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The Assam handloom and textile department is planning to rope in the Assam Textile Institute to set up a lab to check the quality of the yarn used in gamosa and mekhela-sadors along with other handloom products and whether the products are handloom or powerloom produced. Assam sends samples to Kolkata for testing as the state does not have a testing lab to date. Handloom and textile department director Parag Mahanta said the state is going to get a lab soon with the consent of the textile institute to play the role of expert. “The lab is in planning stage. Once set up, it will help detect powerloom gamosas and mekhela-sadors that are transported from outside the state and sold at a cheaper rate in the state, which has harmed local weavers,” he added. He added that the department cannot file FIRs with the police against the traders who sell powerloom gamosas and mekhela-sadors defying the department’s order as a certificate from a testing lab is necessary to lodge the complaint. “It takes several days for us to get a certificate from a lab as we have to send the sample to Kolkata for testing. Therefore, we can only seize such products if they are being sold by any trader. We cannot take any action,” he added. The state government on February 28 issued an order banning the powerloom gamosas and mekhela-sadors from outside the state, particularly from and Gujarat, with effect from March 1 in a bid to uplift the local handloom industry, which is dying. The deputy commissioners and the SPs of all the districts were directed to initiate immediate steps to seize powerloom products from March 1. In the past month, the department has procured nearly two lakh gamosas and mekhela-sadors from local handloom weavers.
Source: Times of India
The Government of India on Wednesday announced it has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles on 8 September 2021 with an approved outlay of Rs 10,683 crore over a five year period to promote production of MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics and Products of Technical Textiles in the country to enable textiles industry to achieve size and scale and to become competitive. Centre also said that the Financial Year 2022-23 and 2023-24 are gestation periods under the PLI scheme for Textiles. Further, the government has said that the performance years commences from financial year 2024-25 to 2028-29. Government has approved 64 applications out of 67 applications received. This information was provided by the Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh in the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday. In the approved 64 applications, the proposed total investment is Rs 19,798 crore and projected turnover of Rs 1,93,926 crore with a proposed employment of 2,45,362. A total of 12 companies have proposed to set-up projects under the said Scheme in Madhya Pradesh, seven companies in Uttar Pradesh and four companies in Rajasthan. “There is no proposed project to be set-up in Odisha,” mentioned Centre.
Source: Business World
The expiry of Union government’s Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) scheme, the impending expiry of Gujarat government’s textile policy and the migration of textile processing hou- ses outside Gujarat are expected to figure during the second edition of Textile Leadership Conclave on April 8 in Ahmedabad, where senior ministers and bureaucrats are expected to participate. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), which will be organising the conclave, Wednesday said textile associations from across the country will hold an interactive meeting with Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh and secretaries from the ministry of textiles. “The Central government’s Textile Upgradation Fund scheme capital expired in March 2022 and despite several discussions with the central government, it was not renewed. The expectations of the industry will be conveyed to the textile minister,” said Rahul Shah, co-chairman of GCCI textile committee. “The Gujarat government’s textile policy will expire in December 2023. We will seek an extension of the existing policy, while industry players will share their expectations on new policy. Similarly the Gujarat Garment and Apparel Policy expired in October 2022 and it is an important policy as far as the garment sector is concerned,” Shah told mediapersons. Saurin Parikh, chairperson of the body’s textile committee, said that Gujarat has been losing investments from textile processing firms which have been moving out of the state due to the strict environment and pollution norms in the state. “We will try to attract the state government’s attention to this issue,” Parikh said. In the past couple of years, several textile firms closed down after the Gujarat High Court took a strong stance about pollution of the Sabarmati river. The GCCI also pointed out that the new generation were not getting attracted to the textile sector and so the conclave will also have speakers such as Kulin Lalbhai from the Arvind Group who will share their challenges and success stories. Industries from ginning, spinning, weaving, processing, garmenting, technical textile and machinery manufacturers will participate in the conclave, which will also contemplate on the world’s cotton scenario and the status of India’s textile sector versus countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Source: Indian Express
Kolkata-based MCPI Private Limited will invest massively in Odisha. In a recent meeting of the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) headed by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved five industrial projects including the investment of Rs 2,223.25 crore in the technical textile sector by MCPI Private Limited. It is being said the company proposes to set up manufacturing of HMLS polyester-based tyre cord fabrics, HTLE Yarns, High IV and CP Chips, which will provide employment opportunities to more than 1,150 people of Odisha at Bhadrak Technical Textile Park. MPCI is also one of the companies that get approval under PLI scheme for textiles. In 2017, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and MCPI Ltd. signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a textile park in Odisha. As per the website of the company MCPI has been a leading provider of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) in India for more than two decades. Endowed with the proprietary Mitsubishi Chemicals Technology, it has been providing best-in-class PTA to downstream Polyester industries i.e., Yarn, PET, and PET Film.
