CBIC clarified that electronically generated certificate of origin (CoO) issued by the UAE authority is a valid document for claiming customs duty benefits under India-UAE free trade agreement The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on Thursday clarified that electronically generated certificate of origin (CoO) issued by the UAE authority is a valid document for claiming customs duty benefits under India-UAE free trade agreement. However, it said that the certificate has to be issued in a prescribed format bearing electronically printed seal and signatures of the authorised signatory of the issuing authority. The trade agreement between India and the UAE came into force from May 1 this year. Under this, domestic exporters of over 6,000 goods from sectors like textiles, agriculture, dry fruits, gem and jewellery get duty-free access to the UAE market. On the other hand, India gives duty-free access to 7,694 goods coming from the UAE. A trader has to submit a 'certificate of origin' at the landing port of the importing country to claim duty concessions under free-trade agreements. This certificate is essential to prove where their goods come from. In a communication to its field formations, the CBIC said that representations have been received with regard to India-UAE trade deal stating that the importers are facing difficulties in availing preferential tariff benefit on the basis of e-CoO issued by the issuing authority of AUE. The agreement already has provisions for the same. "In this regard, it is hereby clarified that an e-CoO, issued electronically by the issuing authority of UAE, is a valid document for the purpose of claiming preferential benefit under India-UAE CEPA (comprehensive economic partnership agreement)...," CBIC said. It added that the specimen seals and signatures, circulated in advance, will continue to be used to verify the genuineness/authenticity of the e-certificate.
Source: Business Standard
Goyal virtually met the members of export promotion councils, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, Tirupur Exporters Association and The Southern India Mills' Association on Wednesday Textiles minister Piyush Goyal asked textile manufacturers to start securing cotton to meet demand and urged the industry to discuss the strategy to ensure traceability of cotton and better value of the cotton products. In a meeting with textile industry, he also said that the aim is to achieve $100 billion textile exports in the next 5-6 years from $42 billion last year. "He mentioned that if achieved, the economic value of the sector will be $250 billion collectively for domestic and international," textiles ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Goyal virtually met the members of export promotion councils, Confederation ofIndian Textile Industry, Tirupur Exporters Association and The Southern India Mills' Association on Wednesday. In a separate meeting on Thursday, he called upon the industry representatives of producers of purified terephthalic acid, mono ethylene glycol, fibre, yarn, fabric and garments to become Atma Nirbhar where the entire demand is fulfilled by domestic supply. "This will secure the raw material availability to lakhs of weavers involved in the polyester value chain, thereby leading to enhanced production of finished goods, enabling realisation of the export targets," the minister was quoted in an official release.
Source: Economic Times
India, UK tick 16 of 25 areas in proposed FTA India and the United Kingdom (UK) have closed the majority of chapters —16 of 25 policy areas — so far, said UK's Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands as he sought a deal that is “fair, reciprocal”. The next round of trade agreement talks between India and the UK is expected shortly, the minister told Parliament. Both nations missed the October 24, or Diwali, deadline to finalise the agreement as several issues remained unresolved. Besides political uncertainty in the UK, the fear of recession and controversial comments by a minister regarding Indian immigrants overstaying in the UK had raised doubts whether the FTA could be inked. With Indian-origin Rishi Sunak taking over as UK’s Prime Minister, the talks are expected to gather pace. While a revised deadline for completing the deal is yet to be announced, Business Standard last week reported that the talks are unlikely to be finalised before mid-2023. “An FTA with India supports the government’s growth strategy, by taking advantage of the UK’s status as an independent trading nation championing free trade that benefits the whole of the UK,” Hands said in Parliament on Wednesday. “We remain clear that we are working towards the best deal for both sides and will not sign until we have a deal that is fair, reciprocal, and ultimately, in the best interests of the British people and the UK economy.” The two nations are negotiating issues related to business visas and movement of skilled professionals from India to the UK, as part of the FTA discussions. There is no discussion on the immigration visas, he said while replying to a query on home secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial comments on Indian immigrants overstaying in the UK. Hands said that tariff reduction on alcoholic