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The global technical textile market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.5 per cent from 2015 to 2020. The promising growth of technical textile market is attributed to its versatile nature as a raw material for use in various products such as automotive carpets, geo grids, aprons, and gloves. This versatility is driving increasing adoption by various end-user industries such as construction, automobiles and chemicals.
Technological advancements in technical textile production and increasing demand through exports are major underlying factors anticipated to fuel the demand for technical textiles in the near future. This is expected to offer growth opportunities to technical textile manufacturers, distributors, and product converters.
The trend is even more pronounced in emerging economies of the world such as Brazil, India, Russia and China. Healthy trade relations and government support in these regions has served to boost technical textile export-import activities.
Key driving factors identified in the global technical textile market include robust growth of the automotive sector in emerging markets and government support to SMEs to boost manufacturing. However lower profit margins due to intense competition and toxic waste production can pose challenges. Some major trends identified in the global technical textile market are use of e-textiles in the medical and apparel industry and rapid innovation to meet changing customer preferences.
Textiles are the fastest growing sector in household waste. More than three million tons of textiles are thrown away each year in the EU alone. A project called Trash-2-Cash brings together designers, researchers, material suppliers and textile manufacturers from all over Europe to solve the problem by recycling and development of high-performance fibers.
Experts from all levels of the production chain are looking to develop techniques that can be used to spin, knit, sew or design innovative, high quality products from used textile fibers. The techniques for pre-processing and washing waste textiles, separating fibers, and fiberisation are designed to be eco-friendly and efficient.
Designers play an important role in the project to ensure that the quality, performance and appearance of the new products appeal to consumers. The aim is to find new markets and uses for recycled textile fibers. Discounting and low retail prices over the last two decades have led to a dramatic increase in consumption of clothing, resuling in the rise of textile waste from the consumer.
The Trash-2-Cash project is part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, and will run from 2015 until 2018. The total budget is 8.9 million euro, of which EU funding accounts for 7.9 million euro. The project team includes 18 organizations from 10 EU countries.
Invista’s brand Cordura has launched a denim fabric range called Authentic Alchemie. The Authentic Alchemie collection aims to merge elemental durability of Cordura fiber with transformation, creation and combination. These technical denims were developed from crafted blends of natural and man-made fibers to deliver stylish, versatile, high performance and functional materials.
Authentic Alchemie is designed to push the boundaries of durability with stylish, modern and comfortable fabric combinations that are suitable for any product, market or lifestyle. The collection has three key trends. Originals aimed to fit the chaotic lifestyle linked to technology. This season is about getting back to basics, embracing simplicity, spirited off-the-grid adventures – and fabrics that can keep up. Infinity aims to combine the best of different worlds. Today's consumer expects products that are tailored to individual needs. This means combining strong with soft, form with functionality and durability with definition. Finally, Freedom aims to provide comfort and fabric versatility to fit the need of the everyday person.
Authentic Alchemie is for today's consumer who is searching beyond traditional heavy denims for ones that can sit comfortably with them throughout the day - wherever it may take them. It’s about versatile, cross-functional denim innovations.
www.cordura.com/
Monsanto is reviewing an unsolicited takeover proposal from Bayer AG, a bold attempt by the German company to snatch the last independent global seeds producer and become the world's biggest maker of seeds and farm chemicals.
Bayer AG, the St. Louis-based company, with a market value of $42 billion, is consulting financial and legal advisers and didn't disclose the terms of the proposal. The company confirming the offer said the combination would bolster its position as a ‘global innovation-driven life science company.’
Meanwhile, shares of Bayer dropped amid concern that a large purchase would weigh on its credit rating and force the company to sell more stock. The proposal by Werner Baumann, who has been at Bayer's helm for less than a month, follows Monsanto's failed attempt to buy Syngenta and the proposed merger of Dow Chemical Co and DuPont Co Baumann may need to sell some assets, such as his company's remaining stake in Covestro AG or Bayer's animal health unit, to help fund its quest to buy the world's largest seed maker.
Bayer's stock fell 6.3 per cent, the most in almost nine months, to 90.17 Euros as of 9:23 am in Frankfurt trading. Merging Monsanto with the company that invented aspirin would bring together brands such as Roundup, Monsanto's blockbuster herbicide, and Sivanto, a new Bayer insecticide.
Heimtextil will be held in Germany from January 10 to 13, 2017. This is the industry’s most important global event for interior textiles, interior design and interior trends. Exhibiting companies profit from the long-standing expertise and positive image of the event, which draws key players and decision-makers from across the world to Germany every year.
For many exhibitors, attending the fair has a considerable impact on their success over the coming season – whether this is because of the orders they receive, the establishing and maintaining of contacts or the garnering of inspiration for their own new concepts.
With its new products and trends, Heimtextil is as an international world-leading trade fair for the industry. It kicks off the upcoming season and is an indispensable platform for companies and trade visitors alike, from purchasers and designers to interior decorators, hoteliers and architects. Exhibitors include well-known mattress suppliers, renowned bedding companies, companies in decorative fabrics and table linen.
