Color Jet wins award for textile engineering at India ITME 2022
ADB approves $250 mn loan to improve India's logistics sector
India's transshipment facilities may not benefit Bangladesh's traders
Rajasthan is making efforts to achieve Rs 1 trn exports target: REPC chief
Robots set their sights on a new job: sewing blue jeans
INTERNATIONAL
ADB signs €10.8 mn facility agreement with a Bangladeshi firm
Moody's puts Bangladesh's Ba3 ratings under review for downgrade
Cambodian goods exports grow 28% YoY during Jan-Aug 2022: World Bank
China's chemical fibre industry grows 6.8% YoY during Jan-Oct 2022
Bangladesh urged to consider FTA with S Korea for post-LDC benefits
NATIONAL
The ITME jury declared digital printing technology leader ColorJet India Ltd as the winner in textile engineering in the service of the textile industry at the ongoing India International textile machinery exhibition (ITME) 2022. The second edition of the India ITME Awards were held at the India Exposition Mart Ltd in Greater Noida on December 10. Rohit Kansal, additional secretary, ministry of textiles, India; Prajakta Verma, joint secretary, ministry of textiles, India; P Sathasivam, retired chief justice of India; and S Hari Shankar, chairman, India ITME Society handed over the award to M S Dadu, chairman of ColorJet Group at the event, the company said in a media release. M S Dadu said: “Delighted to receive the award in recognition of the valuable contributions that the ColorJet Group India has made in the textile engineering industry. With this award, the ColorJet Group reinforces the technological innovation strength of ColorJet’s R&D department.” India ITME Society Initiated the applications in July 2022, searching for the nation’s hidden gems, which were evaluated by a stellar jury that includes prestigious names like Uday Gill, Updeep Singh, R Anand, Gurudas V Aras, Sanjiv Lathia, Dr. Manisha Mathur, Manohar Samuel, Ketan Sanghvi, and Avinash Mayekar.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million policy-based loan to support Indian government’s wide-ranging reforms that aim to improve and modernise the country’s logistics infrastructure, increase efficiency, and reduce the cost. The loan will fund the first subprogramme of the Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem Program. The subprogramme supports the government’s efforts to create a comprehensive policy, planning, and institutional framework at the federal, state, and city levels. This will rationalise India’s high cost of logistics and reduce greenhouse gas emission, ABD said in a press release. To facilitate multimodal logistics, the subprogramme promotes reforms that reduce cumbersome processes that businesses face to obtain approvals for cargo clearance as well as the creation of digital systems that integrate regulations, processes, and logistics data. The programme promotes the facilitation of cargo movement through coastal shipping and inland waterways to strengthen multimodal transport. The programme also supports the ministry of commerce and industry’s initiatives to issue standards for warehousing, which would encourage operational efficiency and private sector investment. India’s recently approved National Logistics Policy and the Prime Minister Gati Shakti–National Master Plan provide transformative institutional and regulatory frameworks for holistic development of the logistics ecosystem in the country and lay the foundation for building a modern and efficient logistics sector. “Efficient movement of goods from production and distribution centres to both domestic and external markets is critical to lowering costs and enhancing productivity and competitiveness. Manufacturing, services, and trade in India stand to benefit immensely from the significant reforms in the logistics undertaken by the government,” said ADB South Asia department director of public management, financial sector and trade, Sabyasachi Mitra.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Bangladesh will hardly benefit from transshipment facilities by exporting its products via Indian territories, an assessment by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) found. Though India has expanded facilities by adding riverine routes to the land ones, Bangladeshi officials feel it is unlikely to augur well for their exporters due to loading-unloading hassles and time-consuming processes. The Chattogram and Mongla seaports do already have similar facilities for exporting products from Bangladesh. NBR also pointed out that the Indian circular did not mention the fees and charges for transshipment facilities. The NBR’s comments came in response to a request by Bangladesh’s commerce ministry while scrutinising the pros and cons of the extended facilities India announced recently. Earlier in 2018, India had given the transshipment facilities to carry containerised cargoes by roads and railways, and utilise their specified Land Customs Stations (LCSs), seaports and airports, to export goods to third countries. The bond submission provision is not logical in the context of international practice as the bond may be equal to applicable duty in accordance with the invoice of goods concerned, a Bangladeshi newspaper reported.