drinks, such as whisky, was being negotiated. Scotch whisky exports from the UK to India are already subject to 150 per cent tariffs and had been one of the contentious issues in the deal. The trade pact is expected to provide greater market access in goods and services by easing tariff and non-tariff barriers on both sides. “We expect the deal to do a lot on tariffs. Many of our exporters face considerable tariffs on services—professional, financial and legal. I cannot promise that we will get everything in the deal. On intellectual property, it will be easier for companies to work through innovation and so on. There are a huge number of areas of potential gain for India, including investment and life sciences,” he said. The UK is building a post-Brexit trade relationship with the world, and India is one of the largest markets it is negotiating a trade deal with. In May 2021, both countries set an ambitious target of more-than-doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
Source: Business Standard
Textile associations in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts are hopeful that India will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom at the earliest, buoyed by the news of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak becoming the UK prime minister. According to Tiruppur Exporters Association President KM Subramaniam, there are positive signs that FTAs will be expedited. As the new government in the UK stabilizes, the association will join hands with other organizations such as FIEO and AEPC and submit a memorandum to the Indian government to expedite the FTA. Indian clothing now attracts around 11% duty in UK and with FTA, India will become competitive with countries like Bangladesh. He added that if the FTA is signed with the UK, the country’s share in exports from Tiruppur would increase to 30%. President of the Association of Buying Agents for Textiles V. Elangovan said since Tiruppur accounts for around 20% of apparel exports to the UK, signing an FTA with the UK will increase exports by 10%, he said. Most of the work is over for the FTA and the rest must be expedited so that textile exports to the UK will boom. The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry said, over the past year, exports of textiles and clothing to the UK have seen a decline mainly due to issues in that country’s economy. The textiles sector in particular will benefit from the FTA as it is a traditional market for Indian exporters. According to the Southern India Mills Association, Indian textile goods in the UK attract an average 9% import duty. FTA will ensure duty free exports. Its general secretary K. “While non-tariff barriers remain a concern, there will be no tariff barriers once the FTA is signed,” Selvaaraju said.
Source: The Hindu
With Bihar launching its first-ever textile and leather policy, the textile and apparel industry await to see its success as the next apparel manufacturing hub. It’s indeed a million dollar question as to whether Bihar will be the next apparel manufacturing hub since it recently became a point of attraction for the textile and apparel industry following the launch of its first-ever textile and leather policy. Prior to the launch, the then Minister of Industries, Bihar Syed Shahnawaz Hussain (who also used to be Union Minister of Textiles two decades ago) put in lot of efforts to understand the industry’s requirements and priorities and tried to prepare policy accordingly. These efforts to attract industry in Bihar became intense after May 2022 when the policy was launched officially, with the Minister holding several important meetings with the industry, and trade bodies across India. However, political developments thereafter caused setback to the opportunities for the textile and apparel industry in the state, and since then – especially in August and September – there hasn’t been any movement towards that end in the state. In fact, the state seems to be losing its charm and momentum for the industry. What states lack when it comes to the establishment of textile and apparel industry?: • No continuation or follow-up on policies • No hrust on development of entire supply chain • Dependent mainly on officials rather than on systematic working • Lack of focus on plug- and-play model, multi- storeyed factories Notably, industry stakeholders too agree with this. Hailing from Bihar, Akhilesh Anand, MD, Carnation Creations (a leading apparel manufacturer with state-ofthe-art apparel manufacturing unit in Tirupur) and few other industry stakeholders in his circle were enthusiastic to start their units in their home state, but after these recent developments, they are in doubts to take up any such initiative. Even if one keeps aside the political aspect, another major question is regarding the other states like Jharkhand, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh (except Brandix India Apparel City), which are also offering lucrative policies and few of their individual strengths too, but have failed to attract the apparel manufacturing industry in a big way so far. See the example of Ranchi ( Jharkhand), where despite the availability of local labour, only a few organised players like Arvind, Kishor Exports, Matrix Clothing, Valencia