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The Philippines may lose up to 36,000 travel goods jobs to China if the United States denies the country’s request to include this sector in the generalized system of preferences (GSP).
The Philippines produced approximately 12 million pieces of travel goods a year. About 6000 workers produce two million pieces a year, which means approximately 36,000 workers are employed by the industry producing for 28 lines covering the travel and luggage goods sector.
The country has been lobbying for inclusion of travel goods under the GSP. An inclusion does not only mean that travel goods manufactured in the Philippines can be exported to the US at zero duty.
This move could also readily hike Philippine exports by as much as 700 million dollars, generate some 70,000 additional jobs for related industries, including garments, and could grow the local economy by nearly 0.5 per cent.
The United States is the country’s top export market. Philippines feels the GSP status to the ravel goods sector will realize the goal of promoting economic development at the grassroots level. Not granting the GSP status would destabilize the existing travel goods industries and cause real economic damage to the Philippine industry and workers.
Pakistan is introducing new technology in the textile industry. Sectors such as spinning, weaving, processing and value addition are being revamped. The industry is facing many problems such as frequent power outages, gas load- shedding, inflation and lack of technology and infrastructure.
Textile exports make up 60 per cent of total shipments from Pakistan. The textile sector contributes 10 per cent to the total GDP whereas it is also employing 39 per cent of the labor force. Of the total exports worth 17 billion dollars, the textile sector contributes more than ten billion dollars.
During the period of textile quotas, the country mostly exported thread-cum-cloth and exports did not exceeded four billion dollars. With the end of the quota system, the country has a chance to concentrate on value addition.
R&D support is being given to the industry. Garment cities will come up in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. Under a program 40,000 unskilled laborers would be trained. Manufacturers have been made to realize that induction of modern machinery and technology is essential for them to maintain their competitive edge.
Technical textiles is another area Pakistan is focusing on. In the near future the country’s cotton crop would be utilised in value addition.
Maroc In Mode held in Morocco, October 19 and 20, 2016 attracted good visitors, coming from Spain, France, Sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal), UK, Italy, Germany, Tunisia, Turkey, Portugal, Brazil and Switzerland.
The 115 exhibitors presented categories like knitwear, denim and sportswear.
The fair was an important platform for Moroccan producers in order to meet their suppliers. One of these suppliers is the Egyptian ICRG group that produces cotton fabrics, knitwear and readymade garments. The customs agreement between Egypt and Morocco enables it to deliver easy and duty-free.
The Inditex group has doubled its production in Morocco. Morocco ranks seventh in the world’s list of fashion exporters. The country has high ambitions to foster this industrial sector in terms of quality, sustainability, technology and logistics. Matesa, a denim wear and fast fashion specialist, produces two million meters of denim each month and is fully vertical organized. Blue Bird, a producer of women’s wear ranging from blouses, dresses and trousers to coats, lists retailers such as Biba UK, House of Frasers among its clients. The Larini Group with its brand Sabae offers tunics, shirts, dresses, skirts, shorts, jackets, jumpsuits, trousers and coats. It has clients like Zara and Mango.
European companies want to invest in India but cannot if New Delhi does not extend a range of bilateral treaties that are about to lapse. Over the past nine years the EU and India have been locked in talks about agreeing a single trade and investment treaty that would open up Indian markets to European investors, and vice versa.
Those talks have ground to a halt without agreement on a range of issues, not least of which is the demand by India for 80,000 work visas. The EU has so far resisted those demands.
European businesses are extremely worried about a potential legal gap. In the best-case scenario, this will raise capital costs for companies wanting to do business in India. In the worst case, it could stop some investment altogether.
Western companies have been keen to invest in India in recent years to take advantage of the country’s 7.6 per cent annual growth rate and growing middle class. But they often face a range of legal difficulties, such as the insistence that in some sectors they must form local partnerships with Indian groups, agree to local sourcing demands as well as adhere to strict limits on how they can invest.
Cotton production in Kenya currently stands at 4,000 metric tons of lint while the spinning capacity demand is about 10,000 metric tons of lint. Currently, the country imports more than 50 per cent of its lint requirements from the neighboring countries, putting pressure on the demand for foreign exchange.
Initiatives have been put in place to enable smallholder farmers venture into the farming of cotton and help revive the troubled sector.
Cotton is a crop that is mainly grown in western, coastal and central Kenya.
Key stakeholders such as farmers, input suppliers, market agents, ginners, spinners and textile millers have been involved in promoting not only production but the value and consumption of cotton.
Various resources are being mobilised to ensure that opportunities in the cotton textile value chains are enhanced. To achieve the goal, farmers are given easy credit, being trained, provided farming inputs such as equipment, seeds and chemicals.
