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India’s garment exports for March have contracted by 0.7 per cent compared to a year ago. This slowdown is across all sectors, led by the gems and jewelry sector, whose exports fell sharply by 16.6 per cent from a year ago. Garment exports have now fallen behind Bangladesh’s and Vietnam’s in absolute dollar terms.
Vietnam’s garment export grew 10 per cent last year and is expected to continue at the same pace this year. Notably, Vietnam has now tapped newer markets like Russia and China, in addition to the US and the European Union.
India’s garment sector was affected first due to demonetisation. Due to last year’s cash disruption, orders were lost, and these can’t be regained easily from competitor countries. Second the delay in getting GST refunds and the burden of cost in locked capital. The delayed refund does not include the interest cost. Exports need to be urgently zero-rated. The overvalued exchange rate makes India’s exports relatively expensive. Then there is the continued unreliability of electricity and other infrastructure facilities. Small and medium enterprises need a common plug and play, seamless hard and soft infrastructure—whether it’s effluent treatment or inspection or logistics.
The combination of three integral segments of handicrafts sector home-textiles, houseware and furniture concluded at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida. The premium expo, saw 720 overseas buyers and their representatives and buying agents and retail buyers sourcing for their focused requirements from a diverse range of international products under one-roof showcased by more than 650 exhibitors.
A highly dedicated and product-segmented triple show Home Expo India was the culmination of Indian Houseware and Decoratives Show (IHDS), Indian furnishings, floorings and textiles show (IFFTEX) and Indian Furniture and Accessories Shows (IFAS) offered opportunities to the visitors to source their requirements under one roof.
One of the distinct features of the show was display of products from Northeastern region made out of cane and bamboo. Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, EPCH stated the push is now on product-segmented specialized trade shows rather than trade shows covering all product categories after the development taking place in the international markets. So Home Expo India was initiated by EPCH in 2012 and this year it has entered its 7th edition.
EPCH is the nodal export promotion body for handicrafts in India and plays an important role as a catalyst between exporters, buyers and the government with the main objective of boosting handicrafts exports from the country and also projects India’s image in the global markets as a reliable supplier of handcrafted exquisite and quality products.
Guess has partnered Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Since Guess uses cotton in many of its products, it is taking proper steps to source sustainable cotton in the supply chain, hence the need to joine The Better Cotton Initiative. The brand will source Better Cotton to help address its water use. Guess will make public its official goals for sustainable cotton sourcing later this year.
Global lifestyle brand Guess is famous for its iconic ad campaigns and trend setting denim. Better Cotton Initiative works with cotton farmers, helping them to use water efficiently and care for the environment, as well as promote higher standards of work, during cotton production.
By becoming a BCI retailer and brand member, Guess can commit to a more sustainable future for cotton production by investing in the initiative which, last year, reached and trained 1.6 million cotton farmers on more sustainable agricultural practices, such as efficient use of inputs (water, pesticides), increasing yields, and addressing gender equality and child labor issues.
About 64 per cent of water use occurs during raw material production, namely cotton. In 2017-18 financial year, Guess’ total operating income improved 37 per cent. In the same period, its operating margin grew from 2.9 per cent to 3.6 per cent.
Elevating each segment of the entire textile value chain, Gujarat is ready to host Farm to Fashion: Indian Textile Global Summit 2018. The three-day premiere summit being held from May 4-6, 2018 will provide a common platform for the entire value chain of textiles to deliberate and develop a vision for the industry for 2030.
The global summit being organised by Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), aims to achieve the intangible aspects of quality communications within the textile industry players. The Farm to Fashion Summit 2018 will provide a great opportunity for networking of more than 150 exhibitors, over 1,000 delegates, government officials and various representatives of the textile industry from various parts of the country.
The textile event will develop a vision for the industry 2030 with key focus on issues faced by cotton farmers, women empowerment, youth employment opportunities and positioning of Indian textile industry as the pioneer in environment-friendly industry practices.