Apparels are managing their operations and that too with a lot of struggle. Telangana did manage to attract Kitex Group, which was mainly because of personal intervention of the state’s top leadership. Other garment manufacturing companies that are in the process to start operation in the state are Gokaldas Images and Texport Industries only. Not only ‘emerging’ states, even established ones like Karnataka and Punjab have also failed in the past to attract fresh investment from existing companies or companies from other states. In 2019, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had said that Karnataka policy’s target of achieving Rs. 10,000 crore investment and 5 lakh job creation (in textile and apparel industry only) has not yet been successful. There has been a shortfall of 63 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively. Lack of consistent, smooth execution of policies over the years is a major reason that various states couldn’t establish the apparel manufacturing industry at a good level. To be more specific, delay in subsidies’ clearance has been a major failure at the state’s end. “Garmenting is one of the most promising sectors for the state and we are working towards that. The land allotment is open for textile units in the best located BIADA industrial area in Bihar, Sikandarpur, Bihta which is only 30 km from Patna airport.” Sandeep PoundrikPrincipal Secretary Industries, Bihar The seriousness of this issue can be seen from the recent meeting of Syed Shahnawaz Hussain with around 20 top apparel export houses like Shahi Exports, Pearl Global, Richa Global to name a few; Narendra Goenka, Chairman, AEPC too has prominently raised the issue of immediately providing the subsidy, given under the policy. The same was once a major issue in Jharkhand creating challenges for whatever units were operational there. The companies had not received their dues for a year, with a leading company having subsidy pending worth Rs. 33 crore. Similar was the case in Punjab where the companies which had shown keen interest in expansion or announced fresh investment, took a step back as they couldn’t get support regarding change of land use (CLU), return of state’s portion in GST and subsidy on electricity usage. No thrust on the development of the entire supply chain and ecosystem is also a reason why most of the companies don’t prefer to go to emerging states, and even if they try, they find it difficult to succeed. From core raw materials like fabric, to every small part of trims, these states completely lack all the materials and factories have to arrange these on their own. Similarly, unlike established hubs, it is also hard to find good mid-level management for factories in emerging states. It has been noticed that if there are resources to train mid-level management, most of the professionals either work in metro cities or in wellestablished hubs. Bihar has tried to address this issue to some extent with continual focus on value addition to post-production of powerloom, incentivising the big units from hosiery and textile processing segments – besides having thrust on cluster approach, plug-and-play, multistorey sheds. Sectors like spinning, weaving, knitting, processing, dyeing and printing have also got thrust in the state’s policy. To ensure business development, the policy also has thrust on R&D facilities, design studios/facilities for prototyping, quality testing, labs, etc., for textile units. The presence of powerloom weavers’ community in the state can be an important asset in terms of the availability of skilled and semi-skilled workers for textile units. However, what’s solely missing is the the aggressive approach of the Government and that too at this important juncture – not to mention state officials yet again lacking in efforts to attract the industry. In 2018, Bihar’s officials had earlier also made efforts to attract the industry when they had industry interaction in Ludhiana and there was buzz that a group of Ludhiana’s textile industry will definitely invest in Bihar, but, sadly, nothing could come out of the discussion. One of the leading entrepreneurs of the city, who was present in a very recent meeting with the Bihar officials, told , on the request of anonymity, “We were invited to visit Bihar to have a first-hand feel and we were also planning to visit the state but now with the change of guard, things are back to where they were earlier.” If the State Government officials don’t work aggressively on all fronts, it will again lose the opportunity and momentum as well as the trust of the industry. What Bihar has: • Ample land bank • Trained Resources (NIFT, ATDC and Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) at Patna) • Patna’s proximity to Kolkata’s port (around 600 km only) • Skill development subsidy to eligible units @ 20,000 per employee per annum • Skilled workforce (forced to work in other states) and skill mapping of workers • If opting for capital investment of up to 10 crore, 15 per cent incentive is provided to set up plant and machinery • 2 per unit electricity subsidy • Monthly grant to workers of 5,000 for 5 years • 30 per cent transportation subsidy, in addition to 10 lakh carriage (of raw and finished materials) subsidy annually for 5 years.
