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The apparel industry in Sri Lanka is the largest single employer in the manufacturing industry providing employment to lakhs of workers including a substantial number of women. It accounts for 40 per cent of total exports. Around 350 garment factories are operating in different parts of Sri Lanka and there are around 16 textile and fabric manufacturing units in the country.
Apparel categories include sportswear, lingerie, lounge wear, bridal wear, work wear, swimwear, children’s wear. The US and the United Kingdom have been the largest buyers of Sri Lankan apparel throughout the decades. The industry supplies high quality garments to brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Liz Claiborne, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, Marks & Spencer.
Sri Lanka has emerged as South Asia’s fashion and logistics hub. The country’s top three apparel companies are already among the world’s 50 most important suppliers. The industry has earned over $3 billion in export revenue for five consecutive years. The Made in Sri Lanka label is synonymous worldwide with high quality, reliability, social and environmental accountability. Garment makers work hand in hand with customers in forecasting trends and creating new customized ranges with innovative techniques.
Leading textile universities in Lanka turn out highly qualified graduates each year, and talented individuals are exposed to the limelight through a number of local design festivals and trade shows.
China is investing in textile factories in Ethiopia. Among the inducements are cheap labor and electricity, vast arable land as well as various quota and duty free opportunities to the US and EU markets. One of these textile plants will create more than 20,000 jobs when it becomes operational. The textile industry has been identified as one of the priority sectors for development by the government. Ethiopia is home to over 230 textile and garment industries with 20 training institutes, employing about 37 per cent of the country’s public sector work force.
Nearly 11 Chinese companies are already involved in the manufacturing of leather and leather products, textile and garments. The textile and garment sector in Ethiopia has seen continuous improvement in the production capabilities of domestic textile, garment, knitting and weaving firms.
International textile and garment companies see Ethiopia as an investment destination. Ethiopia has recently become an increasingly important destination for international buyers looking for high-end shoes because of its fine leather products and a strong commitment to quality. Ethiopian entrepreneurs have been introducing new ideas for product design, production methods, labor management, procurement, and marketing.
Egyptian cotton exports declined by 69.7 per cent in the third quarter of the agricultural season 2013-2014. This is due to the decrease of cultivated area as a result of farmers’ opting to grow other more profitable crops. The amount of local cotton consumed decreased by 68.4 per cent as a result of the increase in cotton imports as well as the shutting down of a number of spinning factories.
The amount of ginned cotton decreased by 18.7 per cent during the period between March and May 2014. Egypt’s cotton exports have been hit by a local hike in prices this year, following a decline in local production brought about by reduced acreage and the lifting of an import ban. Before the ban 70 per cent of Egypt’s spinning capacity, held by its public sector spinning companies, was dependent on cheaper, imported cotton. The ban forced them to purchase local produce, but this year this is no longer the case, and prices are higher because last year’s local stocks have been largely exhausted as a result of the ban.
As local public sector companies refrain from purchasing local cotton, importers abroad are making smaller incremental orders hoping that prices will drop throughout the season.
Bangladesh Denim Expo will take place from November 11 to 12, 2014. This is an international denim trade show and celebrates and explores the world of denim. It’s an exclusive event only for authorized trade visitors. Vendors can network, build contacts and meet others involved in the denim industry. The companies involved in sustainable solutions will also be present. Apart from workshops there will be a seminar focusing on exciting new trends, finishes and the latest washes.
The aim of the expo is to showcase Bangladeshi denim brands to the global market and to make Bangladesh a one-stop sourcing platform for denim. Bangladesh is currently the second largest country which exports denim to Europe and the third largest in exports to the US.
A total of 11 foreign participants took part in the last denim expo while organisers are expecting a bigger turnout of apparel entrepreneurs, businessmen, fashion professionals and stakeholders of the industry from the US, Europe and several Asian countries. At present, there are 25 denim fabric manufacturers in Bangladesh. The country earns around $600 million per annum from denim exports to the global market.
The event is aimed at creating a platform for Bangladeshi denim makers and helping them yield a greater brand value in the global market.
Italy based Itema sold in the first six months of this year 12 per cent more weaving machines compared to the same period last year. The group turnover has been increasing 10 per cent year on year. Itema, is a provider of advanced weaving solutions, including weaving machines, spare parts and integrated services.
The highest improvement in performance comes from the Indian subcontinent, in particular from Itema India, after the major turnaround actions implemented in the first quarter of 2014. Less satisfactory results so far come from China and from airjet weaving machine sales, both due to a significant slowdown in the Chinese weaving machine market.
Itema launched two new avant-garde airjet models and two new rapier weaving machine models at ITMA Asia 2014 in Shanghai. The rapier R9500 model has been a hit worldwide. It was launched less than two years ago and accounts for 50 per cent of all Itema weaving machine sales compared to 30 per cent in 2013.
An impressive comeback this year is the spare parts business. The company is on track with the implementation of lean manufacturing across Itema’s manufacturing and assembly lines. Itema will continue to respond quickly to market changes and have a strong focus on excellence and innovation.
www.itemagroup.com/
Yarn production in China is set to rise. This is likely to hit Indian mills, catering to the Chinese market. So far, Indian cotton yarn exports to China showed considerable growth. Mills in that country used to buy cotton at higher prices.
