Despite the Russia-Ukraine war and a ban on some banks on the use of global payments messaging network SWIFT, apparel shipment from Bangladesh to Russia has largely remained unscathed because of the use of alternative routes and payment channels, exporters say.

Garrment exports from Bangladesh has not faced any major disruption since shipments are being made via alternative routes such as China and Hong Kong and the suppliers are receiving payments from China in the renminbi, the Chinese currency.

Russian importers are also placing a higher number of orders with Bangladesh to fill up the vacuum created after some large American and European retailers and brands pulled out of the market.

Russian buyers are making advance payments to Bangladeshi garment exporters as well as the demand for apparel items has increased in the market.

Only seven Russian banks have been brought under the purview of the SWIFT ban and the country's buyers are making payments to Bangladeshi sellers through other lenders.

Besides, most of the liaison offices of major retailers and brands in Russia are making payments from their offices in Hong Kong, China, and Turkey.

Shahidul Islam, Managing Director, Rupa Group, has received a payment of $30,000 recently and is waiting to get another $1.5 lakh from a Russian buyer by April 15.

Nearly 150 suppliers export garment items to Russia. Apparel shipment fetched $600 million last fiscal year, up 36 per cent. The export value may go up to $1 billion in the current fiscal year ending in June.

Export receipts from garment shipments to the country registered 35.30 per cent year-on-year growth at $481.23 million during the July-February period, the latest for which data from the Export Promotion Bureau is available.

After a two-year break, Bangladesh Denim Expo will once again open its doors in the international Convention City, Bashundhara (ICCB) in Dhaka on May 10-11, 2022. The event will focus on the theme ‘Beyond Business.’

Bangladesh Denim Expo addresses the new opportunities for successful and sustainable business, in a world that now demands that industry leaders to go “Beyond Business.”

Around 79 Exhibitors are expected to attend the event, consisting of both local and international participants. They will display fabrics, garments, threads, machinery, finishing equipment and accessories, positioning the show as a true representation of Bangladesh’s denim industry.

Through a series of product displays, seminar sessions and panel discussions, the Expo will encourage robust debate and interaction among exhibitors and visitors.

Industry experts will gather to discuss how the denim industry can improve, not only from a business perspective, but also considering social and environmental impacts and goals.

Mostafiz Uddin, Show Organizer, says, the show will act as a lightening rod on current industry ssues, bringing together some of the most progressive, forward thinking denim manufacturers in the world to showcase new thinking and the latest technical innovations which are driving our industry forward.

The Indian government is planning to set up an export promotion council for technical textiles, said Darshana Jardosh, Union Minister of States for Textiles during inaugurating CMAI FAB SHOW on April 11, 2022 at Jio World Convention Centre, BKC, Mumbai.

She further said that after the tough period during the corona pandemic, now India is progressing well and 21st century will belong to India. The India has achieved its export targets and now the government will announce shortly the new export targets.

The Minister applauded the initiative of CMAI to organize this first of its kind Show bringing the entire Supply Chain under one roof, and appreciated the efforts of CMAI to serve the Domestic Garment Industry and its members.

Rahul Mehta, Past President and now Chief Mentor of CMAI (THE Clothing Manufacturers Association of India) added, CMAI for the first time is organizing the CMAI FAB Show. (Fabrics, Accessories & Beyond) from April 11-13,, 2022. It has 200 participants. Visitors and buyers from eight counties are visiting the show. The fair has 3,500 online registrations before the commencement of the Fair. More than 5,000 garment manufacturers, exporters, retailers with private labels and Traders are expected to visit the Fair.

Rajesh Masand, President – CMAI informed, the CMAI FAB SHOW is been supported by two of the biggest associations in the fabric supply chain – the FABEXA from Ahmedabad, and SGCCI from Surat.

