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The US will host a conference on nonwovens from April 23 to 26, 2017. It will feature new developments in nonwoven technology. The conference provides a good mix of market information and technology. In addition to nonwovens there will be discussions on new trends in filtration.
Technical sessions will focus on many emerging topics such as cellulose nano fibers for nonwoven use, polyamide nano fibers for li-ion battery applications, hemp fibers for wipes, nonwoven cotton substrate for separating oil from oil-water mixture etc. Given the growth in smart textiles, a talk will focus on fiber device for energy harvesting.
The conference is organized by the Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). TAPPI is a 100 year old professional association and provides a platform for nonwoven industry professionals to interact with peers and exchange technical information. A special feature of this nonwoven conference is that it is co-located with PaperCon, the premier pulp and paper conference of TAPPI. This gives an opportunity for nonwoven professionals to learn about allied fields.
Nonwovens are known as engineered fabrics. As compared to traditional woven and knitting technology, a larger volume of materials can be produced at a lower cost by using nonwoven technology.
US cotton growers may plant more cotton acres this spring. Reason: strong prices. Domestic plantings may hit 11 million acres this spring, an increase of 9.4 per cent, or 9,00,000 acres. For the past three years, US cotton producers have struggled with low cotton prices, high production costs, and the resulting financial hardships.
The Southeast could see a slight increase, up one tenth of a per cent. Alabama will see a 14 per cent increase. But the biggest cotton producing state in the region, Georgia, is projected to see a three per cent drop in plantings as farmers put more acres toward peanuts.
In the Mid-South, cotton could see a nearly 13 per cent increase overall. Mississippi leads the region with a boost of 27 per cent. Tennessee cotton is up 16 per cent. In the Southwest, growers intend to plant nearly eleven per cent more cotton acres. Texas is increasing its cotton plantings by 9.5 per cent. Kansas is up 45 per cent. Oklahoma cotton is up 30 per cent.
On the whole, the US is expected to generate 16.8 million bales of all-cotton. About 12.5 million of those bales will be headed to export markets. Reduced exports to China have been partially offset by increased exports to Vietnam, Bangladesh and Mexico.
Summer was the main focus at Milano Unica held from February 1 to 3. There was more than a touch of trans-seasonal designs among the offerings. Buying patterns were adjusting themselves to multiple market demands. For summer 2018 generally, there was more color, including bright red checks in accessories, and accent colors in weave, with texture in classics, though retaining the general feel.
Grey, brown and blue were once again the key colors, but there is a definite feeling for green and the more avant-garde pink, red, lilac and purple - all of which enhanced the lively, relaxed designs presented, which served to underline the fact that wool is a major summer fiber and team player.
Wool was mixed with linen for smart summer jackets, smooth navy blazers and double-face fabrics for unlined jackets were part of the significant layering trend for 2018. Added to these were summer tweeds and flannels, some with flashes of orange or red, not traditionally summer colors, perhaps, but looking bold and optimistic, as well as shades of green from lovat to olive. A touch of exoticism came from the trend area, with Italian destinations of beautiful landscape teamed with names from literature and folklore to create a context.
Orders for Italian textile machinery for the period October to December 2016 rose by five per cent compared to the same period for the previous year.
For the first nine months of 2016 there was a three per cent increase compared to the same period of 2015.
Domestic sales were up significantly, rising by fully 14 percent, confirming the vigour of the Italian market. In spite of far from brilliant export performance in the world's three major markets, China, Turkey and India, sales are nonetheless growing in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as in North America and Europe.
The outlook for 2017 appears to be dynamic, despite the current geopolitical uncertainties.
Italian textile machinery manufacturers comprise around 300 manufacturers, employing close to 12,000 people and producing machinery for an overall value of about euro 2.6 billion, with exports amounting to 86 per cent of total sales.
Italy is the world’s second largest producer of machinery for the textiles industry. In the production of machinery for tanning, and for the footwear and leather goods industry, Italy accounts for over 50 per cent of world production.
Italian manufacturers have for a while now focused on the sustainability of their products to meet a demand for technological solutions that effectively lower consumption and, as a consequence, production costs.
Carol L. Roberts and Benno Dorer have been elected directors of VF Corporation. Carol Roberts has a mix of experience across finance, HR, manufacturing and general management. She is a mechanical engineer. For 36 years she was with International Paper, where she held a number of leadership positions with increasing responsibility.
Benno Dorer led several well-known, global consumer brands. He is an economics graduate. He was with Clorox. For 14 years he was with Procter & Gamble, working in various marketing roles across a range of categories and countries.
VF Corporation is a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. The corporation, based in the US, has two dozen or so major brands (including icons such as Vans, Kipling, Wrangler, Lee, The North Face and Timberland), a 60,000-plus staff and nearly 1000 contract factories producing over 1.3 million items a day across almost 50 countries.
As one of the pioneers of outsourced manufacturing, VF has policies designed to stamp out underage working, forced labor and similar abuses in supplier factories. VF takes a hands-on approach throughout the product cycle, from procuring the raw materials right through to providing customer service. Its effort at collecting data on key performance indicators is mostly geared toward internal improvements.
