FW
For the year 2015-16, Khawaja Tahir Mahmood, Khawaja M Zubair and Syed Mohammad Sameer were elected unopposed as Chairman, Senior Vice-Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Karachi Cotton Association respectively. They took charge from October 1, 2015.
Since 1980, Khawaja Tahir Mahmood, Managing Partner of Shafiq Enterprises and Proprietor of Cotpak International has been engaged in cotton ginning, export, related logistics and business process outsourcing. For several years, he has served as a member of the executive committee of the Karachi Cotton Association. He was even a member of the executive committee of Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association in 1980.
Khawaja Tahir Mahmood was the information secretary and member, Managing Committee of Karachi Customs Agents Association during various tenures and member of the Cotton Inter Agency Committee (IAC) of EPB (now TDAP). Besides, he is also CEO-Country Head Pakistan of Control Union Pakistan, which is member of Control Union group.
Khawaja M Zubair of Baltic Control Pakistan meanwhile was Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Karachi Cotton Association during 2013/14 and 2010/11, respectively. Besides, he was also member of the executive committee of the KCA for several years.
www.kcapk.org
Union representatives in Cambodia agreed to lower demands for wage hike in exchange for concessions from manufacturers, during ongoing negotiations over a new minimum wage for the garment sector. Concessions from the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia (GMAC), though, were not forthcoming, according to those present in the meeting of Labor Advisory Committee. The GMAC stuck to an offer of a 3.5 per cent raise to the current monthly minimum wage of $128. Among themselves, unions agreed that they would seek $168, which is a significant reduction from the $207 that some were hoping for.
Mann Senghak, an adviser to the Free Trade Un¬ion said that they had decided to moderate their demand but also asked employers to raise their offer. He said that unions had agreed to reduce (their demand) from a 31.74 per cent (raise) to a 27.8 per cent (raise), so that it’s $163.58. He added that this would clear the way for workers to raise their offer.
However, he said, employers did not raise their figure at the table discussion, while they raised the issue of productivity and competition in the market, and maintained their stance of 3.5 percent. Senghak said if employers did not meet the unions’ concession with a higher figure, the unions would revert to their demand for $168.
The winners of second edition of 'Denim Design Digital Contest' were announced by denim fabrics manufacturer Isko. This contest is organised through its design and style research center, Creative Room. The Facebook page ‘I-Skool Denim Talent Awards’ followers were the ones to like and give their approval for their favourite outfit. They had to choose from shortlisted entries in the competition. The outfits received more than 7,000 votes in total and the winners took home sizeable metres of Isko denim fabrics.
Michal Hidas from Istituto Marangoni, received 45 per cent of votes and won 40 mt. of denim, bagging the first prize. Ilke Usluca from UAL bagged 15 per cent of votes and took home 25 metres of denim fabric, bagging the second place. Tobia Cecchin, also from IUAV, received 12 per cent of votes and bagged 15 metres of denim.
The third edition will involve more worldwide designs and marketing schools, which according to Isko, will create ferment in the fashion world. Major worldwide beacons in fashion education like UAL Chelsea, Esmod Munich, AMFI, AMD Academy for Fashion and Design, FIDM, Istituto Marangoni, were a part of the second edition. Besides, leading players of the denim industry participated in the project by providing their know-how to students.
www.isko.com.tr
The USDA estimates global cotton production to grow by 1.7 per cent year-on-year from August to July 2016 to 23.7 million tons – a downward revision from the previous month’s estimate of 2.5 per cent growth. Meanwhile, the consumption estimate has also been significantly lowered from almost 25 million tons (2.8 per cent growth year-on-year) to 24.7 million tons (1.7 percent growth).
Accumulation of yarn stocks, lower yarn margins, and uncertainties regarding income growth in developing countries are “indicative of the challenges currently facing global cotton consumption,” says the report. Most of the blame falls on China.
China is the world’s foremost consumer of cotton and cotton yarn, and the primary export destination for a lot of developing countries including Pakistan. Recently, China made the decision to limit its cotton yarn imports and dig into its own stocks – Chinese cotton imports are expected to be an astounding 31 per cent lower in MY16, while consumption is expected to remain constant.
Chinese cotton production is also expected to be an estimated 15 per cent lower as compared to last year’s. With that said, India is expected to officially overtake China as the world’s foremost producer of cotton this marketing year, and a paradigm shift might be in the offing.
As for Pakistan, the USDA has revised down the production outlook by around 0.3 million bales to a decline of 5.7 per cent year-on-year, as opposed to last month’s estimate of 3.7 per cent decline. Previously, the government of Pakistan set a highly optimistic target of around 15.5 million bales, after the record production of over 14.8 million bales seen last year. However, due to heavy rains and floods destroying crops in the early days of August – not to mention growers missing the sowing target – the production target has been lowered to 13.3 million bales.
www.usda.gov
For the first time, RSG Automation Technics, located within the high-tech metropolitan region of Stuttgart, is set to present its unique specialised automation technology at the ITMA 2015 in Milan.
The company offers innovative textile machinery, which can help customers significantly reduce their process costs thereby increasing product quality and production volume. Backed by over three decades of experience, the company offers tailor-made solutions and customer support, from the basic concept preparation to assembly and start-up assembled in Germany. Besides, as per customer requests and ideas, software is developed and optimised at RSG.
