Recent media reports have suggested the US might label China as a currency manipulator, something it has often threatened to do since the early 1990s. But this according to Chinese experts would have little effect as the relationship between the two countries is already strained by the trade war and the imposition of huge tariffs by the US.

The trend of depreciation with the yuan is not as clear as with currencies in various other emerging economies, so the US would not have a strong basis for labeling China as a currency manipulator. The move could be an effort by the US to create an excuse for further actions regarding bilateral trade and investment, experts said.

Also, one key reason driving the depreciation pressure on the yuan is the trade war waged by the US against China, and the US is now complaining about the depreciation, Tan noted.

The IMF, which has applauded China's improved level of market-oriented economic structure, however is not likely to label China as a manipulator.

Levi’s net income for the third quarter grew 45 per cent. Revenues rose 10 per cent. Net income growth came primarily from lower income taxes, higher operating income and gains on the company’s hedging contracts compared with losses in the third quarter of 2017.

The strongest market for Levi’s was the Americas where revenues were up seven per cent. Direct-to-consumer business in the Americas grew 13 per cent. Europe was the company’s second largest market where revenues grew 17 per cent. Strong sales were seen in the women’s categories and tops. Direct-to-consumer business grew 15 per cent.

Asia’s revenues jumped eight per cent. The company now has RFID, or radio-frequency identification, in all its US stores to manage inventory more effectively and hopes to expand that globally and with its franchise partners within the next 12 months.

Levi’s, based in the US, has developed new marketing and advertising campaigns and partnered with influencers. Levi’s recently collaborated with celebrity Justin Timberlake for a 20-piece collection of menswear. Globally, Levi’s sells a T-shirt every second and has been doing so for the last two years.

The company has four brands: Levi’s, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., Denizen and Dockers.

Lenzing, and he sustainable fashion designer Pawan Kumar, and denim manufacturer Saitex have come together to create a capsule collection that reveals new depths in denim. The capsule includes jeans, dresses, T-shirts, sweaters and jackets for both women and men. In addition to the core denim styles, complementary knits and wovens were produced by other sustainable mills, including Artistic Denim Mills, Artistic Milliners, Barutcu, Blue Diamond, Candiani, Cone Denim, Hallotex, Orta, Prosperity, Royo, Textil Santaderina and Tintex.

Vietnam-based Saitex produced the garments at its factory. Saitex has invested in industry-leading equipment that makes washing a more resource-efficient process compared to the inefficient belly washers used in traditional manufacturing. The factory’s electricity dependency and carbon footprint have been reduced with air-drying, as well as by using solar and other clean power sources.

Pawan Kumar blended a contemporary style with the glamorous attitude of the ’50s. He culled inspiration from the natural splendor of his native Mauritius and the urban sophistication of his current home, Los Angeles. The innovative fabrics made it easy for him to attain the specific wash effects and visual textures he wanted for his designs, which embrace sustainability from fiber to finished garment.

The collection boasts of denim fabrics made using Tencel lyocell and Refibra technology, Lenzing’s effort to build a circular economy.

As per Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) figures major leather export categories have shown lacklustre growth in this fiscal year. Export of leather gloves and leather footwear registered growth of 1.8 and 12 per cent respectively. However, leather garments which account for the bulk of leather exports went down 7 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

On monthly basis leather gloves and leather garments recorded growth of 40 and 20 per cent respectively. Growth has mostly been volume based whereas prices have seen a downward trend. This could be explained by the depreciation of the rupee whereas the rebates awarded under the government incentive package might also have played a part in boosting quantities.

The high cost of production has hampered growth in leather exports say stakeholders. Smuggling of live animals to Afghanistan has also created problems and put pressure on supply of hides and skins to leather manufacturers. There has also been a dearth of investment in balancing, modernisation and replacement (BMR) by most local players which have argued against the imposition of 4 per cent custom and 17 per cent sales tax on import of machinery.

Leading unions and labor groups in Pakistan have proposed their own safety ‘Accord’ similar to that of Bangladesh. These groups have claimed many factories that supply to Western brands have serious safety defects similar to those uncovered in the aftermath of Rana Plaza and have urged brands to support a Pakistan Accord for Fire and Building Safety.

Union and labor groups from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities met on the sixth anniversary of the Ali Enterprises fire in Pakistan which killed over 250 workers. The meeting was jointly organised by the Pakistan Institute of Education and Research, the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan and the Labour Education Foundation.