Luxury Jersey has teamed with Fulgar to create EVO, an innovative bio-based yarn. EVO is made from castor oil derived from non-food plants that grow spontaneously. This renewable resource does not require large amounts of water or take up land that can otherwise be used for cultivating foodstuffs. EVO is suitable for any textile application and ideal for sportswear. It is ultra-light, super stretch and extremely breathable, dries quickly and does not need ironing, has thermal properties and natural bacteriostatic. This whole range of distinctive values and benefits aims to ensure maximum comfort and performance, while retaining an intense eco-awareness.
Luxury Jersey is an Italian producer of high-quality knitted fabrics. Established in 2011, the company produces high-quality knitted fabrics intended for designers, ready-to-wear fashion houses and the luxury sector. In order to promote consumer well-being, Luxury Jersey bases its creative and manufacturing processes around the concept of sustainability, using an all-Italian, entirely traceable supply chain, from raw materials to weaving, dyeing and finishing.
Fulgar, also from Italy, is a company known for the most advanced products in the field of materials and hi-tech fabrics derived from organic sources. After sportswear and casual wear, the high-end fashion textiles sector is placing an increasing emphasis on sustainability.
Egypt’s most famous export is the silky soft cotton prized by makers of luxury bedding and clothing. Egypt’s sunny skies and superior seed help it grow a cotton known for unusually long fibers that produce a light durable fabric with an attractive sheen and soft touch. But last year agricultural production of Egypt’s high quality long staple cotton hit a more than 100-year low. Production has slumped since 2011, a year of political upheaval that coincided with looser regulations that degraded the quality of cotton.
Faced with big losses, farmers burnt their cotton crops, with many switching to rice. This is set to change. Farmers and exporters expect a comeback for the crop, spurred by the country’s decision to float its currency, halving its value overnight but helping push local cotton prices sky high.
In a bid to save its historic crop, Egypt in 2016 banned all but the highest quality cotton seed, dramatically shrinking the area under cultivation but restoring quality. It’s estimated that in 2016-17, Egypt will produce 1,60,000 bales, half the previous year’s crop and a fraction of the 1.4 million produced in 2004-05. Measures such as DNA testing and a system of international auditing will reduce imitation Egyptian cotton to 30 per cent of world supply by the end of this year.
Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) will take place August 21 to 23, 2017. A comprehensive trade show and conference, ATSC 2017 will bring to Canada hundreds of apparel and textile manufacturers from around the world, including China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the US, UK, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and many more. Through an impressive platform of seminars and sessions, attendees can make global industry connections, and gain the insights needed to navigate the international sourcing process. This is the first Canadian trade show to be launched by an online B2B trade platform. This time there is a 50 per cent increase in exhibit space. The decision to expand was driven by positive exhibitor and visitor feedback, strong attendance and a renewed commitment from international manufacturers and industry partners.
ATSC was introduced to provide Canadian businesses with the convenience of connecting with international suppliers on their home turf. New for 2017 will be a leading edge trends showcase featuring the latest and greatest in apparel and textiles and a high-profile roster of international speakers.
A fashion show and design contest will also be held, featuring items available to be sourced at the event as well as fashions from local designers and students from many of the Toronto-based fashion schools partnering with the event for the second consecutive year.
The US and Japan accounted for 53.5 per cent of Vietnam’s garment and textile sector’s export turnover last year. To meet its revenue target of $30 billion from exports in 2017, the sector will have to increase shipments to the US and Japan and maintain an export growth of six per cent in the two markets.
In 2016, Vietnam’s apparel market performed lower than expected, with exports bringing in $28.3 billion, or 90 per cent of the target, up 5.7 per cent year-on-year. The low export turnover is attributed to fewer export orders because of fierce competition from foreign textile and garment producers as well as a decline in global demand.
Vietnam’s leather and footwear industry expects to raise its export value by 10 per cent this year. To achieve the target, the leather and footwear sector needs to boost technological innovation, invest in new equipment and modernise existing equipment, expand the production scale of domestic enterprises to increase productivity as well as improve the quality of products.
Another promising element is the Vietnam-European Union free trade agreement, which will take effect in 2018 and afford Vietnamese footwear makers more opportunities to boost exports. Footwear currently ranks fourth and suitcase-bag-briefcase ranks tenth among Vietnam’s top ten foreign currency earners.
Bangladesh is looking for Duty Free Quota Free (DFQF) access to the US. By increase its volume of trade to the US with the help of DFQF, Bangladesh feels it would be able to progress further in women’s empowerment and elimination of terrorism.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the US, its single largest destination, have declined 1.96 per cent year-on-year. Garments account for 95 per cent of the goods exported from Bangladesh to the US. There is a change in the attitude of US consumers, who now prefer spending more on electronic gadgets compared to clothes.
Bangladesh now faces an export duty of 15.62 per cent under America's most favored nations' category. But apparel exports from Vietnam to the US may face stricter rules as the US has abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Vietnam—one of the major competitors of Bangladesh in the US market—was supposed to enjoy a zero duty benefit as one of the member nations of TPP. After the scrapping of the TPP, the export duty of 8.38 per cent for Vietnam will remain in force. This may ultimately benefit Bangladesh.
Nine out of 10 top apparel exporting nations of the world experienced negative growth in shipment to the US in 2016. Only Vietnam's apparel exports increased 0.30 per cent year-on-year in 2016.
