INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
In a move to increase exports of manmade fibre textiles and technical textiles, an industry delegation will soon visit the US, the Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) said Thursday. “We will be very soon be taking a delegation from India to the US and meeting top American Companies to increase exports of Manmade fibre textiles and technical textiles,” said SRTEPC chairman Bhadresh Dodhia. India’s overall exports of manmade yarns and fabrics were $788 million in FY23, down 10% year-on-year from $878.34 million in FY22. “US is also a source of supplies of high quality raw materials like speciality yarns , aramid yarns , filter fabrics etc that are required by the Indian manufacturers of technical textiles,” Dodhia said, adding that the US is one of the leading export markets for textiles and clothing from India.
Source: Economic Times
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has suggested departments, which are implementing their sector-specific production-linked incentive schemes, hold consultations with PLI beneficiary companies to understand their issues, government officials said. The suggestion was made in a workshop on the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme called by the ministry on June 27. The meeting assumed significance as the government disbursed only Rs 2,900 crore till March 2023 out of Rs 3,400 crore claims received under the scheme. The scheme was announced in 2021 for 14 sectors, such as telecommunication, white goods, textiles and pharma with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore. The departments were also asked to ensure that PLI beneficiaries complete their investments and meet production targets. "It was suggested to the line ministries now to call the PLI beneficiary companies for consultations with them only and if they flag any issue, it could be conveyed to the commerce and industry ministry so that those issues can be taken up with the highest authorities," one of the officials said. The Ministry, which coordinates the scheme, also urged PLI beneficiaries to take up any procedural challenges/ issues with the respective implementing ministry or department so that positive reforms can be brought about and the scheme can be made more efficient and effective. During the workshop, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal encouraged industry's feedback and collaborative engagement to shape the policies, procedures and effectiveness of the scheme. The workshop witnessed participation from 10 implementing central departments, companies/ PLI beneficiaries under 14 key sectors, various Project Management Agencies (PMAs) like IFCI (Industrial Finance Corporation of India), Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi), Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants (MECON), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), select industry associations and relevant export promotion councils. Representatives were also there from Wistron, Foxconn, Samsung, Dell, Wipro GE, Dr. Reddy's, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Nokia Solutions, ITC, Dabur, JSW, and Reliance among others.
Source: Daily Pioneer
The United Kingdom has removed zero tariff incentives, and India’s over US $ 220 billion textile industry has petitioned the Government, urging it to step in as the two nations negotiate a free trade agreement. Under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which went into effect last week, New Delhi’s US $ 200 million worth of home textile and apparel exports to the UK would no longer be eligible for this benefit until 31st December 2025, but Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will continue to profit from it. “The UK has suddenly suspended preferential customs duty rates on Indian textile imports and it does not seem to be in line with the trade policy direction and when the two sides are negotiating a free trade agreement,” said a representative of the cotton textile industry. The DCTS has taken the role of the UK’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Scheme, which offered a concessionary charge of 9.6 per cent in exchange for a 20 per cent reduction on the overall import duty of 12 per cent for Indian home textiles and clothing. The DCTS has three preference tiers: Comprehensive Preference for least developed countries, Enhanced Preference, which would keep textile and clothing items duty-free, and Standard Preference, which only includes India and Indonesia because they are not deemed “economically vulnerable” and would lose the duty preference of 20 per cent.
Source: Apparel Resources
Amidst some of the best and top designers of Chennai city, Vishalikola (/topic/vishalikola) has had the privilege and honour to be associated with the prestigious government organization Cooptex (/topic/co-optex). Set up in 1935, Co-optex (/topic/co-optex) is today synonymous with handlooms that are revered for quality and respected for appreciating an artist's true worth. Stretching beyond the bounds of Tamil Nadu, the organization has been winning the hearts of customers worldwide and leaving an indelible mark on the global fashion platform with benchmarked quality products time and again. Co-optex has embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration to showcase ancient Indian textiles and art globally, promoting sustainability and cultural heritage. Their exclusive collection, created using the hand-drawn and hand-painted Kalamkari technique with natural dyes, combines artistic storytelling with opulent weaves, reviving Tamil Nadu's rich cultural heritage. With exhibitions held in Germany, Turkey, Dubai, the United States, Australia, and South Korea, Co-optex (/topic/co-optex)'s initiative aims to take Indian textiles beyond borders, preserving tradition while embracing a multicultural vision in contemporary fashion. Vishalikota is an entrepreneur with a difference as she chose to start a design and fashion clothing brand (/topic/clothing-brand) VKOLA (/topic/vkola) with a social responsibility to employ and empower the rural artisans from marginalized communities skilled in the ancient traditional art of Kalamkari. Vishali makes a difference by redefining style through recreation of the traditional art form to make bespoke luxury clothing with handcrafted signature designs using sustainable and ethical production methods. Co-optex collaborates with Vishalikola, taking Indian textile to International platform compassion and empowerment. She has devoted her life to making a positive difference in the world. She takes immense pride and joy in collaborating with Co-optex (/topic/co-optex) to globalize a rich indigenous traditional art and present classic Indian Textiles beyond India with a multicultural vision in contemporary fashion. The collaboration is a great milestone in taking Vishalikola (/topic/vishalikola)'s vision to grow and strengthen as a global sustainable clothing brand (/topic/clothing-brand) in the years to come.