Source: Apparel Resources
Shein, Zara and Pretty Little Thing have all launched resale. While there is potential to shift consumer behaviour, experts say without degrowth, it’s closer to greenwashing. In the last three months, fast fashion brands Pretty Little Thing (PLT), Shein and Zara have launched resale platforms in an attempt to tap into the circular economy. While resale as part of a circular business model can be a sustainable alternative to buying new, experts are not convinced fast fashion is up to the task. One of the key tensions is how companies communicate resale to consumers, and messaging is mixed. Zara says Zara Pre-Owned, a peer-to-peer platform that launches on 3 November in the UK, is a way for consumers to make “more sustainable decisions” and for the company to move towards a “more sustainable model”. It says it won’t be using the platform to promote new products to customers, and that repairs and donation options will also be available. PLT, meanwhile, says it hopes to educate its customers to make “better choices” and make resale “more attractive” via its Marketplace app, which has been downloaded more than 200,000 times since launching in August, but says it “has not and will not be making any sustainable claims”. Shein said it doesn’t expect to make a profit from Shein Exchange, which launched earlier this month, and “wants to provide a destination for Shein customers to become active participants in circularity and find new closets for their pre-loved products”. “When you lead people to believe that a product can be recycled or have a second life — as is the case of these resale platforms — people end up consuming the primary good even more, because it is seen as a purchase with no consequences,” says Maxine Bédat, author and the director of the nonprofit New Standard Institute. Part of Shein’s motivation in launching resale is to attempt to take control of secondhand transactions. A company statement issued at the time of launch in October said: “leadership acknowledges that resale threatens to cannibalise the sale of new items.” Secondhand sites do have the potential to cannibalise new product purchases, which is why resale is considered a sustainable shopping choice: secondhand fashion marketplace Depop says nine out of 10 purchases made on its app prevent the purchase of a brand-new item elsewhere. The resale market is now worth an estimated $100-120 billion, three times more than in 2019, according to the latest resale report from Vestiaire Collective and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The sector is expected to grow a further 127 per cent by 2026, per the 2022 Thredup Resale Report. As mainstream consumers have become more comfortable with secondhand fashion, and the stigma around resale has started to shift into aspiration, many brands and retailers have launched integrated resale platforms, from Isabel Marant and Balenciaga to Selfridges and Net-a-Porter. The idea is to build loyalty among sustainability-minded consumers, offer lower-priced options for new customer acquisition, and continue profiting from products long after they leave the shopfloor. Resale has been held up as an easy win for sustainability, but recent findings challenge the assumption that all resale is good. The latest report from The RealReal showed consumers using it as a replacement for fast fashion: buying and selling secondhand at high speeds, and switching the source without reducing the amount of items they churn through. Fast fashion brands entering the market has raised further concerns among sustainability experts, who say brands shouldn’t use resale to make sustainability claims unless they are also working towards a degrowth model, which requires reducing output and new consumption. “If they’re launching a resale platform without reducing their overall output, that’s a red flag,” says model and sustainable fashion influencer Brett Staniland, who regularly takes to social media to challenge brand claims. It might be better, but don’t say it’s sustainable Maria Chenoweth, CEO of charity shop chain and textile waste charity Traid, has been working in charity retail for upwards of 30 years, and says the quality of clothing entering the secondhand market has deteriorated significantly in that time, largely due to the advent of fast fashion. She says “ultra fast fashion” has exaggerated the problem. “There is so much disposable clothing now, which is designed to be worn once or twice,” Chenoweth says. “If these brands really believed in resale, they would improve the quality of their clothing. Otherwise, it’s just greenwashing.” In response to greenwashing criticisms, Zara did not comment directly but said it aims to extend the life of garments through repair and donations as well as resale. PLT said in a statement that it’s a misconception that customers shop the site every week, stating that on average, customers purchase 4.6 items a year. “The entire fashion industry, not just fast fashion, has an impact on the environment. Fast fashion is an easy target and inaccurate figures are often thrown around with ease,” PLT said. Shein said the Exchange platform promotes the environmental benefits of purchasing pre-owned clothing over new items. “Businesses must ensure any claims they make about the environmental benefits of resale are clear, genuine and backed up by evidence,” says Cecilia Parker Aranha, director of consumer protection at the CMA. “Our investigation into the fashion sector is ongoing. If we suspect that a business has broken the law by misleading customers over its green credentials, we will take action.” Added to that is the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, introduced in April, which proposed a series of measures to regulate fashion between now and 2030, covering not only production and consumption, but also the destruction of products. This could be a significant part of fast fashion’s motivation for introducing resale, says Professor Susan Scafidi, founder and director of the Fashion Law Institute at New York’s Fordham Law School. In response to this, Shein