A unique addition to The FAB Show was the Think Out Of The Box Section, with 4 exciting and Scintillating Seminars on a variety of Subjects covering Consumer Trends, Technological Developments, and Global Fashion Landscape. The speakers included some of the biggest names in the Garment Industry, along with speakers from Bangladesh, Turkey, and The Netherlands.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and the Indian Footwear Association (IFA) have together urged the Ministry of Finance to maintain GST rates at 5 per cent on footwear priced below Rs 1,000. The government previously charged 5 per cent GST on footwear costing below Rs 1,000. However, later it increased the GST rate on all footwear, irrespective of price, to 12 per cent from January 1, 2022.

Around 85 per cent of Indian population buys footwear costing less than Rs 1,000 per pair, argued the associations. Hence, an increase in GST on this category of footwear would directly impact this population, already struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic, they added.

The organizations also urged the Commerce and Industry ministry to apply the Bureau of Indian Standards rules only to footwear costing over Rs 1,000 a pair. As 90 per cent of Indian footwear is made by cottage industries, application of BIS standards would make operations for these small manufacturing units more challenging.

According to CAIT and the IFA, India makes up 9 per cent of the global annual footwear production. Over 30 lakh people work in footwear manufacturing and trading in India and there are over 10,000 manufacturing units in the country.

After suspending business in Ukraine and closing stores in Russia, Poland's biggest fashion retailer, LPP (LPPP WA), plans to expand operations in the European Union. The company plans to enter Italy, Greece and Cyprus next year and continue expanding its "Reserved" brand in Germany and Britain.

Przemyslaw Lutkiewicz, Chief Financial Officer says the company expects revenues worth over 16 billion zlotys ($3.76 billion) in the current financial year. It also aims to debut in new markets, especially in the southern European region, where it sees a huge growth potential for its brands. This year, the company also plans to develop its e-commerce business, which formed over 30 per cent of its overall sales, in the fourth quarter of its financial year to January 31, 2022. The company expects revenues from online sales to reach 5 billion zlotys this year.

Los-Angeles-based brand Reformation has launched Circular Denim, a collection made with fabrics comprising 20 per cent recycled scrap cotton and 80 per cent FibreTrace Cotton. As per a Sourcing Journal report, the collection has been launched in collaboration with Turkish denim mill Bossa and Strom, a fully vertical manufacturer and laundry also based in Turkey. Both companies are known for their sustainable denim production. Strom uses ozone technology to reduce the laundry’s water, chemicals and energy consumption, while Bossa employs a zero-waste life cycle.

The styles introduced in the collection include a V-neck mini dress with font snaps, utility overalls, pleated trouser jeans and relaxed jean shorts. The Cynthia high-rise jean, Ref Denim’s best-selling style with waitlists of nearly 9,000, is also a part of the collection.

All these garments are 100 per cent recyclable through the brand’s RefRecycling program. The program encourages consumers to return preowned Reformation brand denim, footwear, sweaters and activewear at any of its retail locations or request a shipping label on its website and receive $10-$25 in credit per item.

Indonesia’s Industry Ministry strives to improve productivity, efficiency and product quality in the textile and textile products (TPT) industry by restructuring use of production machinery and equipment. The restructuring program helps the textile industry to be more productive and globally competitive, says Ignatius Warsito, Director General, Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industries (IKFT). Waristo explained that his party is holding outreach activities to make restructuring program of machinery and production equipment successful in the IKFT sector. The ministry has socialized this program to 100 companies physically and more than 143 companies online, he adds.

The machine and equipment restructuring program also encourages the application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, augmented reality/virtual reality, advanced robotics, 3D printing and/or machine to machine communication, as per an Indo Textiles report.

This program is implemented by replacing price discounts of 10 percent of the total investment in machinery and equipment originating from imports, or 25 percent for domestically produced machinery and equipment, he adds, It also facilitates the implementation of the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap by offering investment incentives to stimulate the use of machines and/or equipment that are more modern, more efficient, energy efficient and more environmentally friendly, he adds.

The machine and equipment restructuring program will also help Indonesia realize its commitment to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26), adds Waristo.

The production estimate for cotton crop for 2021-22 has been reduced by 2.33 per cent to 335.13 lakh bales from October 1, 2021 to March 2022, say the Cotton Association of India. Total cotton supply during the period is estimated to be 343.68 lakh bales. This includes arrivals of 262.68 lakh bales, imports of 6 lakh bales and the opening stock estimated by the CAI at 75 lakh bales at the beginning of the season.

