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Thailand’s industrial output rose for a third straight month in May but recovery remains fragile with both exports and domestic consumption sluggish.The manufacturing production index in May rose 2.6 per cent from a year earlier. In April, output rose a revised 0.89 per cent from a year earlier, instead of the 1.54 per cent reported a month earlier. Industrial goods accounted for nearly 79 per cent of total exports in May, which declined 4.4 per cent from a year earlier. May's output increase was led by autos, air conditioners and rubber products.
Capacity utilisation was at 67.45 per cent in May, up from April's revised 59.52 per cent. Exports have contracted in each of the past three years. Shipments are forecast to fall 2.5 per cent this year, down from a two per cent drop projected earlier, while the economy is expected to grow 3.1 per cent.
Thailand is an export oriented economy with exports accounting for around 65 per cent of the GDP. The country mainly exports manufactured goods, electronics, machinery and equipment and foodstuffs. Agricultural goods, mainly rice and rubber, account for eight per cent of total shipments. Its major export partners are China, Japan, the United States and the European Union. Others are Malaysia, Australia and Singapore.
Textile Exchange (TE) has published the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) at www.responsiblewool.org and outlined details about its background and development process. TE and the European Outdoor Group (EOG) will hold a launch event for the Responsible Wool Standard on, July 14 during OutDoor in Messe Friedrichshafen. Speakers will include: Anne Gillespie, Director of Integrity, Textile Exchange; Stuart Adams, Founder, Continuum Textiles; and Mark Held, General Secretary, European Outdoor Group.
Textile Exchange and the European Outdoor Group will present key elements of the RWS and answer questions about the standard. RWS is an independent, voluntary standard intended to be a global benchmark for animal welfare and land management practices in sheep farming. The development of the standard has been led by TE, with strong input from the EOG, and extensive engagement with wool growers, certification bodies, brands, supply chain companies and NGOs.
Between 2016 to 2023, the size of the Spandex market is likely to exceed 1,550 kilo tons growing at a CAGR of more than 8 per cent. In 2015, the size of the Spandex market was estimated at over 760 kilo tons. This phase is commonly known as elastane. The size of the Spandex market of Asia Pacific especially China was the largest and accounted for more than 60 per cent of the total volume in 2015. The country accounted for a major chunk of the market in Asia Pacific region in 2015.
Over the last few years, dry spinning technology was majorly preferred among manufacturers over other processes like wet spinning, melt extrusion and reaction spinning. Growing application scope in apparel and textile industry is likely to drive the spandex market over the forecast period. They are used in textile manufacturing applications such as leggings, gloves, cycling jerseys and competitive swimwear. Spandex market price was seen to be weak in mid-3014 owing to ease of tight supply and low demand from downstream applications. The market is expected to grow with recovery in US economy post recession.
Asia Pacific market is likely to witness highest gains over the forecast period. China accounted for more than 50 per cent of global share in 2014 and is the major manufacturer. In 2012, China had around 30 manufacturing units with a total capacity of 520 kilo tons and domestic production exceeding 320 kilo tons in the same year. 40D and 20D are major products manufactured in China. The share of the Spandex market in North America is likely to witness moderate growth owing to increasing sportswear demand in the US Europe is likely to witness below average growth over the forecast period. Latin America is likely to grow at significant rates owing to growth in sportswear and apparel industry.
Pakistan’s cotton yarn exports in May increased slightly by 0.31 per cent over April. But that was a 27.44 per cent fall from the same month of previous year. Total shipments between January and May were 27.38 per cent lower than the corresponding time frame of the last year. Cotton yarn was Pakistan’s most competitive industry on the global market before 2015. Nonetheless, the sector has been in big trouble, caused by cotton shortage and electricity load shedding.
Local traders predict the current declining trend cannot be reversed in the short term. Pakistan’s cotton yarn exports have been on the decline for the last couple of years owing to surging cost of production on account of rising energy prices and shortages. After surrendering a significantly big part of the international textile clothing market to its regional rivals, especially Bangladesh, since the abolition of quotas, Pakistan is now fast losing its cotton spun yarn markets to the much cheaper Vietnam.
Also the reversal of cotton policy by China has hit Pakistan’s yarn production and yarn exports. Pakistan lost its position as the largest cotton yarn supplier to China in 2014 to India. Vietnam has also enhanced its cotton yarn share in the Chinese market.
If Nepal’s garment industry can tap even 0.05 per cent of the potential $200 billion US market, the country’s readymade garment exports can exceed a billion dollars. However, Nepal can compete in the global market by diversifying away from the US and producing small quantities of customised and specialised products with higher profit margins to cover higher costs. In the past, the United States, with the introduction of duty-free, quota-free access to some 66 items, was the largest market for Nepal’s garment industry.
Compared to Bangladesh or Ethiopia, Nepal has a much higher minimum wage and transport lead time, and policies are much more export-friendly in those countries compared to Nepal. The meteoric rise of Nepal’s garment industry was brought about by the interplay of various factors, both domestic and foreign. The much-needed boost came at a time when garment-exporting industries in Asia were hit by the quota system imposed by importers in Europe and America. This coincided with rising labor costs in garment exporting countries undermining their low cost advantage. Producers were forced to look for alternative, cheaper locations. Hence, Nepal emerged as a relocation site, especially for Indian producers who had already hit the quota ceiling.