Both fully and semi-automated machines are offered by RSG along with patented monitoring techniques for different sewing processes. Concepts include technical textiles, such as filters, felts and fleeces and confectioning optimisation in the domain of home textiles, as well as solutions for narrow fabrics of any kind, such as belts and straps.
www.itma.com
The best cotton in Africa is produced by Zambia and therefore, it has the potential to boost the local textile industry. Keeping this in mind the government has started promoting the establishment of textile factories that can create wealth and jobs for the locals since the two existing factories, Sakiza and Kariba, located in Zambia, are insufficient to promote the export of essential goods and services to other countries, points out Miles Sampa, the Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry.
The government is also considering re-investing in Mulungushi Textiles to revive operations. The move is aimed at growing the textile industry that will reduce on the importation of goods and services. Sampa says the government is concerned with the low contribution of manufacturing industry to the country’s gross domestic product and the formal workforce. He further mentioned that the government would soon produce a list of goods and services that would be banned for import.
Gabriel Namulambe, Mpongwe Member of Parliament said exports would increase, which would in turn stabilise the Kwacha if the textile industry in Zambia is healthy. Mwalimu Simfukwe, Mbala Member of Parliament also said that the country’s economy would benefit from the ban on importation of some goods that can be produced in Zambia. www.mcti.gov.zm
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) failed to attract textile mills or traders for cotton procurement as its sixth cotton tender did not fetch a single bid. Textile mills were reluctant to procure cotton from the state-run grain trader and there was no participation in the consecutive second tender announced by TCP to offload cotton stocks procured from the domestic market to facilitate farmers.
The Federal Board of Revenue imposed a 10 per cent advance tax on cotton procurement from TCP due to which textile mills and traders are reluctant to procure cotton from TCP. As per the tender condition, successful bidders are required to pay an advance tax at the rate of 10 per cent, which will be later adjusted in their annual tax returns.
TCP issued the sixth cotton tender on September 18, 2015, for the sale of 84,600 cotton bales and accordingly the tender was opened on September 30, 2015, at the corporation's head office. In response to TCP's sixth cotton tender not a single buyer or textile mill or trader participated in the tender.
In order to stabilise cotton prices in the domestic market, the federal government, in November last year, asked TCP to procure cotton from ginning factories to facilitate farmers. Accordingly TCP procured 96,000 cotton bales from ginners.
The UN General Assembly’s vision of adopting the ambitious and universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been welcomed by the ITUC. However, the absence of clear and coherent obligations on member states to implement the agreed goals is a matter of concern.
Important pledges to end poverty and reduce inequality, promote decent work, social protection and gender equality is a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also includes provision of quality education, public services, infrastructure and access to justice and the rule of law. However, means to ensure government accountability in implementing the UN agenda are weak and voluntary, as well as, commitments to implement the Goals through financing and progressive public policy are lacking.
ITUC General Secretary, Sharan Burrow said that the trade union movement supports the high ambition of the SDGs completely. However, the lack of concrete commitments to ensure that the goals would be met is deeply disappointing. Burrow added that the world cannot continue on a ‘business as usual’ path and that social development is crucial to addressing deep and growing economic injustice and to make it possible to transition to a low-carbon future through industrial transformation that sustains livelihoods and also the future of the planet. World leaders need to make a Global Deal to turn lofty aspirations into meaningful action, she added.
President of Global Union Federation Education International, Susan Hopgood, conveyed the trade union message to the UN in an address to the UN General Assembly.
A new regulation has been put in place by the government in Vietnam that specifies requirements on permitted limit of formaldehyde and azo dyes contents in textile products that are manufactured, imported and traded in Vietnam. A press release from SGS stated that the new draft circular will supersede circular No. 32/2009/tt-bct dated November 5, 2009 and becomes effective in February 2016. The earlier circular temporarily gave the regulated acceptable limits for the content of formaldehyde and content of aromatic amines, which can be released from azo dyes in reduction conditions in textile and apparel products.
The new circular states the same permitted limits of formaldehyde and azo dyes content in textile products. However, it further specifies requirements on the sampling methods. Updated international test method standards and provides relevant quality management requirements are used for this. Untreated yarn, untreated fabric, fabrics imported for processing export products and textile products in transit or stored in custom's warehouses are exempt from restrictions. Textile products temporarily imported for re-export and types of products made from textile materials used in industrial production are some other goods that are included in this.
A certificate issued by an accredited testing laboratory to ensure conformity in accordance to the regulation is required to be provided by all textile products that are imported, distributed and marketed in Vietnam.
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) failed to attract textile mills or traders for cotton procurement as its sixth cotton tender did not fetch a single bid. Textile mills were reluctant to procure cotton from the state-run grain trader and there was no participation in the consecutive second tender announced by TCP to offload cotton stocks procured from the domestic market to facilitate farmers.
The Federal Board of Revenue imposed a 10 per cent advance tax on cotton procurement from TCP due to which textile mills and traders are reluctant to procure cotton from TCP. As per the tender condition, successful bidders are required to pay an advance tax at the rate of 10 per cent, which will be later adjusted in their annual tax returns.
TCP issued the sixth cotton tender on September 18, 2015, for the sale of 84,600 cotton bales and accordingly the tender was opened on September 30, 2015, at the corporation's head office. In response to TCP's sixth cotton tender not a single buyer or textile mill or trader participated in the tender.
In order to stabilise cotton prices in the domestic market, the federal government, in November last year, asked TCP to procure cotton from ginning factories to facilitate farmers. Accordingly TCP procured 96,000 cotton bales from ginners.