Source: The Aninews.in
Launched in 2018 by sisters Vatsala and Vedika Chopra as a way to revive a slower way of life and responsible living, Veaves is now repository of amazing designs on diffident fabrics. “Veaves becomes a vessel for weaving captivating stories that intertwine the journeys of the creators, the products, and the customers who embrace them, transcending geographical boundaries,” says Vedika. The duo believes that Veaves is more than just a brand—it is a gateway to a world where tales are spun with every warp and weft. “We invite you to join us on this enchanting journey, where the loom becomes a vessel for stories that honour heritage, elevate artistry, and connect souls across the vast tapestry of humanity,” she adds.
USP: “With every thread we meticulously select, every artisan we collaborate with, and every design we create, our commitment to care shines through. We understand that the revival of this time-honoured craft requires nurturing, support, and a deep appreciation for its significance,” says Vatsala. In a world often driven by speed and convenience, the brand endeavours to slow down, to cherish the artistry and intricacy that only hand-weaving can offer.
Source: India today
The government has decided not to launch production-linked incentives (PLI) for new sectors, other than the existing 14, and another three — new-age bicycles, leather & footwear and toys –- for which Cabinet notes have already been circulated. The likely addition of the three sectors is unlikely to result in any extra budget spending, official sources said, adding that the PLI outlay of Rs 1.97 trillion won’t be raised any further. The new schemes are being formulated considering their labour-intensive nature and potential for import substitution. According to the sources, the proposed tweaking of the PLI schemes will let new players to avail the incentives, besides addressing the various concerns expressed by investors about procedural ambiguities. Following Tuesday’s workshop with stakeholders, the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) has asked the ministries responsible for implementing the PLI schemes for different industry sectors to hold a fresh round of consultation with the beneficiary companies to understand their problems, the sources said. The inputs from the firms would be taken up at the appropriate level for resolution of the issues, they added. As the scheme has been implemented after the Cabinet approval, some of the changes to the scheme that might become necessary would have to be taken there for resolution. However, no major restructuring of the PLIs are being considered. “All ministries have been told at the workshop on PLI that was held on Tuesday that, while till now they had conducted wider stakeholder consultations, now they should hold a consultation with the PLI companies. If problems come up, they should tell the DPIIT so that it can take them to the appropriate level for redressal,” an official said. DPIIT is the coordinating ministry for the scheme. While sectoral interactions with ministries would continue, the next broader stakeholder consultation has been scheduled for the first week of October. At the last meeting with the government, some companies flagged the issue of delays in clearances which is impacting the implementation of the projects. Also cited was the difference of opinion with the officials on the interpretation of some of clauses of the scheme like what can be included when they claim incremental investment and production. The official admitted that as the scheme gets implemented on the ground, some issues have indeed come to light which can be further discussed. Regarding delays in getting projects off the ground due to time taken in clearances at the local level, the DPIIT assured the stakeholders its support and intervention. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday that the government is committed to fostering a conducive business environment and accelerating growth in the PLI sectors. At the workshop, the companies were also asked by the government to complete their investment, production and employment targets, the official said. Some participants wanted deeper changes in the schemes which the government declined, saying that these schemes were launched after extensive stakeholder consultation and now it cannot be changed at the start-up stage, chairman of Engineering Export Promotion Council, Arun Kumar Garodia, who attended the workshop, said. He said small issues coming in the way of implementation the government would be sorting out but changes in the basic structure of the scheme cannot take place. The government wants the industry to take full advantage of the scheme. Industry is satisfied with the way it is functioning. Some pinpricks are there which the government will be sorting out,” Garodia said. He said some sectors under the PLI scheme have already started showing the results and some industries are yet to begin production that will be shortly coming in. Of the 14 sectors covered by PLI, activity has been visible in eight sectors – large-scale electronics, telecom, pharmaceuticals, food