Source: Apparel Resources
Finance ministry officials are of the view that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should prioritise bringing inflation down within the mandated range of 2-6 per cent, even if economic growth is adversely impacted in the process. “The central bank should focus on combating inflation until it is within the tolerance level of 6 per cent, even if it pares (down) growth,” a senior government official told Business Standard. He said that inflation is still elevated, which could have an impact on low-income strata. The comments come ahead of the bi-monthly monetary policy review of the RBI on Thursday. Eight of the 10 respondents in a Business Standard poll have said that the monetary policy committee (MPC) is expected to lift policy rate by another 25 basis points (bps) to 6.75 per cent before hitting pause. Retail inflation — the main yardstick of the central bank for policy-making purposes — eased only marginally in February to 6.44 per cent, from 6.52 per cent in January. Core inflation — which excluded volatile food and fuel inflation and a key concern for the RBI — has remained sticky above 6 per cent in recent months. The RBI has a mandate to keep retail inflation at 4 per cent within a band of 2 percentage points on either side. The official further said that India is comfortably placed on a sustainable macroeconomic stability front and there is no such concern there. “Revenue collection has shown strong momentum — both on direct and indirect taxes. Even the bank’s balance sheet looks good as we started cleaning up in 2018 in the aftermath of the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services and YES Bank fiascos,” said the official. Direct tax collection rose 17.63 per cent to Rs 16.61 trillion in 2022-23 (FY23), marginally exceeding the Revised Estimates target, showed the provisional data released by the finance ministry on Monday. Additionally, the goods and services tax collection in FY23 grew 22 per cent to breach Rs 18 trillion, the finance ministry said on Saturday. However, the official said that before a change in stance from ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ to ‘neutral’, the central bank The RBI expects retail inflation to average 5.3 per cent in 2023-24 (FY24), with the first quarter at 5 per cent. While it has projected inflation for the January-March quarter of FY23 at 5.7 per cent, experts believe inflation woes are not over yet and the said quarter may see average inflation of 6.3 per cent. “We anticipate a narrow majority of MPC members may choose to vote for another rate hike in the April 6 monetary policy. This would take the repo rate to 6.75 per cent, which is more than 100 bps higher than the MPC’s Consumer Price Index inflation forecast for the second half of FY24, and may be adequate, given that gross domestic product (GDP) expansion is at best likely to be similar to potential GDP growth in that period,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist, ICRA. Nayar believes the MPC should pause through the remainder of FY24, and assess the transmission of policy tightening, as well as the evolving risks to food inflation. Higher inflation has been a concern for central banks the world over, including India, due to uncertainty in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war causing supply-side disruptions in a purported post-Covid world still recovering from economic shocks. The US Federal Reserve has recently hiked rates by 25 bps, keeping the focus on inflation in the face of the ongoing worries in the US banking sector.