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The Rajasthan government is finalising initiatives, such as providing technology support and holding trade fairs for industries, to realise its exports target of Rs 1 trillion in the next two years. “The exports from the state in 2021-22 increased to Rs 72,000 crore from over Rs 52,700 crore a year earlier, and the state is making efforts to take this figure to Rs 1 trillion in the next two years,” said Rajiv Arora, chairman of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation and Rajasthan Export Promotion Council (REPC).The REPC, an autonomous body, provides export facilitation across sectors. It offers inputs to the central and state governments on matters, such as infrastructure and policy formulation. “Despite not having a port, the state is seeing robust growth in exports thanks to the government’s industry- and exports-friendly policies,” he said. In the past year and a half, more than 9,000 exporters have registered themselves with REPC. Rajasthan has traditionally exhibited strength in the export of handicrafts, gems and jewellery, dimensional stones, agro & food, and textile products. To impart impetus on exports, measures targeted at the promotion of export-oriented units have been included in earlier notified industrial and sectoral policies of Rajasthan. Rajasthan’s current share in India’s total merchandise exports is estimated at 2 per cent. The state exports to more than 200 countries with top destinations like the US, UK, Hong Kong, Germany, the UAE, China, Korea, Japan, and Bangladesh accounting for around 50 per cent of the importing nations. A senior industry department official said workshops were being organised under Mission Niryatak Bano (Become Exporter Mission) programme and efforts were being made to provide platforms to new exporters. The REPC, under Mission Niryatak Bano, will organise mega trade fairs if all majorly exported commodities of the state, provide quality/technology support to industries and skill training. In this line, the International Export Expo to be organised in Jodhpur on March 20-22 next year will likely be a milestone.
Source: business-standard
THE FLOPPY CLOTH PROBLEM
Sewing poses a particular challenge for automation.
Unlike a car bumper or a plastic bottle, which holds its shape as a robot handles it, cloth is floppy and comes in an endless array of thicknesses and textures. Robots simply don't have the deft touch possible with human hands. To be sure, robots are improving, but it will take years to fully develop their ability to handle fabric, according to five researchers interviewed by Reuters. But what if enough of it could be done by machine to at least close some of the cost differential between the United States and low-cost foreign factories? That's the focus of the research effort now underway. Work at Siemens grew out of efforts to create software to guide robots that could handle all types of flexible materials, such as thin wire cables, said Solowjow, adding that they soon realized one of the ripest targets was clothing. Siemens worked with the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute in Pittsburgh, created in 2017 and funded by the Department of Defense to help old-line manufacturers find ways to use the new technology. They identified a San Francisco startup with a promising approach to the floppy fabric problem. Rather than teach robots how to handle cloth, the startup, Sewbo Inc., stiffens the fabric with chemicals so it can be handled more like a car bumper during production. Once complete, the finished garment is washed to remove the stiffening agent. "Pretty much every piece of denim is washed after it's made anyway, so this fits into the existing production system," said Zornow, Sewbo's inventor. This research effort eventually grew to include several clothing companies, including Levi's and Bluewater Defense LLC, a small U.S.-based maker of military uniforms. They received $1.5 million in grants from the Pittsburgh robotics institute to experiment with the technique. There are other efforts to automate sewing factories. Software Automation Inc, a startup in Georgia, has developed a machine that can sew T-shirts by pulling the material over a specially equipped table, for for instance. Eric Spackey, CEO of Bluewater Defense, the uniform maker, was part of the research effort with Siemens but is skeptical of the Sewbo approach. "Putting (stiffening) material into the garment-it just adds another process," which increases costs, said Spackey, though he adds that it could make sense for producers who already wash garments as part of their normal operation, such as jeans makers. The first step is getting robots into clothing factories. Sanjeev Bahl, who opened a small jeans factory in downtown Los Angeles two years ago called Saitex, has studied the Sewbo machines and is preparing to install his first experimental machine. Leading the way through his factory in September, he pointed to workers hunched over old-style machines and said many of these tasks are ripe for the new process. "If it works," he said, "I think there's no reason not to have large-scale (jeans) manufacturing here in the U.S. again."