processing, white goods, and auto and auto components. Tuesday’s meeting also discussed the reason for slow offtake in sectors like High Efficiency Solar PV Modules, Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery, Textile Products, and Specialty Steel. The scheme’s outlay for incentives has been kept at `1.97 trillion. The incentive package for each sector runs for five years and as new sectors have been added to it over time the scheme will run till 2028. Since the start of the scheme only `2,900 crore of incentives have been disbursed against the production of Rs 6.75 trillion. Since the launch of the scheme, Rs 62,500 worth of investments have been realised. Wherever the industry was facing issues of claim disbursement because of some gaps in documentation, the Project Management Agencies (PMA) are hand holding them,” the official said. While ministries dealing with different industry sectors are responsible for PLI schemes for their sectors, they are being assisted by four PMAs. These agencies do appraisal of applications, determine eligibility criteria for incentives and monitor performance and progress. The Industrial Finance Corporation of India is handling 10 sectors under PLI, Small Industries Development Bank of India two schemes, Metallurgical and Engineering Consultants and IREDA and Solar Energy Corporation of India are managing one sector each. The workshop on Tuesday saw participation of 10 implementing central departments, project management agencies, industry associations like CII, FICCI and Export Promotion Councils. Representatives from Wistron, Samsung, Dell, Wipro GE, Dr Reddy’s, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Nokia Solutions, ITC, Dabur, JSW and Reliance also participated in the workshop.
Source: Financial Express
The government has decided not to launch production-linked incentives (PLI) for new sectors, other than the existing 14, and another three — new-age bicycles, leather & footwear and toys — for which Cabinet notes have already been circulated. The likely addition of the three sectors is unlikely to result in any extra budget spending, official sources said, adding that the PLI outlay of Rs 1.97 trillion won’t be raised any further. The new schemes are being formulated considering their labour-intensive nature According to the sources, the proposed tweaking of the PLI schemes will let new players to avail the incentives, besides addressing the various concerns expressed by investors about procedural ambiguities. Following Tuesday’s workshop with stakeholders, the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) has asked the ministries responsible for implementing the PLI schemes for different industry sectors to hold a fresh round of consultation with the beneficiary companies to understand their problems, the sources said. The inputs from the firms would be taken up at the appropriate level for resolution of the issues, they added. As the scheme has been implemented after the Cabinet approval, some of the changes to the scheme that might become necessary would have to be taken there for resolution. However, no major restructuring of the PLIs are being considered. “All ministries have been told at the workshop on PLI that was held on Tuesday that, while till now they had conducted wider stakeholder consultations, now they should hold a consultation with the PLI companies. If problems come up, they should tell the DPIIT so that it can take them to the appropriate level for redressal,” While sectoral interactions with ministries would continue, the next broader stakeholder consultation has been scheduled for the first week of October. At the last meeting with the government, some companies flagged the issue of delays in clearances which is impacting the implementation of the projects. Also cited was the difference of opinion with the officials on the interpretation of some of clauses of the scheme like what can be included when they claim incremental investment and production.
Source: Indian express
The wide-ranging implications of the linear "make and discard" model have had a significant impact on climate change and environmental degradation. Less than 1% of garments are currently being recycled, resulting in over 70% of the world's clothing ending up in landfills. In light of this, regenerated fibers play a crucial role in promoting the circular economy and closing the loop. Recycling textiles offers numerous benefits, including a 70% reduction in energy consumption, 75% decrease in CO2 emissions, and an 86% decrease in water usage compared to using virgin fabrics. For years, spinners have relied on LMW machines to harness the advantages of spinning recycled fibers from various raw materials such as PET bottles and fabric cut waste. LMW's spinning line enables the production of yarn from recycled materials up to a count of 40 Ne, with a blend ratio of 80% pre and post-consumer waste material and 20% virgin cotton The Gentle Blowroom line from LMW ensures efficient opening and cleaning, effective microdust extraction, optimal blending of fibers, and continuous feed to the Card.
