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The upcoming ITMA ASIA + CITME exhibition in China is seeing a huge response. Reports suggest that leading textile machinery makers have already snapped up space at the exhibition which will be held from October 21 to 25 in Shanghai, China. Over 90 per cent of the 180,000 sq. mt. of exhibition space had been sold. The 2016 combined exhibition is expected to feature over 1,500 domestic and international textile machinery manufacturers from over 26 economies who will showcase advanced solutions and energy efficient machinery and processes.
Chinese exhibitors make up the biggest country group, booking over 65 per cent of the total exhibition space. The other top participating economies are Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan. According to Charles Beauduin, President of CEMATEX the high level of interest from exhibitors has reaffirmed ITMA ASIA + CITME as the leading marketing platform for textile machinery manufacturers seeking to tap the China market. “We are pleased to provide them with a recognised platform for their strategic promotion and will ensure that the combined show continues to be a relevant and effective platform for sellers and buyers to transact business and to take advantage of the vast potential that China offers.”
Exhibits at the combined exhibition are organised into sectors based on manufacturing processes, and spinning machinery. This is followed by finishing, knitting and weaving. In addition, the nonwovens sector has seen a 20 per cent increase from the last combined show in 2014.
China continues to expand the infrastructure construction sector, accelerate urbanisation and increase awareness of the environmental protection under the government’s 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). It is expected that demand for technical textiles and nonwovens products will rise in the coming years.
As per Gu Ping, Vice President of China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA), As China’s textile industry continues its transformation, demand for advanced machinery and technology is on the rise. Textile manufacturers need to keep ahead of the industry and readjust their strategy to enhance overall production efficiency. “They should adopt a longer-term outlook to focus on the quality of their products which will ultimately contribute to their company’s bottom line. This will lead to a demand for new machinery and technology to modernise and upgrade their existing textile equipment,” says Peng
Bangladesh government is forming a central fund for the readymade garment sector. There will be contributions from owners, buyers, government and other sources. Export-oriented factories would have to contribute 0.03 per cent of their freight on board price to the fund while contributions from the government and buyers would be voluntary. The labour ministry on March 27 formed a 10-member board to set up the fund, determine contributions and their realisation procedure and provisions for utilisations of the money for welfare of beneficiaries in the RMG sector.
Lien banks of the export-oriented companies would pay the amount to the fund as automatic claim over the FoB prices that would come in the banks’ possession. There would be two bank accounts for the fund –– one will be a beneficiary account and the other will be a contingency account. Money would be deposited equally in the two accounts as per rules. The premium of group insurance and health insurance would be paid from the contingency account.
Grants for workers or their family members would be taken from the beneficiary account while amount deposited in the contingency account would be used to meet the dues of workers of any closed factory if its owner is unable to pay the workers. An executive board has been formed for the readymade garment sector as the sector is the highest export earner. The executive board for other sectors will be formed gradually.
Americhem has added several key staff members to its worldwide nonwovens team, increasing access to Americhem products and solutions for the nonwovens industry. Kam Lui has joined Americhem as development specialist for nonwovens. He brings more than 20 years of technical experience in the polymer processing industry and will work closely with the development and commercial teams. He has a degree in chemical engineering.
Greg Kern is account manager for nonwovens. He has many years of experience in the polymer industry. He is a chemical engineer and will work closely with customers to develop products that create value through technical innovations.
Peter Puchalla has joined the organization as films and nonwovens market leader. Previously, he has worked as account and business development manager, supply chain management and process engineer. He has a dual degree in industrial engineering and business management.
US-based Americhem, is a global provider of color and additive solutions for synthetic fibers. This year, the company’s synthetic fibers business invested in two new custom-made high speed spinning lines. Global capabilities for nonwovens and synthetic fibers include eleven dedicated spin lines throughout Americhem’s global plant network and a spun bonded fabric pilot line dedicated to the nonwovens industry.
www.americhem.com/
The Dutch government, along with a coalition of trade unions, non-governmental organizations, and industry groups, has pledged to address the myriad social and environmental issues endemic to garment- and textile-producing countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. An agreement, drafted under the agies of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands, lists child and forced labor, environmental pollution, living wages, better working conditions, and animal welfare among the key areas that require “practical improvements.” Not only does it need to secure funding, but it also has to secure the signatures of at least 35 brands and retailers—representing 30 per cent of sales in the Netherlands—by June.
