyester-based polymers, intermediates and specialty products.
With new polyester investment, in the production of polyester chips, fibers and filaments, Sasa will increase its production capacity from 3,40,000 tons a year to 3.1 million tons a year, making it one of the largest producers in the world.
Once the investment has been completed, Turkey will move from a net importer of polyester to a net exporter.
First of all, Sasa will produce pure teraphthalic acid and ethylene glycol, since these are raw materials to meet its own needs. The surplus will be sold.
The company has been one of the pioneer corporations in its field, demonstrating rapid growth thanks to incessant investments.
Sasa began its activities in the polyester sector in 1966. It has a robust technical infrastructure. It also has its own raw material production plant. In 2000, it strengthened its leading position in the sector by establishing a joint venture with Dupont, the leading global chemical company of the world.
In 2000, Sasa strengthened its leading position in the sector by establishing a joint venture with DuPont. Following the acquisition of DuPont’s shares by Sabancı Holding in 2004, it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hacı Omer Sabancı Holding.
Flipkart-owned fashion and lifestyle retail platform in India, Myntra and Bieber fashion line have entered into a partnership with Justin Bieber to launch a co-branded fashion label. To gather more info about its customers’ selection in music and their attitude towards the Canadian singer, customers opinions on a number of male musician celebrities the online retailer have begun emailing a survey to some of its customers.
At present Myntra has seemingly already signed the deal with Bieber, it will be interesting to see the public reaction.
The signature fashion labels from celebs still have plenty of takers, and it will be interesting to see how much traction the new Myntra and Bieber brand will have in India. The collaboration with Bieber is sure to catch the eye of the global media, which is probably exactly what Myntra is looking for, especially, if it wharves any ambitions of global expansion.
Mouvent has partnerships with principal distributors of textile printing solutions in Italy, Turkey, India, and China.
In Turkey, Mouvent is partnering with PSC, a company founded in 2001. PSC has been involved with digital printing since 1995. In China, Jet Tech will represent Mouvent. For India, Mouvent has identified Fortuna Colors and Prints.
In cooperation with its partners, Mouvent will also set up a showroom in each of these countries. Mouvent has chosen partners as much for their passion for digital printing as for their sales and support track record. This ensures the customer will end up not just with revolutionary technology but also with the technical service and support to match. The company has identified Italy, Turkey, India, and China to be the most relevant markets. It established a direct sales and service organisation in Italy and entered into strategic partnerships with the three other markets’ top-rated distribution companies for textile printers.
Mouvent, based in Switzerland, is a leader in textile printing using pioneering digital technology. It’s known for textile printing solutions like the TX801, which prints with up to eight colors and completes up to 50 per cent of the print jobs in a single pass, boosting productivity. The TX801 uses a compact proprietary print engine, delivering the highest print quality at an unrivalled speed, precision and scalability, and with an optical resolution of up to 2,000 dpi.
Lectra unlocks the real value of automotive manufacturing data, using fabrics and leather in a recently held fourth annual “Go Digital” automotive leather event. The two action-packed days of demonstrations visitors were present from all areas of the automotive leather supply chain at its International Advanced Technology Center (IATC) in Bordeaux-Cestas,
This year’s presentations focused on the value creation enabled by leveraging manufacturing data. A platform for the ground-breaking applications Lectra is developing based on Industry 4.0 principles, the firm’s trade gathering demonstrated how disruptive new technologies are increasing the onboard experience while reorganizing the automotive interiors supply chain.
Several guest speakers provided insight into the ways industry megatrends are impacting the automotive cockpit of the future. As motor-powered vehicles become increasingly autonomous, connected and electrified, strengthening their place in the shared mobility landscape, suppliers must now devise new strategies to achieve profitable growth. Traditional business models are losing ground to cross-functional collaboration partnerships, making it even more challenging to compete in the fast-moving connected, shared economy.
The event enabled a diverse array of supply chain players in automotive interiors to gather with their peers. For Javier Garcia, senior vice-president, Automotive Sales, Lectra, bringing together the automotive leather community is especially important as it rises to new business challenges stemming from continually changing consumer habits and the digitalization of manufacturing processes.
Jack and Jones brand sets now new standards in the field of environmentally friendly jeans manufacturing along with CHT’s organIQ.
The CHT group and its ground-breaking organIQ technology is an important part of this trendsetting LID collection. CHT contributes to it with its vast expertise in sustainable jeans finishing chemicals and processes, a crucial element of jeans manufacturing besides the selection of fibres and fabric manufacturing. As a holistic sustainable approach low impact denim covers the complete manufacturing process. Energy and water savings as well as environmentally friendly bleaching, dyeing and washing methods make the LID concept of Jack & Jones a pioneer on the denim market.
The product family is composed of the components organIQ Bleach, organIQ Neutral and organIQ Biopower. The system guarantees a modern and extremely efficient application at the highest ecological level. Manufacturers and the environment both benefit from the lowest water consumption and minimum effluent load. Treatments at room temperature additionally reduce the energy input. A nearly revolutionary fact is that the process completely works without pumice stones, potassium permanganate bleaches and chlorine bleaches as well as their neutralisation.
