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Interfilière Paris and Paris Capitale de la Création have recognised Italian company Eurojersey, for the production of patented warp knit sensitive fabrics, as the ‘Designer of the Year’ in the beachwear category.
Since its creation in 1960, Eurojersey has been innovating, creating and improving its performance and the quality of its fabrics. The company pays particular attention to quality and the sustainable development of its large-scale production owing to its ‘Sensitiv Eco System’ project. The company has invested in ethical technologies, optimized production processes and saved resources.
Developed in 1989, Sensitive Fabrics are designed as lightweight, breathable, and versatile, with unique technical features and functionality and meet the most modern solid and printed trends. They are suitable for ready to wear, lingerie, beachwear and sportswear collections. These fabrics allow body mapping and matching between different materials, using bonded and taping technology.
The latest application techniques, including contouring, laser cuts and flocking, expertly bring about the performance of Sensitive Fabrics, according to the manufacturer.
www.eurojersey.com
Global buyers sourcing from Bangladesh have raised concerns over sale of products manufactured for global brands, in the local market. As the products made for international buyers are being sold in the local market with the labels of noted brands, buyers have raised the issue at the Buyers’ Forum in Dhaka, seeking assistance in protecting their brand image.
At a recent meeting of Buyers’ Forum, the point raised was that the image of brands was getting hampered as some manufacturers are selling surplus products under their brand name in the local market. They also alleged that some of the manufacturers not involved with export business were using fabricated tags in low quality products and selling those in the local market.
After receiving complaints from buyers Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has issued a circular to its members asking for better disposal of left-over products so that no leakage takes place. BGMEA said that to maintain good business relationship with buyers, it is important that all factory owners extend support to the buyers to resolve the issue. BGMEA strongly feels that the precautionary measures which they follow to dispose of the left-over have to be more closely monitored to ensure that no leakage takes place.
The DKTE Centre of Excellence has installed a complete needling line. DKTE aims at advancing the development of the nonwovens industry. With a working width of 1,800 mm, the system is considerably larger than standard laboratory equipment. Production of functional nonwovens made of polymers such as polyester, polyamide and polypropylene is growing in India. The DKTE installation is designed for the processing of these fibers for light-weight to medium-weight needled webs.
Trützschler Nonwovens and Man-Made Fibers supplied all the components, from bale opening, roller cards and crosslappers all the way to the two needling machines and a winder. For technicians, the aim was to realise a hybrid installation for research and industry.
The installation is mainly optimised in terms of complex product development. The components are flexible enough to accommodate the various tests and experiments conducted in a research institute. The installation is fitted with machines that can also be used in industrial production. This gives students the opportunity to study the operation, maintenance and behavior of state-of-the-art machines that they will encounter again later in their working life.
The nonwovens industry in India is still at an early stage of development, although some well-known companies have invested in nonwovens. The needling line was formally commissioned in Ichalkaranji.
www.dktes.com/
‘Yarn forward’ forms a key part of the proposed format of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a United States led trade agreement involving twelve countries, which is under negotiation. In essence, ‘yarn forward’ would require that only fabric produced from yarn made by a TPP country would qualify for the trade agreement’s duty-free status. Vietnam, one of the signatory countries, will have significant effect of this rule which is intended to ensure that the trade benefits of the TPP only apply to signatory countries rather than outside players such as China.
Vietnam has much to gain from the implementation of trade agreement, including drastically reduced tariffs in some of the world’s largest markets because the TPP trade area would comprise a region with $28 trillion in economic output upon completion. If the TPP is successfully implemented, tariffs will be removed on almost $2 trillion in goods and services exchanged between the signatory countries.
Vietnam is currently a key global garment manufacturing location, however, its factories often use Chinese-made fabrics in their products, and China is not a part of the TPP. If the country wants to be eligible for TPP benefits such as lower tariffs in the US, it will have to develop its own local fabric industry or constrain itself to only importing fabric from another TPP country. Hence, Vietnam is currently working to have the ‘yarn forward’ rule removed, or its implementation delayed, from TPP. A number of other countries have also pledged their support to Vietnam. However, it seems that Vietnam may be ready to acquiesce to yarn forward, and the country has so far expressed fairly consistent support for the trade agreement, since it will allow many of its other products market access to some of the world’s biggest economies. The US Trade Representative (USTR) has also stated that the US will not pull back from its demand for ‘yarn forward’.
A number of Vietnamese companies are already starting up, or expanding, their own fiber manufacturing operations in order to not be left behind when the TPP is finally implemented. Key companies include the Century Synthetic Fiber Corporation (CSFC), Thanh Cong Joint Stock Co (TCM), and the Vietnam Textile and Garment Corporation (Vinatex). These companies are also getting the support from government to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s fiber manufacturing industry. Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed levying a two percent import tax on polyester staple fiber (PSF). Currently PSF imports are not subject to tax.
In case the Pakistan government alters the Reduced Rate Regime, and fails to release stuck up funds and ensures immediate liquidity supply from banks, the textile industry will face 50 per cent closure, fears S M Tanveer, Chairman, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA). The textile industry in Pakistan is facing a crisis due to the high cost of doing business, energy constraints, high cost of finance and labour wages as against regional competitors.