Workers in the textile industry are also exposed to a number of chemicals, especially those engaged in the activities of dyeing, printing and finishing. In the long run, exposure to formaldehyde can lead to respiratory difficulty and eczema. Contact of the chemicals with skin as well as inhalation of the chemicals can lead to several serious health effects.
All signatories, with the help of participating trade unions and civil groups, have to commit to a number of objective. Textile workers are at high risk for developing cancer of the stomach, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, testicular cancer and nasal cancer. High levels of noise have been observed in most units engaged in the textile industry, particularly those in developing countries. In the long run, exposure to high noise levels has been known to damage the eardrum and cause hearing loss. Other problems like fatigue, absenteeism, annoyance, anxiety, reduction in efficiency, changes in pulse rate and blood pressure as well as sleep disorders have also been noted on account of continuous exposure to noise. Lack of efficient maintenance of machinery is one of the major reasons behind the noise pollution in a majority of the units. Brands will be required to identify the issues affecting their suppliers at all stages of their supply chains. They’ll also be expected to draw up an “annual improvement plan” with specific goals over the next three to five years. Every year, all parties must issue a joint report on their activities under the agreement and the results they have achieved. The Dutch government says it hopes 80 percent of clothing companies will be on board by 2020, since the covenant’s success hinges on the support and financial assistance of its members.
Asper WTO Statistical Review 2017, the ratio of international trade growth to GDP fell to 0.6, representing the worst year since 2001; growth was just 1.3 per cent in volume terms, the weakest growth rate since 2008. Despite a brightening of the EU economy, textile and clothing (T&C) activity in the EU lost dynamism towards the end of the year. Textile activity improved to some extent, while activity in the clothing industry showed no signs of recovery. Year 2016 witnessed the slowest growth in EU exports since the financial crisis, while the retail turnover development was less dynamic than in previous year, recording a modest growth.
In spite of political concerns, the overall situation of the EU and OECD countries continued to improve both in The EU’s economic improvement did not, however, benefit the clothing sector (whose production fell further), whilst the textile sector edged ahead by just +1.6 per cent. Production prices again fell across the European Union as a whole, with an overall reduction of -1.1 per cent. The only exception was in the United Kingdom, where output prices rose.
Turnover index
The EU-28 turnover index for the clothing sector surpassed the 2010 threshold, up by +0.8 per cent. The index for textiles reached a new high in 2016 at 107.5, compared to 105.5 points in 2015 – an increase of +1.9 per cent. In the EU as a whole, investment only grew very slightly in 2016, taking into account the time lag between investment decisions and their implementation. Besides, Switzerland and Turkey faced declines in both sectors. Employment in the EU for both the textiles and clothing sectors remained almost stable in 2016. The textiles sector was in a more robust position, enabling it to boost employment, whereas the clothing sector again declined.
Outlook seems positive
Barring some continuing uncertainty, in particular related to the trade policy of the US and the effects of Brexit, especially on exchange rates, the outlook for the industry looks positive. Prices are rising, but quite slowly. This is also true for the costs of energy and certain raw materials. The value of the euro has tended to recover, at least until August 2017; EU consumer confidence and especially within the eurozone is at its highest level since April 2001. Unemployment has been steadily falling for more than four years now, both in the EU as a whole and in the eurozone, and the public finances of the majority of Member States have recovered.
Q1 2017 preliminary data was also favourable for the textile sector, except the decline in traditional sectors of spinning and weaving, as well as nonwovens, while finishing has seen a marginal recovery. Knitted items (circular knitting) continued to grow, but at a reduced pace. ‘Other textiles’, including technical textiles, expanded more sustainably. The growth mainly came from the Eastern European countries. The clothing sector continued to cut production, yet turnover rose slightly. However, managers’ expectations during the second half of 2017 continued to rise in the clothing industry with positive assessments of production expectations.
Denim Days will be celebrated in Amsterdam from April 11 to 17, 2016. The show focuses on denim’s tradition and innovation, heritage and style. The program has something for denim lovers of every kind, from brands and makers to wearers and speakers. There will be animation shops, fashion shows, conferences and an international exhibition.