Source: Business-Standard
Short of striking oil, history has presented countries with no better path to prosperity than trade. There is one very simple reason for this: scale. Countries that produce goods and services for the world not only can specialize, but also build up larger factories and sectors than they would otherwise since they are serving demand from multiple countries’ populations, not just their own. In most nations, the need for scale is obvious. Not so in India, which remains blinded by its huge domestic market. This was underlined last week when the government released its latest trade policy — three years late. A new policy is supposed to be produced every five years, and this one was due in 2020. It was supposedly delayed so the Indian government could analyze and respond to the vast shifts in the global trading environment brought on by the pandemic No such rethinking is visible in the document. Instead, it is a dry recitation of the laws and processes that regulate Indian trade, one that makes no real effort to engage with the policy issues at stake. You will search in vain for the basic analysis that informs similar white papers elsewhere in the world. No attempt has been made to explain how New Delhi views global economic systems and India’s place in them. This failure is both deliberate and revealing. It’s deliberate because India’s approach to trade — while no longer reflexively negative — remains incoherent and contradictory. And it is revealing of the fact that Indian policymakers no longer seem to believe India can become a great trading nation. While they may hope we will be as rich as China one day, they don’t think we will export as China did and does. For economists in New Delhi, the sharp difference between the amount of energy that goes into foreign affairs versus trade policy can be dispiriting. Policymakers at the highest level are keen to debate geopolitical shifts and India’s balancing role in the global order, and to consider how they might nimbly advance our medium- and long-term interests. When it comes to trade, decision-making is left to middle-level bureaucrats — or, worse, to chambers of commerce who have never seen a tariff they didn’t want to double. This is particularly odd because we are living through a period in which geopolitics and trade policy have become intimately connected. I write this from Tokyo, where policymakers may not have entirely made their peace with the new protectionism that has infected friends and allies such as the US, but who nevertheless intend to work with those partners to ensure Japanese consumers and corporations do not unduly suffer. I’m sure there are some in New Delhi, too, who understand the possibilities of this moment, as multinational companies look to reorient supply chains to reduce their dependence on China. After all, the central argument for diverting investment to India is the fact that it is a more reliable partner for the West. This is why we have begun work on several new trade agreements, including one with the European Union. Yet little of that broader understanding spills over into the construction or implementation of trade policy, as this latest document proves. We aren’t looking for ways to build trust with trading partners such as Japan. Nor are we focused on how to share the burdens of sourcing and supply to promote a shared economic security. shift their operations to India. When we can at most set aside $10 billion for semiconductor subsidies while the US plans $40 billion or so, that’s not a game we can win. What should concern Indians most is that, in the end, this attitude suggests their government does not believe in them. Politicians in India fear greater economic integration because they aren’t convinced that India can be competitive with its peers. Even as our political class relentlessly touts Indian ambition and capabilities, they seem sure that we will never make things as well or as cheaply as Southeast Asia or even Bangladesh, let alone China. And the cost of this lack of confidence? We cannot promise that we will become part of the redirected, resilient supply chains that investors, both here in Japan and elsewhere, want to build. In the meantime, China is using its current lead to entrench itself at the center of the supply chains that will define the next century. China’s autocrats trust their people to flourish in an open world. India’s democrats don’t share a similar faith in their citizens. That attitude may prevent us from ever overtaking China.