According to the APTMA chairman, refund claims worth Rs 100 billion across the textile industry have been stuck up with the Federal Board of Revenue with no clue as when these would be released. It has choked the textile industry and causing colossal losses due to the constraints beyond its control.
Then there are rumors about the government mulling imposition of 5 per cent sales tax on all inputs and utilities across the value chain under the Reduced Rate Regime.
In 2014, Vietnam's textile and garment sector saw a 16 per cent rise in the level of exports. While exporting garments is big business in Vietnam, investors should not ignore the growing opportunities to import products into the country and to take advantage of the growing consumer market there. In order to conduct import, export, and distribution activities in Vietnam, the best investment strategy tends to be to set up a trading company.
Generally, a trading company is inexpensive to establish and can be of great assistance to foreign investors by combining both sourcing and quality control activities with purchasing and export facilities, thus providing more control and quicker reaction times compared to sourcing purely while based overseas.
The strong predicted growth in the garment sector is the result of a number of free trade agreements that Vietnam is currently negotiating. Chief among these is the Trans Pacific Partnership, a US-led agreement involving 12 nations. Upon completion, the TPP trade area would comprise a region with $28 trillion in economic output, making up around 39 per cent of the world’s total output. If the TPP is successfully implemented, tariffs will be removed on almost $2 trillion in goods and services exchanged between the signatory countries.
Vietnam has also signed or is in the final stages of negotiations FTAs with South Korea, the European Union, and the customs union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
One of world's largest fabric makers for the fashion industry, Aditya Birla has decided to abide by the policy to exclude fiber produced at the expense of endangered forests, reports Canopy, an environmental group. Its use of viscose made the company a target for environmental groups pushing to curb deforestation in the pulp and paper sector.
Many other fashion brands, in the recent past, including H&M, Zara, and Levi's have adopted similar policy as a part of their sustainability programs. The agreement however differs significantly from the deforestation-free policies being adopted in the palm oil and soy sectors in that it doesn't specifically bar old-growth timber from Birla's supply chain. Instead it requires wood harvested in "ancient and endangered forests" to be extracted under a "sustainable forest management system" or as part of "a biotope-conservation program". That means the company could still buy fiber from companies operating within rainforests and boreal forests.
Aditya Birla, an Indian conglomerate with operations in 36 countries and 120,000 employees, accounts for about a fifth of global production of man-made cellulosic fibers for fabric, including viscose which is produced from wood pulp.
As e dollar remained strong against other currencies, US apparel imports rebounded in March. Apparel imports surged 19 per cent in March, compared to the same month last year, to $7.9 billion. The increase greatly outpaced that of overall imports, which rose by only 1.8 per cent to $199 billion in the month.
In late February, an agreement was reached between the parties in West Coast ports to slowdown, and the huge backlog of imported goods finally began entering the US, which helped boost March apparel import figures. On a 12-month smoothed basis, which corrects for volatility of data in a particular month, apparel import growth was 3.3 per cent in March, its largest increase in five months and three times February’s growth rate.
China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India are the top five of US imported apparel so far this year, though Indonesia has seen its apparel exports to the US drop in the first three months of the year compared to 2014. Apparel exports continued to outperform the total export market, however, increasing by 3.2 per cent. Overall exports of goods and services dropped 6.2 per cent in the month, hurt by the strength of the dollar.
Bangladesh's ready-made garment exports to the US increased by 6.25 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the corresponding period last year. However, apparel exports from Vietnam to the US, one of Bangladesh’s main competitors and India grew by 12.11 per cent and 9.36 per cent during the same period.
Due to the accidents in Bangladesh and political unrest, a large number of orders were shifted to Vietnam and India. Buyers are, however, coming back to Bangladesh after they regained confidence mainly due to ongoing safety measures taken by the garment industry.
Vietnam’s exports to the US increased from $8.12 billion in 2013 to $9.26 billion in 2014. India exported apparels worth $3.40 billion last year, which was $3.21 billion in 2013. Bangladesh is still competitive in terms of price, quality and timely shipment.
China’s exports to the US also increased by 4.93 per cent during the January-March period of 2015. India and Vietnam are grabbing orders shifted from China as they are more competitive than Bangladesh because the Bangladeshi currency is appreciating against the US dollar while those of Vietnam and India are depreciating, making imports from Bangladesh costlier.
Coats, world’s leading industrial thread and consumer textile crafts business, has acquired GSD. Coats is a recognised industry leader, with long standing expertise and deep industry relationships.GSD, a UK based company, supplies expert management solutions that analyse time, cost and production capability in the sewn products sector with a focus on maximising productivity and controlling costs.
GSD will become part of Coats Global Services, which was launched in 2013 in response to customer demands to help them realise productivity and supply chain improvements, develop technical skills and enhance corporate responsibility.
This means GSD’s specialist technical knowledge, data integrity and industry experience will be married to the global reach, customer and brand relationships, industry stature and consulting expertise of Coats.
GSD will enhance Coats Global Services’ end-to-end operational excellence offering, which provides practical, industry-specific technical services, training, technology solutions, quality assurance and compliance, while GSD will have access to Coats’ global reach and resources.
Coats Global Services and GSD will work together to deliver management solutions to maximise productivity and drive down costs in the sewn products manufacturing sector, with GSD providing time-cost benchmarking and Coats offering consulting and technical production expertise, for retailers, brands and their supply chain vendors.
www.coats.com/
