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Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) has prepared a manual for Indian exporters.
It’s hoped this will foster a better understanding of potential good practices in the apparel supply chain that contribute towards improved quality, efficiency and sustainability.
The manual draws upon experiences in other countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Turkey. After considering the feasibility of adopting these practices in Indian units, an user-friendly good practice manual has been developed for small, medium and large firms.
Existing practices in apparel units in clusters like Tirupur, Jaipur, NCR, Ludhiana, Bangalore and Chennai were studied. This brought out the need for standardisation and the possibility of adopting some easy-to-adopt production and manufacturing systems that can improve export competitiveness.
The manual focuses on good practices covering the areas of productivity, operational efficiencies, environmental sensitivity, compliance and management practices.
AEPC feels India's growth in the global apparel sector which has been slow could have been accelerated if the country tried to adopt international practices. It hopes that when the India-EU FTA is signed, it will give India a level playing field vis-à-vis Bangladesh which currently has an advantage in the EU markets.
Right now research and development activities prevalent in the Indian apparel industry are not recognized. So AEPC feels there is a need, for instance, to consider the experiments in color and fiber undertaken by the industry for sample generation as it is an important step towards business generation.
The Garment Manufacturer Association of Cambodia (GMAC) will launch its new vocational training centre next month, providing courses aimed at upgrading the skills of Cambodian workers in a bid to replace the middle-management positions currently occupied predominantly by foreigners.
The Cambodian Garment Training Institution (CGTI) was built with a $3 million loan from French development body Agency Francoise Development (AFD). Construction broke ground last September inside the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone.
According to Ly Tek Heng, operations manager at GMAC, foreigners occupy about 8,000 of the 700,000 positions in the Kingdom’s garment sector. He further says that the new vocational training centre will help reduce this foreign component by training Cambodian workers as high-level fashion industry specialists, such as merchandisers, fashion designers and pattern makers. It will also enhance quality-control skills.
Tek Heng commented on this that at present they have to hire expatriates for some management positions because our Cambodian workforce cannot do it.
He further explained that the training institution will help our Cambodian workers to get higher wages and help factory owners to lower their costs of hiring people from abroad.
GMAC members have set aside nearly $700,000, in addition to the $3 million loan, to cover the centre’s operations for the first three years. CGTI will operate three courses of up tofour month’s duration with student enrolment billed at $140 per course. Enrolment will initially be only for workers employed in GMAC member factories, but will eventually be extended to the public.
Tek Heng was optimistic that once Cambodians were skilled enough to obtain middle-management positions, it would also help to smooth out industrial relations and reduce workplace conflict that arises from cultural misunderstandings in foreign-owned factories.
Lim Sovannaren, an administrative executive for Akeentex Pte, a Singaporean-owned company that produces jackets, shorts, pants and swimwear, says that the firm had not registered any of its nearly 1,200 workers for courses at CGTI.
Soeng Sophary, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, stated that while there is still vast potential for Cambodians working in the garment sector, workers need vocational training to foster productivity and enhance skills to promote long-term economic growth.
Pakistan’s textile and clothing exports in July to April showed a nominal decline in export proceeds by 0.92 per cent year-on-year.
Exports of readymade garments rose 5.34 per cent while those of knitwear dropped 0.17 per cent. Exports of bed-wear edged up 5.01 per cent while those of towels dropped by 4.38 per cent.
In April, the value of exported textile and clothing products declined 0.41 per cent year-on-year. Overall export proceeds in July to April were down 2.29 per cent.
In primary commodities, exports of cotton yarn witnessed a year-on-year decline of 3.68 per cent while those of cotton cloth and yarn dropped 5.73 per cent and 29.48 per cent.
Exports of made-up articles, excluding towels, increased 1.18 per cent and those of tents, canvas and tarpaulin grew 56.22 per cent. Proceeds from art, silk and synthetic textile exports declined 29.70 per cent while exports of raw cotton also recorded a year-on-year decline of 47.58 per cent.
One of the reasons for the decline in Pakistan’s textile exports is that the preferential access to the European Union under the GSP Plus scheme hasn’t boosted proceeds due to a slump in demand.
Pakistan gives a four per cent rebate on the exports of readymade garments on a ten per cent incremental increase over the preceding year.