and PLT said that the resale launches were motivated by consumer demand. Zara declined to comment on whether legislation had played a part. Resale is only one part of the equation There are other changes fast fashion brands need to make alongside introducing resale, starting with making clothes more compatible with circular systems. “Fast fashion is designed for a weekly or even daily trend cycle, and people don’t want those designs once the trends pass,” says Staniland. While charity shops and other secondhand platforms might not be so overwhelmed with fast fashion items now that those items can be resold on fast fashion sites, those items will still exist, and the potential for them to end up in landfills or secondhand markets in the Global South remains. In response to criticisms about its environmental impact, Shein says: “Shein Exchange is just one of several moves our company is making to help address the ongoing issues of textile waste and build a future of fashion that is more circular. In addition to the launch of Shein Exchange, this year Shein became a signatory of World Circular Textiles Day, joined the Canopy initiative and launched an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Fund.” If brands are serious about resale, they should build it into a broader circular fashion system, which also includes repair and potentially rental, says Staniland. Zara’s resale platform also includes repair, which sets it apart from Shein and PLT. “The idea that Zara clothing is cheap is a myth,” he says, pointing out that women’s outerwear ranges from £4.49 to £143.49 on Shein and £3 to £105 on PLT, while the same category on Zara spans from £49.99 to £579. “Zara is fast but it’s not cheap. If I spend that much on something, I want to be able to get it repaired, and I’m more likely to do that.” Shifting consumer behaviour Secondhand platforms don’t tend to discriminate against fast fashion items that end up on their sites, following the base logic that secondhand purchases are better than primary purchases, no matter how the garments were produced. European resale app Vinted says there is plenty of demand for secondhand fast fashion items, and extending the life of any garment should be taken as a win. “This has the potential to reduce the need to produce new garments, and at the same time, reduce the environmental pollution and pressure on people in supply chains to keep producing more at lower cost,” says Vinted’s consumer lead Natacha Blanchard. “Fast fashion unfortunately produces billions of garments every year, so inevitably you will find it on Depop as it is reflective of the wider market,” adds Depop head of sustainability Justine Porterie. “Our aim is to convert as many people as possible to secondhand, and for some, the entry point is fast fashion.” This has been the case for plus-size consumers, who often find that the lack of plus-size clothing options in the primary market trickles down to resale. Alongside the recent collaboration between US resale platform The RealReal and luxury plus-size fashion retailer 11 Honoré, fast fashion brands entering resale may help with this, as they often have broader size ranges. Advocates admit that while it’s not a straightforward sustainability win, there are some benefits to fast fashion taking on resale. Making secondhand shopping a more common practice among customers is a start. “These brands might be able to normalise secondhand quicker than other players have managed to,” says Traid’s Chenoweth. “Hopefully, once resale has been normalised, people will realise how abnormal ultra fast fashion clothes are.”
Source: Vogue Business
Textile manufacturers should start securing Cotton to meet their demands. Besides, all those involved with Cotton industry should meet to discuss the strategy to ensure traceability of cotton and better value of the cotton products, said Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce & Industry during a video conference on Wednesday with members of Export Promotion Councils. The virtual meeting was convened with senior representatives of all the 11 Export Promotion Councils under the Ministry of Textiles including Apparel Export Promotion Council (Chairman, Sh. Narendra Goenka), The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Chairman, Sh. Sunil Patwari), Carpet Export Promotion Council (Chairman, Sh. Umar Hameed), Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (Executive Director, Sh. R.K Verma), to name some. In addition, representatives of industry associations viz. The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, Tiruppur Exporters Association and The Southern India Mills’ Association also participated in the meeting. He said that a two days meeting should be organized to discuss new ideas on strengthening the Textile sector. At least 50% participants should be youngsters and there should be involvement of Quality Control of India (QCI), Commerce, DPIIT, Finance, Banking Export Insurance for holistic engagement so as overarching themes may be discussed. The Union Minister said that last year, Textile export was approx. 42 billion USD while the target is to achieve 100 billion USD by next 5-6 years. He mentioned that if achieved, the economic value of the sector will be 250 billion USD collectively for domestic and international. Shri Goyal introduced Ms. Rachna Shah, IAS with the EPCs, who will be officially taking charge as Secretary Ministry of Textile on November 1st, 2022 after superannuation of Shri UP Singh, Secretary Textile on October 31st, 2022. He directed Ms. Shah should visit the Textile hubs like in Surat, Noida, TiruppurCoimbatore and others. In addition, applications proposed under PM Mitra around these hubs may also be visited for observation and recording response of the industry representatives. He said that funds are available under Textile Mission and should be utilized in new projects. He added the potential of Textile Sector may be showcased in G-20. Participation of industry representatives in the shopping festivals recently announced by the Finance Minister may also be pursued, he said.
