While factory safety has greatly improved in Bangladesh over the last five years, accidents still happen. Since the Rana Plaza collapse, over 540 workers have been killed and injured in factory incidents in Bangladesh. There is no national employment injury insurance scheme that would cover all workers in Bangladesh.

Current proposals to address compensation for workers injured in the workplace do not bring Bangladesh any closer to international standards in the field of workplace injury. These standards are enshrined in ILO Convention 121 on employment injury benefits, which Bangladesh has not ratified. Doing so would be a welcome step.

The implementation of an employment injury insurance scheme for workers of the garment industry should bring them and eventually all workers up to internationally accepted levels of social protection.

Over 130 countries in the world cover employment injury as part of their social security system, but Bangladesh is not one of them, although the scheme is affordable. Contribution to a national employment injury insurance scheme would amount to about 0.005 per cent of the retail price of a garment. Employers would have to contribute about 0.3 per cent of the wage sum. Less than the price of a basic T-shirt per year could insure a worker against insecurity and the worst forms of poverty after a workplace tragedy.

Independent product labels such as the Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex or Made in Green by Oeko-Tex make buying decisions easier and prove that children’s clothing can be fashionable, child-friendly and sustainable, this was confirmed by a recent Oeko-Tex study ‘The Key to Confidence’. Transparency, product stewardship, and trust go hand-in-hand when parents shop for textiles, the study said.

Oeko-Tex is an independent textile testing institute working for enhanced product safety and sustainable production in the textile value chain. The Oeko-Tex system can support brands, manufacturers, and retailers as they implement product responsibility strategies and build more sustainable supply chains.

The range of Oeko-Tex products in testing, certification and product labeling has increased significantly. Globally harmonised standards like those in the Oeko-Tex system set the bar for defining and measuring textile safety and sustainability. From raw materials through to the final product, third party certifications help brands and retailers reassure consumers that products are made in environmentally and socially responsible ways and are safe for people to use.

Oeko-Tex helps companies throughout the global supply chain easily test their organic cotton products for GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Parents represent the most demanding consumer segment of all with regard to product safety and responsible production of textiles.

Clothing and textile products that are harmless to health and manufactured in an environmentally friendly and socially acceptable manner are much more in demand.

A surge is likely in India’s cotton yarn exports. There was a 56 per cent year on year growth in cotton yarn exports. The strong revival in export demand augurs well for profitability of domestic spinners as it has enabled them to pass on the increase in raw material costs, unlike last year. In addition they have access to low-cost cotton from the previous harvest season.

The strong year on year growth in cotton yarn exports has been driven by a more than two-fold increase in exports to China and also by competitive Indian cotton and yarn prices. Indian cotton prices increased at a relatively slower pace vis-a-vis international prices during the seven-month period ended May 2018, with a six per cent increase in dollar terms vis-a-vis a 20 per cent increase in international cotton prices during the same period.

However, in spite of the healthy demand prospects in export markets in the near term, the spike in growth rate of exports witnessed is likely to be moderate with the arbitrage opportunity as well as base effect fading out. Other factors apart, competitive pressures from Vietnam and China’s focus on improving cotton availability situation are also expected to moderate the export demand for India’s cotton yarn going forward.

H&M and Klarna have gone into a partnership which will elevate the modern shopping experience for consumers. The partnership will integrate H&M’s digital and physical stores to give customers a seamless, personalised and engaging shopping experience no matter where, when and how they shop. It will provide an enhanced omni channel customer payment offering, a streamlined post-purchase service in the H&M app and many other services.

Swedish retailer H&M, founded in 1947, has 47 online markets and more than 4,800 stores in 70 markets including franchise markets. The number of employees amounts to more than 171,000. Klarna, also based in Sweden, is a payments provider.

The single technological platform will enable an outstanding end-to-end customer journey across all H&M channels. This will include frictionless in-store, mobile and online payments, simplified deliveries and returns and the flexibility to decide how and when to pay. The result will be an inspiring, relevant and convenient experience for millions of customers across 14 H&M markets, with the UK and Sweden in the first phase, expected to go live in 2019.

This is a unique solution for in-store and online that will delight customers, drive economic value and build loyalty. The future of fashion retail is high tech powering high touch experiences for customers.

China has free trade agreement negotiations with 27 countries. These include: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the China-Japan-Korea FTA, the China-Norway FTA, the China-Sri Lanka FTA, the China-Israel FTA, the China-Singapore FTA upgrade, and the China-New Zealand FTA upgrade.

China hopes to build a high-standard free trade area network in line with its own development level, and work with free trade partners to enhance the level of liberalization and facilitation of goods, services and investment, jointly cultivating global markets and further promoting the construction of an open world economy, and make contributions for the stable and healthy development of a global economy.

China has stepped up efforts to build a global trade network with greater use of FTAs to diversify its markets and counter protectionism. So far China has 17 FTAs with 25 countries and regions, and is in talks over 12 new or upgraded FTA deals.

Such efforts have become more evident in the past two years, especially after the US began imposing punitive tariffs on Chinese goods to push the world’s second largest economy to lower its market barriers. To further accelerate an FTA, China may exercise greater flexibility and creativity than before on the major issues, such as goods, services and investment.

Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the nodal organisation for promoting apparel trade has partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to identify key practices that can be adopted by Indian apparel manufacturers to ensure their business growth in a good-sustainable-inclusive way.

Based on their extensive domestic and international studies on prevailing and successful practices at the workplaces, both these organisations have developed a one-of-its-kind Good Management Practices compendium that focuses on workplace co-operation, quality, productivity, clean production, workforce management, & Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

The project aims to benchmark apparel industry production, management practices and profitability to global standards. Based on the practices adopted, the participating units would be benefited with the time & cost saving as indicated in the compendium.

The compendium will be launched on August 30, 2019 and include various sessions to capture policy requirements and expectations of various stakeholders.

US-based Gap, , has joined Open to All. Gap joins Yelp, Levi Strauss, Lyft, as well as more than 1,500 small businesses and 200 nonprofits that are part of this public education campaign. There are over 2,300 Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Athleta, and Intermix stores in the US.

Open to All is a coalition of businesses that affirm inclusive values. As the name indicates they are open to all, oppose discrimination and demonstrate a deep commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equality. They don’t discriminate against people of color, LGBT people, people of minority faiths, and many others when they seek goods or services. They welcome all customers.

Open to All, launched in 2017, is a public education effort that unites and galvanises national leaders in business, civic engagement, and the non-profit sector to take a stand for shared American values of fairness and equality. In addition to the business members, Open to All includes more than 200 nonprofit members spanning civil rights and racial justice organisations; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender equality organisations; health and disability organisations and faith organisations.

Gap has been ranked as one of the world's most diverse and inclusive companies for the second consecutive year in the annual Thomson Reuters Global Diversity and Inclusion Index.

Brazil and Bangladesh are keen on a free trade agreement.
A free trade agreement will open new avenues for Bangladesh’s goods in the Latin American country. Currently, exports from Bangladesh to Brazil are subject to 35 per cent duties. A bilateral free trade agreement would help Bangladesh’s products enter Brazil with lower tariffs.

In the last fiscal year, Bangladesh’s export earnings reached 177 million dollars in merchandising exports to Brazil, while Bangladesh imported goods worth 1.52 billion dollars from the Latin American country.

Bangladesh imports sugar, wheat, and cotton from Brazil and exports apparel products, pharmaceuticals, plastics, tableware, vegetable textile fiber, jute goods, and manmade filaments.

Bangladesh wants to export knitwear products to Latin America and start using Brazil as a gateway.

Both sides stress the importance of a deeper and stronger engagement in the bilateral and multilateral arena. Both sides have identified areas to expand ongoing cooperation as well as find new opportunities for further bilateral engagements.

A wide range of issues encompassing political and economic cooperation, defense cooperation, trade and investment cooperation, scientific and technical cooperation, and also cooperation in sports sector have been discussed.

Bangladesh has proposed cooperation in agriculture, tourism, cultural exchange and between training institutes of the two countries.

The EU’s apparel imports from Bangladesh in value term grew 3.92 per cent during the last January-July period. But in volume terms the EU’s apparel imports from Bangladesh rose by 15.75 per cent. Around 64.12 per cent of Bangladesh’s total clothing exports were headed for the EU in the last fiscal year. Orders are shifting from China to other markets, including Bangladesh and Vietnam, which offer comparatively low prices. The unit price for apparel is gradually declining despite Bangladesh’s moving toward mid- and high value-added items. Market pressure is driving the shrinking trend of apparel prices. The euro's depreciation also has had a negative impact on the European Union's imports.

China and Vietnam have diversified their product baskets, including medium and high value-added items. The EU's overall apparel imports from across the globe during the period increased by 5.58 per cent. In terms of value, it witnessed a meagre 0.06 per cent growth.

China's apparel exports both in value and volume to the EU fell by 6.76 per cent and 5.03 per cent respectively. Vietnam's exports to the EU grew by 2.42 per cent and 19.26 per cent in terms of value and volume respectively. Bangladesh targets a 6.33 per cent rise in readymade garment exports for fiscal 2018-19.

Sourcing Expo and Footwear and Leather Show will be held in Australia, from November 20 to 22, 2018. Registrations for the two shows are 20 per cent higher than they were last year.

More than 4000 trade visitors are expected at the show which will bring together 700 textile, apparel and footwear manufacturers and agents from 16 countries. Sourcing Expo attracts sourcing managers for Australia’s large fashion retailers, niche fashion brands, online outlets and designers. It allows buyers to meet with more reputable suppliers than they could physically visit on an overseas buying trip. The trade-only event will showcase a full spectrum of product and service offerings from off-the-shelf clothing through to made-to-order pieces, fabric and functional textiles. Exhibitors are drawn from India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Fiji, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.

India’s Council for Leather Exports will represent the growing leather industry in India and showcase the quality of the nation’s products at Footwear and Leather Show. This show is expected to provide a novel and excellent platform for Indian companies to showcase their products to Australian buyers.

Australia’s geographic location means extensive travel is usually required to explore international supply and manufacturing options. These two events will bring everything together under one roof.