The National Green Tribunal has allowed the conditional reopening of 578 textile units in Rajasthan's Pali district that had been shut for the last eight months for flouting pollution norms. The Jodhpur bench of the tribunal, comprising Justice Jawad Rahim and member B S Sajwan, permitted the reopening of these industries, engaged in dyeing and printing of cloth, after the unites gave an assurance that they would comply with any direction passed by the tribunal.
NGT also took into account the adverse effect the closure had on the employment and livelihood of workers directly or indirectly dependent on the industries. The prolonged closure had also resulted in surreptitious and illegal dyeing and bleaching activities.
The NGT has further ordered the setting up of a monitoring committee comprising representatives of IIT Jodhpur, the Central Pollution Control Board and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, directing them to submit a report on the next hearing.
Pali Water Pollution Control Treatment and Research Foundation Trust responded to this by stating that the committee will carry out inspections and surprise checks of the industries and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP). They will ensure disconnection of electricity where the industries do not have any consent to operate or they are not connected with CETP or do not have their own Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP).
Besides this, the tribunal has also directed the constitution of a district-level task force to ensure that no industry functions illegally or in violation of the pollution rules and norms. The task force will also chart out a surveillance mechanism and take punitive measures against defaulting units.
The NGT had ordered these polluting textile industrial units to shut their operations on October 3 last year, while hearing a petition moved by an environmental organisation, the Kissan Paryavaran Sangharsh Samiti.
The untreated effluents of these units have long been polluting a seasonal river of the district, the Bandi river, whose water feeds the Nehda Dam. This has severely affected agriculture in the region and polluted the underground water.
Jharkhand produces roughly 82 per cent of the total silk that is produced in India. Nearly 4.82 lakh women in the state will be brought under the new skill development program. A fund of Rs 700 crores has been provisioned in this year's budget for the skill development program.
A state industries board will be established, which will connect women of 32,000 villages for providing them alternative livelihoods.
Jharkhand wants investors for the textile, apparel and footwear sectors as these have growth potential.
These sectors are the second largest employers in Jharkhand after agriculture. By products of textile, apparel and footwear are used for making cosmetics, biomedical products and fertilizers. These not only fetch revenue but also generate large scale employment.
Jharkhand tussar production increased to 3,238 metric tons in 2016-19 from 143 metric tons in 2007-08. The tussar culture employs 1.80 lakh farmers and 30,000 weavers in the state.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between Jharkhand Silk Textile and Handicraft Development Corporation (Jharcraft) and Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Co-operative Society (Co-optex).
Co-optex has over 200 outlets across the country. Jharcraft products will be displayed at Co-optex showrooms across the country. Co-optex will also display its products at Jharcraft outlets.
While Co-optex produces a huge variety of handloom products, it does not produce tussar silk. In this situation, Jharcraft will use the platform to publicize and sell tussar silk produced in Jharkhand.
Indian exports are on upward trend in last few months as the country ended up with export of $275 billion in last fiscal, says GK Gupta, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO). The country could achieve a new milestone of $325 billion in 2017-18 and Gupta has suggested providing additional support to top 200 products of global imports.
The FIEO president also shared concerns regarding some important issues. He stated that the export sector welcomes the introduction of GST as its spin off effect would benefit both the manufacturing and export sector. The logistics cost is expected to come down to help the exim sector. The quick refund, as against delayed refund of VAT, will also help the export sector.
The company is worried with the liquidity issue as the refund mechanism would require payment of GST first and its refund subsequently. The additional cost of credit to manage the liquidity should be borne by the government, if present exemption is not brought forward in the GST. Export sector would be losing export competitiveness by about 2 per cent and the same needs to be off-set to the export sector,says Gupta.
FIEO, is request the government to provide interest on delayed refund after 10 days (3 days + 7 days) instead of 60 days, added Gupta. FIEO has requested the ministry of commerce to prepone the announcement so as to coincide with the rolling out of GST.
The Mid-Term Policy Review should look at the performance of the new instruments introduced in the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 and also the modifications which are required in the wake of introduction of GST. On this the FIEO presidentstated that they request the Government to sensitize the trade and industry that the imports duty benefit on imports under the existing instruments would only continue till the date of introduction of GST.