Currently the country produces an average of 25,000 bales against a demand of 2,00,000 bales, with the deficit covered through imports from neighboring countries of Uganda and Tanzania and from the Far East.
Cotton production has remained below the national demand due to unstable international prices and high cost of production.
Inspiron is an Indian manufacturer of hot air stenters.
The Motex 15000 is an improvement on the Motex 4560. The new model consumes less energy, has better safety features, minimises waste, while offering better operational efficiency and maximum return on investment.
As against the Motex 4560, the 15000 offers 15 per cent higher drying efficiency and higher operating speed. The stenter enables the processor to achieve even drying and heat setting at higher evaporation rates with optimum energy utilisation, which translates into lower operating cost per meter of fabric.
InspirOn has also recently unveiled a R&D center, which will undertake sustainable development projects to produce products of the best quality using innovative and user friendly technology.
Attached to the R&D center is an incubation center, which is equipped with a demo stenter for mills to undertake trials and test their ideas, while also validating them under actual working conditions, before venturing into commercial production.
The incubation center is equipped with a laboratory, library and conference cum training room and is manned by a team of process technologists and design professionals.
Set up in 1973 InspirOn has strong roots in manufacturing of stenter machines and spinning accessories like flyers and precision engineering components.
Denim Premiere Vision Paris held on November 2 and 3, 2016 saw fewer visitors, 2300 visitors, whereas last year, the autumn session attracted over 3800 visitors. International visitors accounted for 74 per cent of the total last year.
This year the show had 80 exhibitors. It attracted 1,225 companies from a wide range of countries like France itself, which accounted for 22 per cent of visitors, Turkey, Italy, the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Belgium and Tunisia. The event met the expectations of exhibitors and visitors. French ready-to-wear and luxury labels, such as Lagerfeld and Chloé, were notably present.
Each brand clearly showcased its spring/summer 2018 range. The season’s trends could be explored from the show's entrance, within a revised and more compressed area. The organizers used a much more selective approach to product presentation, adopting a more experiential style which was beneficial, and was remarked upon by buyers.
The section was boosted by the presence of the Premiere Vintage Market, organised with Denim Boulevard, which showcased items such as aviator leather jackets, denim shirts, military-style jackets and even kimonos.
Future editions will continue providing such industry insights. In 2017 the trade show will celebrate its tenth anniversary.
The European Union (EU) is planning to enter into a five-year strategic partnership with Pakistan as the current relationship between the two has reached a mature level.
The textile industry in Pakistan contributes 8.5 per cent to GDP and 60 per cent to exports while employing 38 per cent of the workforce. The EU has provided Pakistan GSP Plus.
Pakistan wants brand owners of textiles from the EU to divert the bulk of their buying from Pakistan since it is very well placed for the production and supply of high quality textile goods at attractive prices.
Fighting poverty and helping the country on its path towards inclusive and sustainable growth are the aims of EU support to Pakistan. The EU considers that such goals will only be achieved by increasing political stability, improving the rule of law, bringing about human and social development, creating productive and decent work opportunities and diversifying the economy.
Although the EU is regarded as a strong economic player it is still seen as a weak political power. The EU intends to change that view by using its position as a development and aid donor as its main strategy to foster democracy and strengthen Pakistan’s institution-building.
"The recent Yarn Expo in Shanghai offered three days of uninterrupted trendsetting sourcing platform for textile, yarns, and fibre companies across the globe. The yarn and fibre sector’s leading global event has been lauded as an effective sourcing platform. This year, the exhibition space expanded by 115 per cent, accommodating 494 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. The three-day show from October 11 to 13, attracted 17,185 trade visitors from 83 countries and regions."
The recent Yarn Expo in Shanghai offered three days of uninterrupted trendsetting sourcing platform for textile, yarns, and fibre companies across the globe. The yarn and fibre sector’s leading global event has been lauded as an effective sourcing platform. This year, the exhibition space expanded by 115 per cent, accommodating 494 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. The three-day show from October 11 to 13, attracted 17,185 trade visitors from 83 countries and regions. Speaking about the continuous success of the fair, Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK), said, “We have been striving to make Yarn Expo the most comprehensive and effective global trade platform by bringing a wide range of quality suppliers together. As the market grows steadily every year, our show has now become the must-attend event for the industry.”
Both exhibitors and buyers agreed that Yarn Expo is the ideal platform for business, with most of them also showing optimism towards the market in the coming year. On the one hand, suppliers were happy to see that there is strong demand for their products at the show. Not only could they connect with existing customers, but new buyers as well. On the other hand, buyers were content about their sourcing journey considering the fair offered a wide range of products with high quality and competitive price.