The Textile Summit will encompass content-rich conference with 17 technical sessions by global speakers, exhibition with focus on best of Indian fabrics, café corners, fashion show and industrial visit. Experts and scholars will offer information and unveil insights about latest research, trends, innovations, best practices along with the solutions to the challenges at hand.
Shailesh Patwari, President, GCCI says Gujarat is the largest cotton growing state, Gujarat has a better infrastructure than other states. Farm to Fashion is an initiative to fill this gap. Gujarat is growing cotton and we would like to complete this value chain from Farm to Fashion.
Cambodia is developing the silk sector. This would be done by growing mulberry trees, raising silkworms, equipping the labor force with skills to produce silk, reducing reliance on raw silk from foreign countries, and reducing rural poverty. Training and funds will be offered to develop Cambodian silk production. Cambodian silk will be promoted in domestic and international markets. In recent years, import of raw silk has decreased by about 35 per cent.
The silk sector in Cambodia has been down due to lack of labor as most workers have migrated to neighboring countries and some have shifted from this sector to the manufacturing and industry sector. Mulberry trees are now a rarity in Cambodia. Most were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge era.
From 2008 to 2013, the country’s cottage silk weaving industry imported 300 to 400 tons of raw silk from neighboring countries while local production was only a miniscule one metric tons a year to supply the production. The National Polytechnic Institute of Angkor will be the place for research, growing mulberry trees and raising silkworms. This center will be home for displaying modern Khmer silk to the world and boosting the silk sector in Cambodia.
"India’s apparel exports registered a 17.78 per cent decline in March 2018 against the same period last year reveals latest trade data. Indian RMG exports were to the tune of $1.49 billion (approx.) in March 2018 against the corresponding month of February 2017, which was $1.81 billion (approx.). In rupee term, export for the month of March 2018 was Rs 9,694.68 crore as against Rs 1,1946.37 crore in March 2017, a decline of 18.85 per cent. Talking about the decline, HKL Magu, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) says, “The export figures for apparels for the period April-March 2017-18 has shown a drastic decline of 3.83 per cent and a steep decline of 17.78 per cent for the month of March 2018."
India’s apparel exports registered a 17.78 per cent decline in March 2018 against the same period last year reveals latest trade data. Indian RMG exports were to the tune of $1.49 billion (approx.) in March 2018 against the corresponding month of February 2017, which was $1.81 billion (approx.). In rupee term, export for the month of March 2018 was Rs 9,694.68 crore as against Rs 1,1946.37 crore in March 2017, a decline of 18.85 per cent.
Talking about the decline, HKL Magu, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) says, “The export figures for apparels for the period April-March 2017-18 has shown a drastic decline of 3.83 per cent and a steep decline of 17.78 per cent for the month of March 2018. These figures clearly show that apparel exports are not only stagnating but are heading towards a recession. Apparel manufacturing has already registered a decline for the 10th straight month in February. These figures clearly indicate towards an ongoing shrinkage in the industry, which is a big cause of concern for us.” He goes on to explain, the sector presently employs 12.9 million workers but due to the ongoing slide, several clusters have been impacted. Though India is struggling with the problem of exports stagnation, countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam are recording consistent growth in apparel exports. “We would like the government to address the issue at the earliest,” he opines.
While India’s global RMG export from April to March 2017-18 was to the tune of $16.71 bn. (approx.), which has decreased by 3.83 per cent compared to the same period in previous fiscal. During April-March 2016-17, India’s apparel exports were around $17.38 bn. (approx.). AEPC has been engaging with policymakers for an early resolution of issues.
India’s RMG exports in numbers
RMG exports were to the tune of $1491 million in March 2018 a decline of -17.78 per cent against the corresponding month of March 2017, which was $1813.44 million. In rupee term, export for March 2018 was Rs 9,694.68 crore as against Rs 1,1946.37 crore in March 2017 a decline of -18.85 per cent. RMG export in April-March 2017-18 was to the tune of $16716.5 million, which has decreased by -3.83 per cent compared to the same period last year. During April-March 2016-17, India’s apparel exports were $17382.8 millionn.