FIEO acknowledge the positive role played by Rupee appreciation in Indian economy particularly, as it helps in containing import led inflation. However, it does affect competitiveness of Indian exports. The impact of Rupee appreciation varies from sector to sector. Traditional sectors of exports like handicrafts, carpets, handlooms, textiles, leather, etc. face huge competitiveness issue on account of such appreciation.
During the current sowing season, Pakistan cotton cultivation witnessed a 18 per cent increase across the crop growing areas as compared to the sowing during the corresponding period of the last year.
Overall, the cotton crop has been cultivated over 59 per cent area of the total targeted areas set for the current sowing season.
So far cotton crop has been cultivated over 1.54 million hectares of land in Punjab whereas the Sindh province had put around 0.299 million hectares of land under cotton crop cultivation.
Cotton has been cultivated over 1.84 million hectares across the crop growing areas of the country as against the set target of 3.11 million hectares.
Due to favorable weather conditions, the availability of certified seeds and other crop inputs, it is expected that the targeted areas for the current sowing season would be achieved.
Agriculture experts from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were provided three months’ training in order to bring the potential areas under cotton production to enhance the local crop output. The Federal Committee on Cotton had fixed cotton production targets at 14 million bales during the current crop sowing season.
Punjab had achieved 63.5 per cent crop sowing targets set for the current season whereas Sindh was able to achieve 46 per cent area of the total cultivable land.
The garment manufacturing industry in Cambodia has become the fifth largest apparel supplier to the European Union behind China, Bangladesh, Turkey and India.
Cambodia’s garment exports to the EU grew by 14 per cent in 2016. In comparison Vietnam’s garment exports to the EU grew by 6.8 per cent. Europe today takes up 43 per cent of the Cambodian sector’s exports as opposed to 29 per cent taken by the US market.
However there are some threats. Cambodia’s push into the EU market is largely because of the preferential treatment under the Everything But Arms Agreement, which allows its garment products to enter the EU market duty-free; this preference is expected to end as Cambodia graduates out of Least Developed Country status. Another threat is the implementation of the FTA between the EU and Vietnam, which is set to come into force by the end of 2017. With Vietnam set to take full advantage of the falling tariffs, Cambodia should find ways to stay competitive.
Cambodia’s real growth is projected to remain strong, expanding at 6.9 per cent in 2017 and 2018.
Improving labor productivity would be fundamental for Cambodia to remain competitive, given rising competition from other low-wage garment exporting countries.
Two companies including fashion chain Benetton India have sought approval of the government for single brand retail trading in India. Benetton India have sought approval to undertake e-commerce and retail trading of imported goods, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
Currently, FDI up to 49 per cent is permitted under the automatic route but beyond that limit, government's nod is required. Foreign investment is allowed subject to certain conditions, which require products to be of a 'single brand' only and to be sold under the same brand globally.
Furthermore, in respect of proposals involving FDI beyond 51 per cent, it is mandatory to source 30 per cent of the value of goods purchased from India, preferably MSMEs. To attract more FDI in the sector, the government is considering allowing 100 per cent foreign investment through automatic route in single brand retail to attract a larger number of global players in the sector.
PVH will design and distribute menswear for the DKNY brand in the US and Canada.
The license agreement includes DKNY Sport for Men, a new category for the brand. In addition, PVH has licensed rights for men’s sportswear, dress shirts, neckwear and jeans.
DKNY is one of the world’s leading fashion brands. The first collections will launch in spring 2018 and will be sold in department stores. Philips Van Heusen owns, designs, sources and markets a selection of world-renowned brands in the dress shirts, sportswear, neckwear, footwear, and accessories categories.
The acquisition will enable PVH to participate in the fast growing online channel and provides a platform to increase innovation, data driven-decisions and speed in the way it serves its consumers across channels.
PVH leverages a diversified portfolio of brands — including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, Speedo, Warner's and Olga, as well as numerous other owned and licensed brands — and markets them globally.
With a history going back over 135 years, PVH has excelled at growing brands and businesses.
DKNY is run by the G-III Apparel Group. A quest for the perfect pair of jeans led Donna Karan to launch her eponymous label's sister line, DKNY, in 1989. It has now grown into a trusted lifestyle brand, including ready-to-wear, active wear, lingerie, children’s wear and accessories.