A hub for minor readymade manufacturing units, Manaparai based in Tamil Nadu may soon get a textile park that would give a potential platform for small power loom manufacturers to promote their products in both domestic and international markets. With road and rail connectivity, a textile park there would greatly help employment generation.
At a four-day buyer seller meet, the Tiruchirapalli District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (TIDITSSIA) pitched for the textile park in the area. The event has an exhibition featuring 23 stalls that would likely benefit the small scale manufacturers to find suitable buyers and establish their brand name.
Around 25 acres of land in Mondipatti village near Manapparai has been identified for the textile park., Manapparai is an ideal location for a textile park since the quantity of minor readymade manufacturing units and even exporters are highest among the district. TIDITSSIA wants the Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL) to help small power loom manufacturers and promote textile industries in Tiruchy district. According to the Council, Tiruchy functions as a textile sector hub for the adjoining districts including Ariyalur, Perambalur and Pudukkottai.
Starting from spring/summer 2018, Kingpins will launch a new denim trend initiative to showcase its exhibitors' denim fabrics at its shows in New York, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. The concept combines a comprehensive seasonal denim forecast of fabrics, fits and finished alongside a curated garment installation that illustrates the season's forecast trends.
In order to create the design of the physical denim trend installation, Kingpins will work with Wink, the Amsterdam-based architects of Kingpins Amsterdam and Why by Kingpins shows. The aim is to create a minimal but beautiful installation that allows viewers to see details of fabric, garments and learn about trends. Moving beyond images on a screen, the installation will give Kingpins guests an immersive experience of the seasonal trends.
For many seasons Kingpins has fielded requests from attendees for more trend-related information. Mills are hungry to showcase their offerings in a way that is new, that is native to the Kingpins ethos and that allows them to participate in the trend conversation more immediately. By creating what is essentially a denim trend forecast and a corresponding inspirational installation, Kingpins is connecting all the dots.
The aim is to create the ultimate capsule collection that will start the spring/summer ’18 season with a bang and unite the community of mills, finishers and wash houses to create something unique.
Global apparel fabrics and accessories industry’s has begun to focus attention on the 2016 Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics to be held from October 11 to 13. Over 5,000 exhibitors from more than 25 countries and regions will take part and showcase an all-encompassing range of products across 260,000 sq mt of exhibition space at the Nation Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). To ensure fair participants can easily identify their target suppliers and buyers with so much on offer, a number of well-distinguished product zones will feature again.
In response to the strong growth in global activewear market, Intertextile Shanghai launched its first Functional Lab at the Autumn Edition in 2015. The zone has quickly garnered much attention in the industry, with both exhibitors and buyers praising its effectiveness for capturing the opportunities in this high-potential market. Carrying on from the strong result of the debut edition, the Functional Lab (hall 5.2) is set to return this October. As of this month, two pavilions, organised by INVISTA and Gyeongbuk Natural Color Industry Institute, as well as innovators from China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan and Korea have already reserved their space to present a spectrum of the latest innovative products.
Just as denim never goes out of style, neither does the design of Intertextile Shanghai’s Beyond Denim hall. The impressive product line-up at Beyond Denim, both domestic and overseas denim manufacturers will reside in hall 7.2 to showcase an extensive selection of denim products, including denim yarns, fabrics, accessories and machinery.
Epson Italia is acquiring the textile printing business Fratelli Robustelli. Epson has worked with Fratelli Robustelli to provide digital inkjet technology since 2003. The company is anticipating the acquisition to drive synergies and provide added value at a time when the digital textile printing market is expected to grow by 25 per cent annually.
The companies have been working together to promote digitalization by building the total solution support structure from development through manufacture, sales, and after-sales support.
Formalizing its partnership with Robustelli in this way puts Epson in a great place to meet the needs of the growing numbers of customers who are seeking to leverage the advantages of advanced digital solutions that will help drive their businesses forward.
As a result of the deal, Robustelli will join the Epson Group and tap into Epson’s manufacturing capability, expanding its offerings to more customers around the world. Epson will be able to use Robustelli’s expertise to develop digital inkjet textile printers and offer customers a wider lineup of products. Together, Epson and Robustelli plan to focus on joint R&D efforts. Further, Robustelli products will be sold by Epson’s worldwide sales and service network.
Epson Italia is part of the Epson Group. Epson Italia handles sales and marketing of Epson products in Italy and oversees sales in Turkey, Greece and the Balkan area.
In its resolve to strengthen worker’s organisations and employers in the readymade clothing sector of Bangladesh, Denmark has signed an agreement with the the ILO. The agreement was signed by the Danish Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær and acting Country Director of ILO, Gagan Rajbhandari. The titled “Promoting Social Dialogue and Harmonious Industrial Relations in the RMG Sector” will be jointly funded by Denmark and Sweden and implemented by the ILO over the next five years.
The project is part of the overall development program between the governments of Bangladesh and Denmark that underpins Danish development strategy in Bangladesh for the next five years. The project aims to contribute to establish an effective industrial relations framework with a focus on the RMG sector in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the project would promote sustainable enterprises through social dialogue and strengthen the workers and employers organisations.