Source: Economic times
India presently commands 43 per cent share in UAE’s apparel imports which makes UAE one of the major buying destinations for the Indian apparel export industry. And it is now more than over a year since India and UAE signed the historic Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) or Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on 18th February 2022 (which came into effect from 1st May 2022). Due to these initiatives, India now does not face 5 per cent duty on textiles and garments, which is a big advantage for Indian companies. Though looking at the overall scenario, so far there has not been much positive impact on ground level, but in FY ’24, the results are estimated to be profitable. The importance of the agreement was also higher as it was India’s first comprehensive trade agreement in a decade. It was claimed at that time that this agreement will unleash the infinite potential that both nations hold and it will give a huge impetus to several sectors, including textiles. The benefits of this agreement to the textile sector shall be an additional increase in exports projected at US $ 2 billion over the next five years. Notably, dutyfree exports for the upcoming five years is projected at US $ 650 million per year for man-made fibre (MMF). Apparel exports to the UAE also cater to the apparel needs of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UK. It is a large retail market with players across the value chain including big western fashion chains and wholesale buyers from North Africa and the Middle East. Hence, one cannot deny the huge scope that UAE has for India, but despite all this, India’s apparel exports to UAE in 2022-2023 (April-January) have been just US $ 998.55 million, while in FY 2021-2022, India’s exported garments worth US $ 1824.91 million. For the calendar year 2022, the total apparel imports of UAE were US $ 4.90 billion. Even during pre-Covid in 2018-19, India’s apparel exports to UAE were worth US $ 1991.15 million. So India has not been able to take any advantage of trade agreements in 2022-23. There have been many external factors that have pulled India back from taking significant strides towards growth.
Recent months reflect low sentiments During the past few months, exporters working with top companies in UAE have observed low sentiments in UAE-based buyers as they have not seen good shopping at the stores. So until inventory doesn’t get cleared, fresh orders are hard to be confirmed. Even top brands have also put their delivery on the hold and assured to take it later. Supplying womenswear to Apparel Group and Aeropostale (for UAE), Ameer Hasan, Director, Apmode International, Jaipur believes that as there are no orders for Ramadan from UAE, it may take 3 to 4 months to improve the overall order booking in this important market.
Dependent on product categories and material base As far as womenswear (knitted and woven) is concerned, UAE has more demand for polyester-based garments and that too for cost-effective products but many Indian exporters still lack on this front. But with the developments taking place like PLI scheme for MMF and industry’s growing focus on polyester, there will be fewer issues with regard to availability and price concern in this segment going ahead. The majority of Indian exporters, especially small-level exporters, working with the UAE or catering to Dubaibased clients, have their set one or two clients and they are working with them in a routine way. So for them, there has been no major benefit of FTA on the ground level. Offering mainly cotton-based garments, Prabhat Kumar Sadh of KK Global Exports, Noida agrees on this point as his 2 UAE-based clients are continuing with their routine business even after FTA. Kidswear is one such category with a plethora of benefits and doesn’t have a dependency on polyester and this product category witnesses the least impact from market sentiments. A few of the Indian kidswear exporters exporting kidswear to UAE are enjoying good growth, and in the last 5-7 months, their business has grown well there. They have witnessed more enquiries and momentum for future businesses. “I see 15- 20 per cent growth in my UAE business and it is mainly owing to FTA. It is a growing market and I am hopeful for even more growth in the future,” says Amit Goenka, Director, Moozoo Fashions, Kolkata who works with wholesalers and retail chains of UAE. Many exporters have direct business with countries like Kuwait and Saudi, so they don’t have anything to do with this FTA but as there are few wholesalers and importers in UAE which supply apparel to these countries as well as to some African countries, the FTA advantage can be availed by Indian exporters who are working with these kinds of wholesalers and importers.
FY ’24 going to be strong Big leading groups of UAE like Apparel Group, Landmark Group, Red Tag as well as leading UAE-based buyers are expected to soon place prospective orders in India, as during mid-March, most of the stores will see decent footfall owing to Ramadan and the inventories are expected to get cleared at this time. On the request of anonymity, one of the top sourcing professionals of one such group told Apparel Resources(AR) that few of the leading retailers have placed good and urgent orders very recently during this time of shopping for Ramadan. Various international retailers like Carrefour have been offering attractive discounts for almost one-and-a-half months, which started in the third week of February to pull in maximum customers. It is also worth mentioning here that growth in the UAE is expected to remain robust this year. The latest Economic Insight report for the Middle East, commissioned by ICAEW and compiled by Oxford Economics, says that the UAE’s tourism industry is also recovering. After receiving a boost from the World Cup in Qatar, Dubai is again among the world’s busiest international airports, with passenger numbers rising by 67 per cent year-onyear in Q4 of 2022 to their highest levels since 2019. After Ramadan, the scenario regarding the coming season will be more clear. But FTA has a long-term impact, so there are enough chances that in near future, India will have stronger business collaborations with the UAE.