Participants noted many similarities between the lack of workplace safety prior to the Bangladesh Accord and the current lack of implementation of fire and building safety standards in garment and textile factories and mills in Pakistan. The labor groups will now develop more detailed proposals for the nature and shape of a Pakistan Accord and these will be shared with international partners.

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, the leading developer of spider silk based fibers, is finalising details of its first shipment of the company’s proprietary recombinant spider silk silkworm eggs to Vietnam. Kraig Labs will work in cooperation with leading sericulture experts in Vietnam, to demonstrate the performance and capabilities of the company’s uniquely developed silkworms, as it moves to expand the production of its recombinant spider silk from pilot to full scale production.

Due to the unique nature of this project, the company had to work hand-in-hand with government officials in Vietnam to develop the required regulations and protocols. It expects to complete all the required documentation for this shipment within the next two to three weeks and raise its silkworms in Vietnam in the fourth quarter.

Stoll, Germany’s leading flat knitting machine manufacturer recently concluded its first Stoll Symposium at its New York City facility, in honor of its 145th anniversary. The event aimed to express gratitude towards key industry players that utilise Stoll’s machinery and services, as well as to educate designers and brands alike on the various knitting solutions and techniques available with Stoll.

The event featured seven key sessions that walked attendees through a technical leap in time from knitting applications to techniques to machinery throughout the years. They provided an in-depth comprehension of Stoll ADF & CMS techniques, Stoll-artwork, Stoll-autocreate, Stoll-knit and wear, yarn experience and usage, and technical textiles at Stoll.

The New York facility of Stoll America works with a wide range of highly skilled specialists to develop the shapes and patterns utilised by famous major American retail companies and knitwear designers.

Invista has developed a marketing campaign along with Refinery 29, a digital media and entertainment company for young women. Invista is the owner of the Lycra brand portfolio of spandex fibers.

The program advises consumers to look for advanced Lycra fiber technologies inside their clothes if they want to experience lasting comfort, fit and performance. The month-long campaign leverages key social media influencers on Refinery 29 to promote the benefits of jeans made with Lycra dualFX technology and active wear powered by Lycra Sport technology.

Custom videos and editorial content will be presented by fashion influencers promoting participating brands’ apparel across Refinery 29 and Lycra brand digital channels, as well as influencer-owned social media channels.

This campaign lets millennial women know that just as it’s what’s inside them that matters most—the same can be said about their jeans. Many of the most common frustrations women have about comfort, fit and shape retention are solved when the jeans have Lycra dualFX technology inside.

Indigo Ag, is offering Indigo Certified Cotton for the 2019 crop season. The cotton offers growers premier inputs to achieve higher yields and flexibility to decide how to market their fiber, while also emphasising sustainable growing practices. It covers dryland and irrigated acres with seed financed at 0 per cent. When marketing with indigo, growers will receive a premium on every acre of Indigo Certified Cotton sold. As with other crops within the Indigo Certified Crops program, growers may also market to buyers outside of the company.

Indigo’s microbial-treated seeds and data-driven agronomic support constitute the base of the offer; with the option to take advantage of Indigo’s other services. The offer reflects insights gathered from the company’s previous production season, and its continued commitment to the sustainable production of fiber. It also provides increased marketing flexibility, so that growers can choose to sell with Indigo or through their normal channels. And, this comprehensive offer includes access to data-based agronomic advice, allowing growers to improve their profitability and environmental sustainability.

Although in recent years there has been a renewed interest in clothing made in Britain, there are concerns that the demand for ‘fast fashion’ is fuelling the need for quick turnarounds in supply chain, leading to poor working conditions in UK garment factories. The Environmental Audit Committee launched an inquiry in June to investigate the social and environmental impact of ‘fast fashion’ and that of the wider clothing industry. The inquiry focuses on the carbon, resource and water use impacts of clothing throughout a garment’s entire lifecycle, while exploring options for recycling clothes at the end of life stage while reducing waste and pollution.

Evidence already submitted to the EAC has revealed that the UK has a higher consumption of new clothing than any other European country, with 26.7 kilogrammes (kg) per capita per year, far ahead of Germany on 16.7kg, while the global fashion industry produced around 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015.

Fashion companies are being asked to provide evidence of their sustainability initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of fashion. The companies under the focus of EAC include: Marks & Spencer Group, Primark Stores, Next Retail, Arcadia Group, Asda, TK Maxx and HomeSense, Tesco, JD Sports Fashion, Debenhams and Sports Direct International.