Source: economic times
INTERNATIONAL
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a €10.8 million ($11.2 million) facility agreement with Bangladeshi manufacturer of fashion denim Envoy Textiles Limited to support and finance the purchase and installation of energy-efficient spinning machinery and other equipment. This move is expected to enhance sustainable textile production and generate local jobs. The proceeds of the loan will be used to fund a second yarn spinning unit at Envoy’s manufacturing plant in Jamirdia, Bangladesh. The new automated and more energy efficient unit will have an annual yarn production capacity of 3,600 tons, mainly used for in-house production of denim fabrics. Construction and operation of the new spinning unit is expected to create 250 new jobs, ADB said in a press release. The project will reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through the use of energy efficient and modern equipment. Additionally, ADB will help Envoy to develop a gender action plan that will increase career opportunities for women employees, promote gender-inclusive procurement, and promote gender inclusion in the workplace. “The ready-made garment industry is a key driver of Bangladesh’s economy, accounting for over 80 per cent of the country’s total export earnings, and Envoy is the leading denim fabric manufacturer. Modern spinning equipment will increase yarn production capacity, reducing reliance on imported yarn and enhancing the industry’s efficiency, sustainability, and energy efficiency," said ADB vice-president for private sector operations and public–private partnerships, Ashok Lavasa. “This project marks ADB’s return to financing Bangladesh’s textile sector after 2 decades, and it will help to crowd in much-needed financing to this strategically crucial part of the economy.” “We are delighted to receive our first-ever financing from an international lender, and it is even more meaningful that it comes from ADB as we share the same vision of quality of service, inclusivity, and sustainability,” said Envoy founder Kutubuddin Ahmed. “Partnering with an internationally reputable financial institution such as ADB is an affirmation of Envoy’s direction and an important step in our sustainable growth.”
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Moody’s Investors Service has placed Bangladesh’s Ba3 long term issuer and senior unsecured ratings on review for downgrade. Short term issuer ratings are affirmed at Not Prime and the outlook was stable before being placed under review. The decision to place the ratings on review for downgrade is driven by Moody’s assessment that Bangladesh’s deteriorating external position raises external vulnerability and government liquidity risks in a way that may not be consistent with its current rating, according to a press release. Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (purchasing power parity/PPP basis) was $7,044 in 2021. The country’s real GDP growth was 6.9 per cent and inflation rate was 5.6 per cent in 2021. While Bangladesh’s fiscal balance was -3.7 per cent, its external balance was -1.1 per cent and external debt was 19.6 per cent in 2021.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Cambodia’s goods exports grew at 28 per cent year on year (YoY) during January-August 2022. Exports of the top three items—garment, travel goods and footwear—which account for 64.8 per cent of total goods (excluding gold) exports, remained strong, reaching $9.1 billion, a 30.3 per cent YoY rise, the World Bank said recently in its Cambodia Economic Update. Goods exports to the United States, Cambodia’s largest export market accounting for 45.6 per cent of total exports, continued to be strong, it noted. However, the growth rate of the country’s goods exports decelerated from its peak of 37.7 per cent in May this year, likely reflecting softening demand. Goods exports to the United States reached $6.4 billion, with a whopping YoY rise of 37 per cent during the first eight months this year, despite expiration of the US Generalised System of Preferences programme on December 31, 2020, reauthorisation of which is pending US congressional approval. The share of the US market in total goods exports rose quickly to 45.6 per cent in 2022 from 27.6 per cent in 2019 at the expense of that of the European Union (EU) market, which declined to 19.8 per cent from 28.1 per cent during the same period, partly affected by the partial withdrawal of the EU’s Everything But Arms preferential treatment, effective August 12, 2020. The Chinese market accounts for $805 million, or 6 per cent of total goods exports of Cambodia.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
China’s chemical fibre industry’s operating revenue surged 6.8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the January–October, 2022 period. Enterprises with annual revenues of a minimum of 20 million yuan (around $2.87 million) earned up to 903.8 billion yuan during the period, as per government data. The total profits of the East Asian country’s chemical fibre industry dropped 65.5 per cent from 2021 to 19 billion yuan, said several media reports quoting China’s ministry of industry and information technology. In the first ten months of 2022, the total output of the industry totalled 56.25 million tonnes—a rise of 0.4 per cent YoY.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Back to Top
The Bangladesh high commission in South Korea has urged its own government to consider signing a free trade agreement (FTA) or a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with the country to ensure trade benefits after graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status in 2026 and overcome likely export shocks from the developed South Korean market. The Bangladesh government should fix its position and devise the next course of action by conducting a feasibility study with various stakeholders, said its mission in Seoul. It called for requesting South Korea to continue the duty free, quota free (DFQF) facility for Bangladesh products until any FTA or PTA is signed, according to Bangladeshi media reports. South Korea has expanded its DFQF facility for LDCs and provides duty-free market access to Bangladesh in 95 per cent of tariff lines now. But it will not offer DFQF market access to products from Bangladesh on its own after Bangladesh graduates from LDC status as it might come under pressure from countries that have such trade deals with it, according to an embassy letter sent earlier. In March last year, the Bangladesh mission requested the South Korean trade, industries and energy ministry to form a joint feasibility study team for any prospective FTA. The latter, however, has not informed the former anything regarding that till now.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