Source: Apparel Resources
INTERNATIONAL
The dyestuff library, which will accelerate the shift from harmful chemistry to more sustainable options by enabling visibility and access to innovations, is supported by Fashion for Good’s corporate partners adidas, Inditex, Bonprix and Otto International (members of the Otto group), Bestseller, Target, Patagonia, Paradise Textiles, Welspun, and newest partner Shahi Exports, along with other supporting stakeholders. “The shift towards a more sustainable industry happens when we share existing knowledge and give access to innovations with one another. Collaboration, not competition, will allow the industry to truly transform. We are excited for the launch of our Dyestuff Library project, which will make an extensive library for the entire industry to use,” says Katrin Ley, managing director at Fashion for Good. FFG explains today, 90% of our clothing is synthetically dyed, but the toxic effects and ecological impact are extremely harmful to humans and the environment. Over the years, a significant amount of effort has gone into phasing out harmful chemistry and there are consistent efforts to develop non-hazardous chemistry. Today, many alternative dyes from natural sources such as plants, microorganisms, algae and recycled materials are available, however the lack of clarity on their performance and scale makes it difficult for the industry to switch to these sustainable options. “The Dyestuff Library is a great initiative to validate lower impact colourants to help reduce the need for some of the chemically intensive synthetic colourants being used today. Paradise Textiles is excited to contribute our technical textile expertise applying and testing these colourants on a wide range of fibres and constructions, and then sharing this knowledge with the wider industry,” says Lewis Shuler, head of innovation at Paradise Textiles. Over the course of a year, 15 selected dyestuff innovations will participate in lab and pilot trials. Innovators will go through extensive compliance and toxicity testing to ensure they are safe for commercial use. Testing and validating the performance of these innovative dyes and pigments on various textile substrates will be supported by our supply chain partners Paradise Textiles and RDD Textiles, University and labs partners NimkarTek, Institute of Chemical Technology and UNICAMP. Furthermore, participating Fashion for Good partners, textile experts and ZDHC will support this project with their expertise and encourage next steps for industry implementation. “We need dyeing innovation that focuses on less wasteful practices, reduces water usage and is less energy consuming. To reach this, it is essential that the fashion industry supports initiatives with an upscaling perspective so new solutions can reach a commercial level – making Bestseller very excited about this project. The Dyestuff Library is exactly that kind of initiative and collaboration between brands, suppliers and dyestuff innovators,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, innovation manager at Bestseller. After the completion of the project, Fashion for Good will continue developing the library with additional innovators, materials, fabric constructions, testing methods and innovative colouration machineries to enable innovation implementation in the fashion industry. “The fashion industry needs innovations in dyes and chemicals that target more responsible and sustainable production. Dyestuff Library is an excellent project that will help validate new sustainable colourants made from a myriad of upcoming new-raw materials and sources with a lower carbon footprint. As a vertically integrated supplier, we are excited to provide our technical expertise in dyeing and work collaboratively with the brands, suppliers, and dyestuff innovators,” says Anant Ahuja, head of organizational development, Shahi Exports.