CARDS The Card LC363/OE facilitates higher production rates, consistent quality, reduced lint loss, lower power consumption, and high realization. Higher number of working flats and 3 lickerin arrangement ensures effective opening of fibre clusters or unopened cloth. Combing segment below the lickerin arrangement along with Suction system arrangement and gravity falling of waste helps to remove any cloth bits / foreign matters effectively without loosing good fibres. The precise Autolevelling Draw Frame LDF3 E supports increased production with superior quality through features such as Duo Digital Auto Levelling, a Change Gearless drive system, and Auto piecing LMW Smart series machines are highly suitable for mechanical recycling and have gained popularity with over 150 recycling installations worldwide. Over 500 cards from LMW are currently operating successfully in various recycling clusters contributing to a total production volume of 32.67 lakh tons per year, complemented by LMW Gentle Blowroom machinery. The LMW Smart Ring Frame, combined with the most suitable preparatory machines for Ring spinning and Open End applications, effectively produces recycled yarn. FOSTERING ECO-SENSITIVE SUCCESS WITH BENCHMARKING STANDARDS Reysan Iplik, ?stanbul, Türkiye, with its fixed and unchanging commitment towards environment first approach is successfully achieving counts up to 20s Ne for a blend ratio of 90% Regenerated Fibre and 10% Polyester on LMW preparatory machines. Camci Tekstil, U?ak, Türkiye, leading by example with its environment sensitive approach is spinning counts up to 20s Ne for a blend ratio of 70% Regenerated Fibre and 30% Polyester on LMW preparatory machines. Vardhman ReNova, the fiber recycling plant of Vardhman Group, India, boasts a production capacity of 6 TPD and is designed to recycle Yarn Hard Waste/Fabric Clippings into usable fiber. Equipped with LMW Smart machines, the Vardhman Group mills have successfully facilitated the spinning of recycled yarns with counts like 24s Ne and 30s Ne, using a blend ratio of 30% recycled cotton, 40% recycled polyester, and 30% virgin cotton. To demonstrate the quality and applicability of the ring yarn spun from recycled material, LMW conducted a pilot project manufacturing T-shirts made from recycled yarn and presented them to the entire customer base during ITME 2022 at India and ITMA 2023 at Milan for widespread use. Kanchan India Limited, based in Rajasthan, India is dedicated to sustainable production and actively manufactures recycled yarns in response to the growing market demand. LMW machines are used at Kanchan India Limited to produce recycled yarns from recycled PET bottle fiber and fabric cut waste. LMW's commitment to sustainability has led to a collaboration with Madura Coats for the commissioning of the AZ pilot project "Coats Sustainability Hub" in Madurai. This Sustainability Hub will accelerate the transition to recycled and renewable materials, support customers and stakeholders in creating sustainability within the industry, drive sustainability innovation, enhance brand collaborations, and facilitate the rapid development and introduction of sustainable products to the market. The transformation of the textile value chain to align with the guiding principles of the circular economy is already underway, and as a pioneer in textile technology, LMW will play a crucial role in this transformation process.
Source: Tecoya Trend
Mr. Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister, has asked the Indian banks to ensure enhanced and affordable credit to MSMEs to achieve the target of 1 trillion dollar merchandise exports. This was stated in a meeting called to discuss the issue of increasing the availability of export credit to the MSME exporters. The meeting was convened by the Department of Commerce in coordination with Export Credit Guarantee Corporation Limited, (ECGC), in New Delhi yesterday. It was attended by the top officials of 21 banks which included State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Central Bank of India. A presentation on ‘Export Credit and Export Credit Insurance for Banks (ECIB)’ was made by CMD ECGC, Mr. M. Senthilnathan. Based on ECGC’s experience under the scheme of enhanced cover, ECGC has now proposed further modifications to make available adequate and affordable credit to a larger section of MSME exporters. The product facilitates the borrower accounts to be treated equivalent to ‘AA’ rated account with reduced cost of export credit to the exporters. In the meeting, Mr. Piyush Goyal said that the ECGC can examine the extension of the scheme proposed for nine banks, to all the banks, so that the export credit offtake for the MSME Exporters can be increased. Bankers suggested that ECGC should adopt claim processing method similar to Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) for which Commerce and Industry Minister advised ECGC to follow a pattern on similar lines to compensate their loss. The Minister advised the banks to take advantage of the proposed scheme and extend adequate and affordable export credit to MSME exporters. This would enable the country to achieve its target of USD 1 trillion merchandize exports by 2030. The Minister also advised ECGC to examine 75% claim payment to banks under the ECIB scheme, within 45 days of receiving the claim. It was further informed by the Minister that in the next four months, all the ECGC services would be digitized, so that physical interaction can be minimized.