India’s yarn exports to China are expected to fall by about 20 per cent this year. Even if there is a demand for cotton yarn from China it might come at very thin margins, which many Indian companies might find unviable. China’s decision to raise spending on farm subsidies means cotton will be available to spinning mills at a cheaper rate. This will boost yarn production in that country. In anticipation of high demand from China, Indian mills ramped up capacities in the past three years. So, dwindling demand will hit their bottom lines.
Indian yYarn exporters are considering other destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Latin America even though these volumes cannot match demand from the Chinese market. The irony is that this year India faces a record cotton crop of 40 million bales compared with 37 million bales in 2013-2014. For 2014-2015, cotton yarn exports are projected at 1,000 million kg, and this is expected to decline in 2015-2016 if demand from China falls.
Pakistan's textile exports dropped by 2.37 per cent in July 2014 despite the GSP Plus benefit. A severe energy shortage was the prime reason behind the drop. Almost 50 per cent of the production capacity of the textile industry is unused due to the short supply of electricity and gas. This means the industry has been unable to produce an export surplus.
Pakistan’s textile exporters have urged the government to take stock of the situation and step up to save the largest export earning industry of the country by restoring the viability of textile industry through provision of uninterrupted energy supply at competitive rates and immediate release of unsettled sales tax refunds. Pakistan is riled by the fact that with GSP Plus, its exports are lower than India’s, though India doesn’t have GSP Plus benefits.
The GSP Plus benefit was extended to Pakistan by the European Union in the first quarter of this year. Even in the first three months, the overall textile growth in exports to EU remained nominal against the estimated growth of 15 per cent because of non-availability of gas, electricity and the devaluation of the dollar.
Sporting goods giant Adidas will use only Bluesign-approved chemicals in its supply chain. The company will work closely with its suppliers in making the change, training them and adapting their production processes. Adidas has a partnership with Bluesign Technologies as a part of its strategy for managing chemicals in its supply chain.
Bluesign tests and assesses chemicals to check for toxicity and environmental harm. It also audits the companies that make the chemicals before classifying - and grading - the screened chemicals in a database. Access to the database will help Adidas’ suppliers make smarter choices about the chemicals used in making its products.
Earlier the company would specify a particular finish for a product and let the supplier choose the chemicals to achieve it. Now suppliers have to go to Bluesign for chemicals. This provides a greater degree of assurance and a guarantee that its suppliers will choose the best chemicals as inputs.
Adidas has a goal of eliminating hazardous chemicals from its products and supply chain by 2020. It’s trying to ensure 99 per cent of all its products are free of poly fluorinated chemicals by 2017. The company is also aiming for full supply chain transparency by 2020.
www.adidas.co.in/
Texworld, the international event for fashion fabrics and clothing with nearly 900 exhibitors will take place from September 15 to 18, 2014 at Paris Le Bourget in France. The exhibition will host collections by the winners of the latest Dinard International Festival of Young Fashion Designers. It will also feature two shows by the couturier Eymeric François, and by winners of the Dinard Festival and third-year students majoring in knits at the ESMOD fashion design and business school.
These events will complement the ‘Impulse’ lectures, highlighting show trends for winter 2015, by the two artistic directors Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud. They will interpret influences, codes and colours, providing impetus for stylists, style directors and weavers.
Thailand will promote the richness of its textile heritage, exhibiting more than 100 silk and cotton fabrics produced by 20 rural communities as part of the OTOP (One Tambon One Product) project launched in 2001 by the Thai government. ‘Tambon’ means a Thai community or small village. The fabrics exhibited at Texworld would be entirely hand-woven. The aim is to identify and promote unique local skills, benefit from local resources and develop quality products which meet the demands of domestic and international markets.
Each season, Texworld hosts a Thai pavilion, which accommodates around 20 exhibitors, including weavers. They draw inspiration from the traditional skills, which are reflected in both the motifs and fabrics used.
Texworld continues to make visitors and exhibitors aware of the importance of sustainable development to the textile industry. For the first time, the Sustainability Days at this event will cover two days, as there are more lectures on sustainability than in previous years.
www.texworld.messefrankfurt.com
International fashion fair Chic (China International Clothing and Accessories Fair) will be held in Shanghai from March 18 to 20, 2015. A new section will give visitors an overview of China’s trendiest and most popular fashion brands and their concepts. One hall is being dedicated to menswear, casual and sports wear while another will focus on women’s wear, Chinese and foreign designers and accessories. Another section will deal with the latest innovations in technology and store design. A hall will concentrate on leather and fur. At the overseas pavilion, brands from Germany, France and Italy, among others, will exhibit their products.
Having debuted in 1993, Chic is among the largest and the most important fashion fairs in Asia. It has become a pre-eminent event for brand promotion, market expansion, tech innovation, trend presentation, forum, awards and various distinctive activities. With an exhibition area of more than 1,00,000 sq. mt., it showcases over 1,000 brands from more than 20 countries, with more than 1,00,000 professional visitors. Participants include spinning, weaving, knitting, printing and dyeing plants, textile machinery producers, industrial associations, accessories manufacturers.
Among the exhibits are fiber preparation machines, knitting machines, spinning machines, weaving machines, non-woven and industrial machines, chemical blended textiles, mercerized and reflective fabrics, fancy yarn, wool, hemp and cotton yarn.
www.chinaexhibition.com › China Trade Shows Calendar