West Africa’s first organic cotton gin is coming up in Burkina Faso. The gin, in Burkina Faso, is a collaboration between the USDA-funded RECOLTE project, CRS, UNPCB, and SOFITEX. US textile industry NGO, Textile Exchange, recently announced the launch of a Regional Organic Roundtable to help develop the organic cotton sector in West Africa. The discussion is part of a new collaboration with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on a series of organic cotton focused activities in West Africa. These include a Market Opportunity Scoping Project (MOSP) and a documentary-style video showcasing the region’s organic cotton sector.
The launch of the organic roundtable will take place in Koudougou, about 100 km from Ouagadougou, during SICOT (Salon International du Coton et du Textile), September, 27-29 2018. The Regional OCRT will focus on organic cotton and bring together key stakeholders. At present, organic cotton is ginned six months later than conventional cotton, which delays the entire production chain and payment to producers, and in turn discourages timely organic cotton production and participation.
For the first quarter, Vietnam’s textile and garment exports are up 13.35 per cent compared to the same period of 2017. The worth of apparels shipped abroad rose 12.49 per cent year on year. Exports to key markets like the US, the EU, the Republic of Korea, China, Asean, and members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) enjoyed strong growth.
In 2017, the industry gained year-on-year increase of 10.23 per cent in export revenue, higher than its target set at the beginning of the year. Textile and garment firms in Vietnam have received enough orders until the end of the second quarter of 2018. Some even have orders through the third quarter. Many companies have been working to diversify export markets. Apart from key markets like the US, the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea, they are also stepping up exports to China, Russia and Cambodia.
In future Vietnamese companies will push ahead with trade promotion programs, specialised training, and experience sharing. They will also encourage the application of smart production models to help businesses boost sustainable development. Vietnam hopes the CPTPP will enable it to boost exports to major markets such as Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico.
New York Denim Days will take place from September 22 to 23. Spearheaded by true denim insiders, the festival connects denim professionals, designers and brands with denim consumers.
Denim lovers from across the spectrum -- fashionistas searching for the perfect pair of jeans, fade junkies looking to compare notes on raw denim, purists on the hunt for handmade indigo items, and designers shopping for Americana inspiration - will find the largest selection of indigo available at one event. Food, live music and art will round out the festival experience.
Plans include events with retail partners throughout the city. The show will have a mix of denim heads, the best brands and retailers and the most forward fashion. It will feature the who’s who of denim trade, from top designers to creatives and executives on the cusp of what's next in the denim industry.
New York Denim Days is organized by Kingpins, the global denim sourcing trade show. Last year, Kingpins brought Denim Days to New York believing the concept would resonate with the New York denim scene. This year the event will be put more spotlight on the jeans industry. Following the event, Denim Days will return to its original home in Amsterdam from October 22 to 28.
To develop an institutional connection between the fashion institutes of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) plans to tap Saudi’s high-end fashion market. TDAP’s commercial section intends to arrange a textile show of high-end made-ups and fashion apparel in Jeddah with two major stakeholders from Pakistan, including Chenab Group and Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and counterpart in Jeddah, including Dar ul Hikma University and Danube Supermarket.
As per the plan fashion institutes of the two countries would introduce exchange programmes for teachers and students. By 2022, Saudi Arabia’s fashion market is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 12.7 per cent to $3.085 billion. It had always been a lucrative market for fashion entrepreneurs. On the other hand the market’s largest segment apparel is expected to have a market volume of $1.065 billion by the end of 2018.
Saudi Arabia is a late competitor in the regional fashion scene where other Gulf countries such as the UAE have made a mark. Dubai has also established a free zone for fashion and design companies to buoy the growth of the industry.
An exhibition of all such products would be organised in Saudi Arabia, while the TDAP’s Commercial Section Jeddah would continue its coordination on the proposal for institutional linkages between the leading academic institutions of textiles in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