Source: Just-style.com
Trade, investment and tech will grow, boosting bilateral links, global recovery China and France, considered two major manufacturing powerhouses of the world, are expected to deepen their commercial relations in trade, investment and beyond to stimulate both the business vitality of the two sides and global economic recovery, said analysts and business leaders. Encouraged by the tangible growth achieved under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China's opening-up measures and the "France 2030" investment plan, the two countries will likely scale up trade and investment in fields like the digital economy, trade in services, new energy and high-end manufacturing, they said. Unveiled by the French government in 2021, the "France 2030"investment plan aims to support the transformation of automotive, aerospace, digital, green, biotechnology, culture and healthcare industries. They are all considered fields where excellence has been pursued, achieved and needs to be sustained, according to Business France, a French government agency that promotes the country's exports and seeks to attract foreign investment. Despite headwinds such as waning global demand and rising global trade protectionism in recent years, interdependence between China and France remains stable in bilateral trade across industries, said Cui Hongjian, director of European Studies at the Beijing-based China Institute of International Studies. "With China undergoing a new round of industrial upgrading as well as green and low-carbon transformation, it will continue to export consumer goods and make use of France's environmental protection solutions and high-tech products, including electronic products, passenger aircraft, medical equipment and industrial parts," said Cui. As both the Chinese and French economies have been disrupted by challenges ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to geoeconomic fragmentation, their bilateral trade value dropped 4.4 percent year-on-year to $81.23 billion in 2022, data from China's General Administration of Customs showed. In addition to passenger vehicles and aircraft, water treatment, chemical and pharmaceutical products, France's exports to China also include fashion, energy infrastructure and agricultural products. China exports mainly construction machinery, manufacturing equipment, steel, electronics, textiles, garments and household appliances to the European country. Zhao Ping, vice-dean of the academy of Beijing-based China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said China's ongoing consumption and industrial upgrade have attracted more French investment in many areas like high-end manufacturing and green development in recent years. Echoing that sentiment, Yin Zheng, executive vice-president of Schneider Electric's China and East Asia operations, said that under the high-quality development goal, Chinese industries are accelerating their transformation toward digitalization and decarbonization. This, he said, provides more opportunities and growth spaces for French and European companies like Schneider Electric. Operating in China for 36 years, the French multinational has grown from a joint venture factory to one with 29 factories and distribution centers in China today, with a more than 90 percent local purchase rate. China has become its second-largest market around the world. Yin said Schneider Electric has established two research and development centers and one innovation lab for different business segments across China over the past four months. "We are much more confident that 2023 will be a great year for growth, partnership and expansion, and China will continue to develop its economy in a positive way," said Christophe Lauras, president of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (CCI France Chine). "Backed by China's optimized COVID-19 response and economic growth, we will see an improvement of business confidence and investment plans from many French companies this year," he said. A survey conducted by CCI France Chine between Jan 31 and Feb 17 saw 305 companies participating. The chamber's members said they are more willing now than before to expand their activities in China over the next three years. The survey findings showed that up to 47 percent of respondents are planning to increase their investment in China, which is a significant increase from the 23 percent reported in the chamber's previous survey in September 2022.
Source: China Daily
The ‘Reborn – China Fiber Zero Carbon Action 2023 — Sustainable Textiles Credible Platform’ was launched at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. It is supervised by the Department of Consumer Goods Industry of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Suzhou Market Supervision Administration and will be jointly run by China Chemical Fibers Association and the National Advanced Functional Fiber Innovation Center, according to China Daily. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of chemical fibre – a crucial raw material for the textile industry. China produced 64.88 million tons of chemical fibre in 2022, which was more than 85% of the country’s total fibre processing volume and more than 70% of the world’s total fibre output. According to He Yaqiong, Director of the Department of Consumer Goods Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Government is working to establish China’s recycled fibre standard certification system with guiding and supporting the establishment of the Sustainable Textiles Credible Platform as one of the steps to do so, China Daily reports. “Since building a certification platform for the traceability of the entire life cycle of green fibre products is conducive to promoting the low-carbon, environmentally friendly and circular development of the industry, the Department of Consumer Goods Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will strengthen coordination and promotion, and organise and support industry associations, high-quality brand owners, and manufacturers to connect with the platform, jointly improve the platform, so as to quickly promote the popularity and recognition of the platform in the industry.” Duan Xiaoping, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, said the green development of China’s textile and chemical fibre industry is “leading in the world”. He cited the low consumption of raw materials and energy for products, the low resources and energy consumption to produce the same number of products, the top place of the world’s output of recycled fibres ranks, and the top-class recycled fibre production. Duan called for a strengthening of the promotion of green fibre products, and a speed up of the construction of the platform to “guarantee consumers’ confidence in buying green products”. He also recommended the establishment of a complete waste textiles recycling system to achieve zero old clothes waste to tackle the waste-related pollution and ensure a steady supply of raw materials for the production of green fibres. Around 26 enterprises are reported to have signed up to the platform and were honoured during the conference for doing so.