Cotton consumption during the period is estimated at 175 lakh bales while the export shipments upto March 31, 2022 are estimated by the CAI at 35 lakh bales. Cotton stock at the end of March 2022 is estimated at 133.68 lakh bales including 75 lakh bales with textile mills and the remaining 58.68 lakh bales with the CCI Maharashtra Federation and others including the stocks held by MNCs, traders, ginners, MCX, and the cotton sold but not delivered.

The CAI Crop Committee has estimated the total cotton supply till end of the cotton season 2021-22 to decline by 8 lakh bales to at 425.13 lakh bales compared to 433.13 lakh bales estimated by the CAI previously. CAI estimates, the domestic consumption will remain unchanged at 340 lakh bales, while the exports for the season have been estimated at 45 lakh bales.

Taiwanese footwear manufacturer Hong Fu Industrial Group will invest Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years to set up a factory in Tamil Nadu. As per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Tamil Nadu government, the plant will employ 20,000, mostly women, and manufacture non-leather-based footwear that does not require much water.

The unit will export footwear from global brands like Nike, Puma, Converse and Vans. It also has plants in China and Vietnam. The investments would be made in phases over the next three to five years and the unit would also boost footwear exports from the State.

It will give a major impetus to the footwear production and export in the State. Hong Fu serves a host of global footwear brands such as Nike, Puma and Converse, among others

With hundreds of units springing up in the country, Bangladesh has emerged a major hub for sewing thread manufacturers in recent years. These units enable Bangladesh to attain self-sufficiency in the major garment accessory, says a Daily Star report. They also enable apparel manufacturers to reduce dependence on imported raw materials, and maintain strict lead time.

Around 10 years ago, Bangladesh imported sewing thread used to stitch garments. However, now the country not only meets local demand but also exports it. Around 20 local and multinational sewing thread mills in Bangladesh produce more than 100 tons of sewing thread a day.

Attracts investments worth Tk 100 crore

Though it contributes less than 1 per cent to the total garment export of $36 billion, sewing thread is vital to manufacture a finished garment item. In the past decade, the accessory attracted investments worth Tk 100 crore in Bangladesh

Kalurghat-based Sanzi Textile Mills invested Tk 100 crore in sewing thread manufacturing in 1995. Today, the company produces 30 tons of thread per day for domestic and international markets, says Syed Nurul Islam, Chairman, Well Group, Owner, Sanzi Textile Mills. It plans to launch another factory to produce leather sewing thread in Bangladesh. The company currently owns 30 per cent share in the sewing thread segment and rakes in $20 million annually. It also ships more than $6 million worth of the accessory a year. Achieving self-sufficiency in sewing thread manufacturing

Earlier dependent on China and Hong Kong for sewing threads, local manufacturers now supply 95 per cent of the accessory. The rest is imported owing to special requirements from international retailers and brands. DBL Group, a garment exporter, produces 10 tons of sewing thread a day at its Kashimpur factory in Gazipur. Of this, the group consumes 20 per cent while the remaining 80 per cent is sold to other garment manufacturers, says MA Jabbar, Managing Director. DBL Group plans to set up a sewing thread unit in Vietnam within two to three years. The company produces sewing thread of international quality, adds Jabbar.

Synthetic threads’ output remains low

Although Bangladesh has become self-reliant in sewing thread, it still imports associated raw materials, says Abdul Kader Khan, Managing Director, Khan Accessories and Packaging. The country has nearly 200 sewing thread manufacturers supplying to export-oriented garment factories. But, only a few of these cater to the needs of the market, adds Abul Quasem Haider, President, Bangladesh Sewing Thread Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Local manufacturers cater to around 90 per cent of the demand for cotton-made sewing threads. However, these manufacturers cater to only 70 per cent of the demand for synthetic-made threads. The rest 30 per cent are imported, mainly from China. Over all, Bangladesh has over 100 small and medium-sized mills in the local sewing thread market.