This edition of Amsterdam Denim Days include a six-day public program named City Center which involves product launches and other events taking place in a variety of shops and boutiques; the public festival Blueprint features a selection of denim labels, workshops, seminars, exclusive denim items, exhibitions, music and food; and an invitation-only trade show for professionals called Kingpins.
The Kingpins show gathers several international players in production and finishing of denim. Blueprint is known among denim professionals as an exclusive fashion-forward denim platform. So far it was only for professionals. For the first time, the participating brands and initiatives will be open to all denim addicts.
www.amsterdamdenimdays.com/
India wants to develop apparel, made-ups and home furnishing sector. Steps will be taken to develop skills repository for the apparel value chain, national occupational standards in the industry, establish well-structured sector specific labor market information systems and improvise the training delivery value chain, including third party assessments and certifications.
The scheme envisages imparting training to youngsters as well as assessing and certifying the existing workforce in the apparel sector. Existing manpower of apparel factories and those having prior knowledge will be assessed and certified.
The Apparel Made-UPs Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council of India (AMH SSC) has been launched with a primary mandate of enhancing and building a capacity in skill development. One of the salient responsibilities of AMH SSC is designing training programs based on industry demands of different segments and ensuring that all successful trainees are certified through an accredited assessment agency.
Assessment is the process of evidence collection of a person’s competence level through a range of methods, tests, observations, interviews, assignments and professional discussions etc. AMH SSC has been given the target of certifying more than two million persons till 2022 in skilling courses for the apparel sector.
Revenues from India’s coir exports are encouraging. Coir exports during the April-January period of the current fiscal are up 5.5 per cent. Exports in the current fiscal are expected to exceed last year’s levels.
Currently, China, Korea, Japan, Germany, Canada, US are the major markets for Indian coir products. Exporters are looking at exploring the Australian market in a big way with value-added products. Coir fiber exports to China are not showing substantial increase. This has resulted in sufficient availability in the domestic market. The domestic need is approximately one lakh tons.
Steps are being taken to modernize the industry, enhance productivity and ensure uniformity of coir rolls in the export market. Leading spinning machinery manufacturers in India may be given the incentive to develop new spindles to improve productivity. Value-added coir producing units will be ensured a steady supply of raw materials.
Coir geo-textiles are used in road construction. A 18 km rural road network in Kerala has used this material. In future it may be used in the construction of national highways. This can lead to a 25 per cent saving in construction cost besides increasing the durability of road by five years.
Australian shorn wool production for the 2015-’16 season is expected dip by seven per cent over the 2014-15 season. The seven per cent decline compares with a 5.6 per cent decline in the weight of wool tested in the first eight months of 2015-’16.
Dry seasonal conditions in spring in many major sheep-producing areas have resulted in lower average wool cuts per head this season. The hot, dry conditions over summer in a number of regions is likely to further exacerbate this during the autumn shearings and has also reportedly resulted in increased turn-off of sheep.
For the 2015-16 season upto February, there has been a significant increase in the weight of wool between 16.5 micron and finer, only a small decline in the volumes of 17 micron wool, but a significant decline in volumes of wool between 21.6 and 23.5 microns. Volumes of other micron categories mostly fell by around six to nine per cent. The mean fiber diameter for Australia to February, was 21.1 microns, the same as in 2014-’15.
Some regions, such as areas in Western Australia, have seen better rainfall mainly from intense summer storms which have relieved stock water shortages but pasture conditions remain a concern.
Asia Fashion Fair will be held in Japan, July 5 to 7, 2016. This is a clothing and textile fair started in 2003, and is held three times a year. Every year, there are more than 10,000 buyers visiting AFF. Many Asian enterprises will exihibit their products. The fair attracts many high quality suppliers and increasingly plays a big role in the industry.
Japanese exporters have been paying more attention to the textiles and garments supplied by various production bases in Asia in recent years. This event showcases garments, accessories, fabrics, trims and home textile products and many more related products and services in the cosmetics and beauty products and fashion accessories industries.
Textiles have long played an important role in Japanese life. Japanese weavers and dyers used silk, hemp, ramie, cotton and other fibers, and a range of weaves and decorative treatments, to produce textiles of distinctive design and exceptional aesthetic merit.
As with many other Japanese arts, Japanese textiles historically have developed through an interaction of external influences and indigenous techniques and design choices, and a tendency to develop both technology and aesthetics to a high degree of refinement.
www.asiafashionfair.jp/en/exhibitor/