Source: PIB
Bangladesh continues to maintain its good performance in exports of denim in the all important export destination of USA after the country exported denim apparel worth US $ 638.94 million in the Jan-Aug period of 2022, registering a year-on-year rise of 46.37 per cent from what was US $ 436.53 million in the same period of 2021. Media reports maintained this while citing data from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA). In the first eight months of 2022, Bangladesh exported denims to the North American country worth US $ 638.94 million, fetching a year-on-year rise of 46.37 per cent from that of US $ 436.53 million in the same period of 2021, as per the OTEXA data even as the US imported denim apparel worth US $ 2.84 billion during this period of 2022, noting a modest increase of 31.29 per cent from US $ 2.17 billion in the same period last year. Meanwhile speaking to the media, Director of the BGMEA and Additional Managing Director of Denim Expert Limited, Mohiuddin Rubel, reportedly said Bangladesh has always been good at denim and dominates the USA whereas Mexico is the second highest supplier even as he reportedly underlined that the growth from September will decrease.
Source: Apparel Resources
Vietnam’s ministry of industry and trade (MoIT) expects import and export activities to face challenges during the last few months this year that will continue into the next. As several major economies like the United States and the European Union (EU) are projected to go into recession, Vietnam’s trade may get affected, according to Nguyen Cam Trang, deputy director of MoIT’s import-export department. High inflation in export markets has reduced the demand for consumer goods like textiles, footwear and furniture. BIDV Securities Joint Stock Company (BSC) offers two scenarios based on the possibility of a US recession. In the first, if the United States sees a recession this year, Vietnam could raise exports by 13.1 per cent and imports by 12.6 per cent. In the second, if the United States faces a recession in 2023, Vietnam could increase exports by 18 per cent and imports by 17.3 per cent. Experts at Rong Viet Securities (VDSC) forecast that industrial production and export growth will slow down in the fourth quarter in Vietnam, but the level of decline will be moderate, according to a report in a Vietnamese media outlet. China maintaining strict measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic also affects export activities and the supply of raw materials, Trang said. However, bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements may help the country limit export-related risks. In the first nine months this year, the country’s export value increased by 17.2 per cent to $282 billion. As a result, the nation gained a trade surplus of over $6.8 billion. However, in September, export growth slowed and the growth rate decreased by 14 per cent compared to the previous month, mainly in electronics, computers and phones. Therefore, the growth rate in the third quarter also decreased against the previous quarter.
Source: Fibre 2 Fashion
Will add more conventions linked to labour, human rights to existing ones European Union Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka has called for effective implementation of 27 international conventions as Pakistan’s current GSP Plus status is going to be reviewed in December 2023 and more conventions pertaining to labour and human rights will be added. She made the remarks while visiting a number of garment manufacturing units along with Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association’s (PRGMEA) executive committee members. EU ambassador appreciated performance of garment manufacturers and underscored the need for product diversity and more value addition to exploit full potential of market access given under GSP Plus regime. Later in a meeting at PRGMEA office, both sides discussed role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in economic growth, technical education, skills development, EU support for Pakistan in technical and vocational education and promotion of skilled women workforce. They agreed to work on women entrepreneurship, better labour laws and promotion of SMEs along with other projects. EU envoy discussed ideas for providing support to SMEs with key focus on forging linkages within the European bloc to open new markets for SME products. “EU is the biggest market for Pakistani goods as it accounts for about one-third of all exports from the country. EU can assist Pakistan to expand exports and uplift its industry through collaboration with PRGMEA,” she said. She appreciated the role of garment manufacturers association in boosting industrial activities in the region and added that her embassy would be in touch with the body to deepen bilateral ties. Speaking at the meeting, PRGMEA Central Chairman Mubashar Naseer Butt and Vice Chairman Waseem Akhtar Khan remarked that Pakistan attached great importance to its partnership with EU as it was one of the largest trading partners. GSP Plus had increased EUPakistan trade, which was valued at €12.2 billion in 2021 as compared to €6.9 billion earlier, showing an increase of 78%, the central chairman pointed out. He called GSP Plus status very beneficial for Pakistan’s economy because it played an important role in expansion of bilateral trade. GSP Plus provides duty-free access to the huge EU market for textile and apparel and also provides an incentive structure to undertake reforms in the industry and country. “Trade with EU is of critical importance to Pakistan’s economic and social stability as well as prosperity. GSP Plus is a constructive engagement for the betterment of our economy and promoting economic agenda,” Butt emphasised.