Next edition of Heimtextil will continue to focus on topics like sustainability as a point of orientation and source of inspiration. There will be a guided tour of the entire trade fair. There will be special attention to stands belonging to companies that appeal because of their particularly sustainable products and concepts.
heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com/
As per the data released recently by the International Trade Administration’s Office of Textiles and Apparel, or OTEXA, denim brands and retailers implemented a big shift in sourcing strategy in the first quarter of 2016. A denim import from China was 24.6 per cent of the total, down from 24.9 per cent a year ago, in the first three months of 2016. Imports from Mexico suffered an even bigger fall, dropping from 30 per cent of total US denim imports in the first quarter of 2015 to 26.7 per cent in 2016.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh and Pakistan gained 100 basis points of share, to become the number 3 and 4 suppliers of denim jeans to the US market. This is consistent with industry trends showing a shift in denim market share toward the fast fashion retailers that are a favorite of younger consumers. Total US import of denim jeans fell by 4.3 per cent to $674.6 million in the first quarter. Units declined 3.5 per cent to 85 million, resulting in a drop of 0.8 per cent in the average cost of a pair of imported jeans.
Incidentally, men’s and boy’s jeans suffered the biggest drop, with the dollar value of imports down 7. 8 per cent to $351.6 million. Women’s and girls’ jeans imports were virtually flat at $323 million in the quarter.
Accounting for about 82 per cent in total commodity export in the first nine months of 2015/16 fiscal year (from July ’15 to March ’16), woven and knitted apparel export value amounted to $20.4 billion in Bangladesh, up 9.7 per cent year on year. The major export destinations for apparels are US, EU, Japan and Canada.
Rapid development is seen in Bangladesh, especially the apparel industry, with the shift of China’s textile and apparel orders. In the first nine months of 2015/16 fiscal year, export value of woven and knitted apparels witnessed a yearly growth of 9.7 per cent.
Bangladesh mainly exports woven apparels to US, Canada and China, while for Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy and Belgium, the exports of knitted apparels are larger than woven apparels.
Bangladesh’s largest export market of knitted apparels is Germany, with a proportion of 20 per cent, followed by United Kingdom and US. For woven apparels, the largest market is US, with a proportion of 29 per cent, next are Germany and United Kingdom. Those major export destinations have certain preferential policies for the exports of Bangladesh’s apparels.
Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC), India’s largest vocational training network for the apparel sector, organised a workshop on ‘Fabric and Garment Testing’ at its Gurgaon campus recently. Amit Saluja, Senior Laboratory Manager, TUV Rheinland was the industry expert who conducted the workshop where more than 50 students attended. The aim of the workshop was to upgrade the knowledge base of students in fabric and garment testing. This would propel a swift growth in their career by providing them a hand on training in fiber analysis, physical properties, chemical properties, fabric strength, colour fastness, and to enrich the skill levels of Industry Personnel.
The significance of this test is to check the compliance of the regulatory requirements and safety standards of the concerned country, check whether the approved fabric used in production is appropriate or not. This would help in avoiding return and recalls, and most importantly ensure brand protection.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has rejected Pakistan Senate Committee on National Food Security and Research demand to immediately stop importing cotton lint from India. As Tariq Saud, Chairman APTMA says the observation of the committee that the country’s agriculture economy would be ruined if the import of 0.5 million bales of cotton from India was not stopped as there is sufficient stock of cotton lint available with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan is baseless. He said that TCP Officials has confirmed in the meeting held on April 28, 2016 under the Chairmanship of Secretary Commerce that only 75,900 bales of 2014-15 season balance stock available with TCP.
Saud urged the Senate Committee that instead of suggesting any ban on cotton imports it should take up the matter of crop failure and concentrate on ways to prevent such failures from occurring again. He said the local industry would prefer to use Pakistani cotton over any other imported growths provided sufficient cotton is made available for the industry to run at full capacity. At the moment, the requirement of the industry is 16 million bales whereas the local cotton production was less than 10 million bales. He asked the question that if cotton import will be banned who is going to fill the gap between 16 million bales requirement and 10 million bales availability?
Alok Industries which makes cotton and polyster yarn, apparel fabric, garments and home textiles plans to separate its operations into two or three units that can be individually sold to financial investors, as it struggles under the weight of debt. As of March 31, 2015, the textile maker had Rs 15,347 crores of debt, which, adjusting for non-fund based exposure, would come close to Rs 20,000 crores now.
The main lenders include State Bank of India and IDBI Bank. It is believed that Alok Industries’ creditors are currently in the process of appointing an external auditor to conduct a forensic audit of the company’s books.
Lenders to Alok Industries decided on a strategic debt restructuring (SDR) of the company in November 2015, the company said in a stock exchange notification. In January this year it said, lenders planned to acquire 65 per cent of the company by converting debt to equity under SDR. SDR, introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in June 2015, allows banks to convert a part of a defaulting borrower’s debt into majority equity and assume operational control.