Elated exhibitors
Neeraj Gupta, Representative, PT. Indo-Rama Synthetics Tbk, Indonesia said, “The first two days were busy for us as many visitors came to our booth. Some of them even placed orders onsite. This is one of the biggest yarn fairs in the world, so we expect to meet both Chinese and overseas customers here. The market in Asia and China is booming compared to other parts of the world, so there is big potential for our company to develop here.” Agreed Jong Soo Chang, Junior Manager, Posco Daewoo Corp., Korea who said, “We are cotton spinners with two mills in Uzbekistan. We have already met a number of our target buyers in the first day, so we have actually made some progress already. They are interested in cotton yarn from Uzbekistan as it is attractive in terms of price and quality. Yarn Expo is the only exhibition that we chose because it is one of the largest yarn shows in the world.” Similarly, Cuu Do Xuan, Marketing Director, Hanam Textile Company, Vietnam, remarked, “We have attended this exhibition for many years. We have already received 15 orders during the first day. The fair is very good for us as we can meet new customers every time.” Su Bo, Vice General Manager, Yiwu Huading Nylon Co, China, elaborated, “The market is showing positive feedback to us this year as we have met a lot of visitors and successfully received onsite orders. We rarely join other exhibitions except Yarn Expo. Here we can meet high-end domestic and overseas customers. Yarn Expo helps us to expand our sales channels and learn about current market demand. The show also connects the entire industry and facilitates our business.”
Ketan Shah, Marketing Head (Brands & Retail), Indo Liberty Textiles, Indonesia, informed, he had met a couple of potential customers who showed interest in their products. “Most of the buyers that came to us are new ones. They are professional with clear objectives in mind. This fair is an ideal platform for us to open up the Chinese market as we can meet many buyers from all over China.” Peter Dong, Marketing Director, Aditya Birla Group, China, managed to connect with target customers this edition, and some of them are even new to them. “A lot of fabrics and apparel companies visited our booth and wanted to know more about our fibres. Our products are eco-friendly and differentiated, so there is big potential for them in China,” he added.
Visitors feedback
Much like exhibitors, visitors too were also elated with the products and services on display. Ragheed Abbas, Sales Manager, TIBA. For Agencies (S.A.E.), Egypt, opined, “This is one of the most famous yarn exhibitions in Asia that I must attend. The Chinese suppliers here are really attractive to me as they suit my requirements. There is a wide range of options that are in good quality, reasonably priced and innovative. I have met some potential exhibitors that I am likely to place some orders with after the show.”
Similarly, Ricardo J Fischer, Textile Agent, Argentina, got the opportunity to meet some good suppliers from Indonesia, India and Vietnam. The show is comprehensive with different kinds of products including cotton yarns and specialty yarns available. Fischer came here to search for new suppliers for long term business, and it is definitely helpful. Andy Chu Sun Wah, Representative, World Knits Ltd, Mauritius, said, “Each time we come, we find around 10 new suppliers and eventually manage to have further cooperation with around four of them. I can tell you that this show helps us a lot. The manufacturers here are diverse and they show us great ideas on innovative production. The show always meets my expectations. We’ve also been to the trend area and it’s very fruitful. This is a five-star visit.”
Michelle Niu, Representative, Jining Boda Textile Co, China, explained the Yarn Expo has long been the most professional trade exhibition in China. It is the only occasion where you can find quality overseas yarn suppliers. For Leslie ZHANG, Representative, Kinger (Hong Kong) Ltd, Hong Kong, Yarn Expo is one of the biggest shows in the world. It is useful to source suitable raw materials and quality suppliers. With such pathbreaking performance, the next Spring Edition of Yarn Expo, promises to be grander and is slated to be held from March 14 – 16, 2018 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).
Athletic-inspired clothing like hoodies, yoga pants, athleisure wear are made of synthetics than cotton. This is so inspite of the fact that people prefer cotton over synthetic fabrics.
Why, then, is polyester than cotton used? One reason is the price. Cotton is more expensive. Worldwide, China holds a dominant role in textile production. In that country, synthetic fibers cost only about half as much as cotton. That means those manmade materials are somewhat of a default; mills tend to use cotton mainly when requested.
Polyester is overwhelmingly the main choice in athletic clothing. Some shirts and pants also contain other sythentics such as spandex; only a few have any cotton.
That’s what the cotton industry is working to change. Putting cotton into fabrics isn’t an all-or-nothing scenario. Blends — 50 cotton and 50 poly labels, for example — are good, too.
Cotton is trying to compete with synthetics in other ways too. For example, synthetics are usually good at repelling moisture; traditional, untreated cotton tends to stay wet longer. So a big part of cotton’s branch into athletic clothing is exploring moisture-management techniques. Examples are technologies like Storm, Trans Dry and Wicking Windows. Garments made with these aim to keep moisture away from the body and on to the fabric, where it evaporates quickly.