Source: The Tribune
Maintaining quality while increasing clearing efficiency through a lower cut-rate. The control and handling of contamination in cotton is one of the biggest challenges in spinning technology and with the introduction of YarnMaster Prisma, Loepfe is setting a new benchmark for cotton in for coloured and melange yarns, as well as manmade fibres. Loepfe’s newly developed F-sensor enables 100% colour management in yarn clearing for the first time. True foreign matter detection eliminates unjustified cuts which directly leads to higher performance and a reduction in yarn waste. The RGB technology used by Loepfe to detect foreign matter and the organic components of cotton is based on detection with the full spectrum of light. This unique technology uses the three primary colors – red, green and blue – adding wavelength to enable full-colour monitoring. RGB technology makes it possible for the first time to precisely detect all colours, scan the entire raw material and classify the unwanted components within it. Optimised reflection and adapted optical technology in Prisma further results in 360° all-round monitoring for unprecedented precision in the yarn clearing of staple fibres. Every cut The Prisma operating system provides a Cut History in which the detected colours are displayed for each cut. This enables data-based decisions on quality–mill management optimisation and helps to increase efficiency from the blowroom to the winding machine. It provides important information about 100% of the spun yarn and opens up new possibilities in raw material selection, blending and cleaning. The software system uses algorithms and statistical models to analyze and draw inferences from data patterns, ensuring recognition of all possible organic matter. In addition to colour management, RGB technology enables colour-oriented selection of organic material in the cotton yarn, which does not necessarily have to be removed, as it does not cause disturbances in downstream process steps and is eliminated by other means. Loepfe has fed the system with thousands of samples of organics, identifying what they look like and how disturbing they are. The system can then recognise the organics without following explicit instructions, relying instead on the collection of organics and the patterns it has made. The filter has learned whether organics need to be removed or not, leading to considerable savings, clearer cuts and higher winding efficiency. Machine learning methods take the organic clearing function to the next level. Trials with several customers have shown that Prisma is able to maintain yarn quality while increasing clearing efficiency through a lower cut-rate. This is achieved by the unique combination of software and precise and sensitive sensor technology which allows error-free detection and classification of disturbing or non-disturbing defects. In production, certain parameters are givens such as the level of efficiency required to be profitable and the level of yarn quality to guarantee flawless further production. Various customer tests have shown that the unique measuring technologies of Prisma enable producers to achieve a higher yarn quality at a fixed cut-rate.
Source: Innovation in Textiles
China’s imports and exports from January to September 2022 rose by 9.9 per cent yearon-year (YoY) and were worth 31.11 trillion yuan (around $4.29 trillion). While imports to the country were valued at 13.44 trillion yuan (5.2 per cent YoY), exports added up to 17.67 trillion yuan (13.8 per cent YoY). The East Asian nation’s annual import and export growth rates for the period were 4.8 per cent and 13.2 per cent, respectively. China’s trade with the European Union, the United States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increased by 9 per cent, 8 per cent, and 15.2 per cent, respectively, according to the General Administration of Customs China (GACC). Moreover, general trade for China jumped 13.7 per cent to stand at 19.92 trillion yuan in the first nine months of 2022, which is around 64 per cent of the total foreign trade — a rise of 2.1 percentage points compared to the corresponding period in 2021.
Source: Fibre 2 Fashion
Logistics company Maersk introduced its online shipping facility named Twill to participants at an online webinar recently conducted in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB). Twill aims to offer small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a simple, reliable, and easy-to-use online platform to manage their logistics efficiently. The objective of the webinar was to provide information on easy online shipping methods available for SME exporters in Sri Lanka, according to a joint press release by the EDB and Maersk. Twill is a tailor-made, end-to-end customer experience built to serve SMEs, and has over 5,000 active customers. The platform provides greater control of shipments by offering instant price quotes and booking, transparency and tracking services, simplified paperwork, and proactive customer care. Twill customers can transport shipping containers port-to-port or door-to-door while offering a wide range of logistics solutions, from transportation to customs clearance. Customers are also assured to be individually assisted by Maersk throughout the process. Achini Weerawardhana, acting director for the trade facilitation and trade information division, EDB, made the opening remarks at the webinar. Mariya Kaed, customer engagement manager, and Limasha Vitharana, customer success partner representing Maersk, explained and demonstrated the online platform to the participants.
Source: Fibre 2 Fashion