Source: Just-style.com
H&M said the clothing and accessories featured in the collection are made with organic cotton. The collection is also fully compostable once it reaches end-of-life. The Swedish retailer explained it worked closely with supply chain partners to ensure each product in the collection has been created using materials and chemicals that are safe for people and the planet and designed without plastic or metal trims. The items are also said to be manufactured promoting renewable energy and clean air projects. All materials and components, including the printing pigments, are carefully chosen to ensure the whole collection is fully recyclable, even in a home compost. To achieve Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification, each product in the newborn collection was assessed across five categories of sustainability performance in accordance with the C2C Certified Product Standard. These include material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. The C2C Products Innovation Institute awards certifications on the basis of ascending achievement levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based upon a product’s performance in each of the five certification categories. Nienke Steen, global lead apparel, textiles and footwear at the C2C Products Innovation Institute, added: “Achieving Cradle to Cradle Certified at Gold level means that the garments in this collection are safe and ready for the circular economy. “They present design features that address the problem of unnecessary textile waste typically associated with babies’ fast growth, while also considering circular post-use options. With the launch of this newborn collection, H&M shows that it’s possible today to make products for tomorrow, smartly designed from the start with the principles of longevity and durability in mind.” There are 15 pieces as part of this collection following the story of a bumblebee and orange flower growing through spring. The colour palette includes cream, light peach, light sage green and lilac with pops of tangerine. The new collection will be available in stores and online starting 6 April 2023.
Source: Just-style.com
ABB is accelerating its growth strategy in the United States by investing approximately $170 million and creating highly skilled jobs in manufacturing, innovation and distribution operations. ABB is committed to growing in the US by investing in its electrification and automation businesses that meet increased demand from industry-leading customers, while supporting the clean energy transition and the trend towards reshoring of production. This commitment is highlighted by today’s pouring of the concrete foundations for a greenfield drives and services facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The US is ABB’s largest market, comprising 24 percent of the company’s annual revenue. “The United States is critical to ABB’s success as a market that will continue to grow and benefit from our product portfolio that enables the transition to a more energy-efficient future,” said Björn Rosengren, CEO of ABB. “Currently, 85 percent of ABB’s sales in the US are from products produced locally, which provides customers with a more secure supply chain and keeps good-paying manufacturing jobs in America.” ABB technology touches every sector of the economy, from transportation to utilities to buildings. Recently passed legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act, and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, gives ABB confidence to invest in manufacturing capacity, distribution systems and technology innovation to bring products and services closer to customers.
Investment projects underway across the US include:
New Berlin, Wisconsin: Opening of Drives and Services manufacturing facility will increase US production capacity of industrial electric drives and provide additional customer services. The business manufactures a wide range of AC variable frequency drives and controls which reduce energy consumption in buildings and industrial applications in the US market. The nearly $100 million greenfield investment is expected to be completed in late 2024 and is replacing a neighboring existing facility, which employs approximately 720 workers. Some 100 new jobs will be added over the next three years. Memphis, Tennessee: Investing $3 million in the opening of an Installation Products Research & Development Lab and Innovation Center to accelerate development of new products. ABB remains the seventh-largest private employer in Memphis. Atlanta, Georgia: Opening of packaging and logistics facility for end-to-end robotic automation solutions in warehouse and distribution, retail, and logistics industries. This $2 million investment will open in 2023 and create approximately 15 jobs. Albuquerque, New Mexico: Previously announced $40 million investment in a new facility to manufacture Elastimold, the leading brand for underground cable accessories, to support strengthening a more sustainable US electrical grid. It underpins ABB’s commitment to improve reliability and resilience of the US infrastructure and assure greater safety for the American consumers, businesses, and communities. The investment will create 55 new jobs and will be completed by 2024. Auburn Hills, Michigan: Previously announced expansion of North American robotics headquarters and manufacturing facility as more customers turn to automation to build resilience while improving efficiency and flexibility as part of the near and reshoring of production. The $20 million investment will create 72 jobs and be completed by the end of 2023. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania: Previously announced opening of Installation Products Division Northeast Distribution Center in 2023. This more than $4 million investment will create more than 100 jobs and further regionalize ABB’s global supply chain to help reduce delivery times of high-demand electrification products to contractors by up to 50 percent. Columbia, South Carolina: Previously announced opening of electric vehicle charger manufacturing facility to build up to 10,000 chargers per year, ranging from 20kW to 180kW in power, to support operators building the national charging infrastructure. ABB Emobility’s investment will create over 100 jobs. “The Inflation Reduction Act is triggering investment in clean energy and supporting businesses that can produce technology locally,” said Michael Gray, US Country Holding Officer of ABB. “More than ever before, ABB is designing and producing products domestically to serve our US customers, as they move toward more sustainable electric power generation, clean energy manufacturing, electric transportation, and industrial efficiency including carbon capture and storage, as well as methane reduction.” The US federal government projects real gross domestic product to increase 2.5 percent in 2023, average 2 percent annual growth between 2024-2028, and grow 2.3 percent per year during 2029-2032. This projected GDP growth, combined with an estimated global EV infrastructure investment of more than $1 trillion by 2040 , gives ABB the confidence to continue investing. ABB projects 25 percent of global EV infrastructure investment will take place in the US. Since 2010, ABB has invested $14 billion in US plant expansions, operational improvements, state-of-the-art equipment, products, and people, making it the company’s largest market. With approximately 20,000 employees in more than 40 manufacturing and distribution facilities, ABB is investing, growing and serving customers across America through industries that create jobs, encourage innovation and achieve a more productive, sustainable future. ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.
Source: Textile World
Motion Industries, Inc., a distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts and premier provider of industrial technology solutions, is pleased to announce the newest Motion Ai facility, located at 71 Cherry Hill Drive, Beverly, Massachusetts, 01915. The new facility officially opened on December 1, 2022. Motion Automation Intelligence (Motion Ai) was in need of additional manufacturing and inventory space to better meet overall customer demand and to strategically grow the business. With 33,000 sq. ft., the new facility complements two existing Motion Ai facilities nearby in Danvers (19,000 sq. ft.) and Woburn (10,000 sq. ft.), providing the company a total of 62,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in the Boston area. Most of the production and quality operations among the three locations are housed in the new facility in Beverly, with features including manufacturing lab benches and a quality control testing area. Systems engineering and production solutions focus on motion control, robotics and machine vision, with additional specialty areas of precision components, electro-mechanical assemblies and fully engineered automation systems. “The expanded manufacturing space will allow us to meet growing customer needs while adding future opportunities across our entire automation and robotic platforms,” said Aurelio Banda, Motion’s Senior Vice President, Automation Intelligence. “This includes additional OEM business and the ability to accept larger orders in quantity and physical size. We expect this new facility to fuel economic growth for the region, contributing beneficial, long-term impact.” Randy Breaux, President of Motion, said, “We are excited about this investment and anticipate that it will enhance the customer experience even more. We believe it will also increase the employee experience—there is a lot of talent within Motion Ai, and this expansion will offer excellent opportunities for our employees.” Currently, Motion Ai has opportunities for experienced automation engineers, electromechanical assemblers and quality technicians to join the team, and the company will continue to hire as the business grows.
Source: Textile World