Source: Tecoya Trend
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reaffirmed his commitment to a “truly ambitious” free trade agreement (FTA) with India and indicated his plans to visit New Delhi for the G20 Summit in September. Hosting a special reception to celebrate India Global Forum’s UK-India Week 2023 in the garden of 10 Downing Street in London, Sunak said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he agrees that there is a huge potential to step up bilateral trade ties. The 43-year-old British Indian leader interacted with business leaders and celebrities, including boxing champion Mary Kom, musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain, Bollywood stars Sonam Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi, on Wednesday evening as part of what he dubbed as a “big moment” in the bilateral calendar and the start of an Indian summer for the UK. “Prime Minister Modiji and I agree there’s huge potential here. We’re making great progress together on the 2030 Roadmap and we want to strike a truly ambitious trade deal that benefits both our nations, bringing tremendous opportunities to businesses and consumers, both in India and here at home,” said Sunak. “It’s not just UK-India Week, but a whole Indian summer. And I don’t just mean the hot weather we’re having, I mean that over the next few weeks, the eyes of the world will be on India. There’s the G20 in New Delhi, I can’t wait to be there,” he said.India and the UK recently concluded the tenth round of FTA negotiations and an 11th round is set to begin in the next few weeks.At the UK-India Week reception, the British Prime Minister was joined by his wife Akshata Murty and joked that the garden party was also in honour of his mother-in-law Sudha Murty, who is visiting from India. “There is so much to celebrate. The links between our two countries are closer than ever. Just look at the Coronation of His Majesty the King. On that most historic day, people of Indian heritage were at the heart of proceedings, presenting the Coronation regalia and as part of the delegation of faith leaders,” he said. “It shows the depth of the bonds we share, the living bridge between our two nations, the thriving business links, and the flow of ideas and investments, all stronger than ever. But of course, we want to do more,” he said.“Here we are, in Downing Street, with a Prime Minister of Indian heritage, with all of you at the top of your game, leaders in your fields showing that anything is possible. So, let’s keep raising our sights and let’s keep scoring boundaries as we build this partnership,” added Sunak, using a cricketing metaphor as he also referenced the cricket World Cup to be hosted by India later this year as the “biggest event of all”. The India Global Forum’s (IGF) fifth annual UK-India Week, which runs until Friday, brings together ministers, business leaders and policymakers to deliberate on the key sectors of focus within the bilateral relationship. “We are all here, from such diverse backgrounds, experiences and journeys, yet what unites us is our passion and contribution to enhancing what I describe as the winning partnership between the UK and India,” said IGF founder Manoj Ladwa.
Source: Financial Express
Taiwan has an "enormous appetite" to expand ties with India and firming up the proposed free trade agreement between the two sides will be a "big encouragement" for Taiwanese companies to set up manufacturing bases in India, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu has said. Wu said Taiwan has been encouraging its companies that no longer find the Chinese market profitable to shift their production facilities to India as it is now a "rising power" and has been witnessing rapid economic growth. In an interaction with an international media group, he said an FTA between India and Taiwan will remove barriers to greater trade and investment ties and it will help Taiwanese companies to set up manufacturing hubs without paying high tariffs for various equipment and raw materials. Taiwan produces over close to 70 per cent of the world's semiconductors and over 90 per cent of the most advanced chips that are required for almost all electronic equipment such as smartphones, car components, data centres, fighter jets and AI technologies. India has been very keen on having a manufacturing facility for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the world's largest chipmaker whose clients included Apple. The Taiwanese foreign minister said Taipei has conveyed to New Delhi that the time has come for launching the FTA negotiations. The two sides have already conducted studies for the FTA and held preliminary discussions for the pact. The FTA will be a "big encouragement" for our companies to set up manufacturing bases in India as the trade pact would provide relief on tariffs on various aspects including on bringing various equipment and related materials to the country, Wu said. "Our trade relations have been picking up steam. The Taiwanese investors are hungry for India and the semiconductor cooperation between Taiwan and India is being blessed by the top leadership of the two countries," he said. The foreign minister said Taipei will continue to encourage Taiwanese businessmen, who no longer find the Chinese market profitable, to invest in India. "What we see is a very prosperous future bilateral relations between India and Taiwan and we will continue to work hard to strengthen it further," he said. Wu said Taiwan wants to be able to stand up to the threat of the Chinese military and Beijing's economic coercion, adding Taipei needs international support for it. "We will continue to engage with the world to draw more global support, especially from federal democracies. Our relations with India have been picking up steam in the last few years," Wu added. "India is a rising power, it is rising rapidly. It can not be ignored especially with its demographic dividend and very diligent entrepreneurs. India has its economic strengths for the future. It is going to be very powerful. And of course, we hope we will continue to have good ties with India," he said. The Taiwanese foreign minister said Taiwan's ties with India in areas of trade and investment, people-to-people connections and cultural ties have witnessed a significant upswing in the last few years. He said Indian movies are "fascinating" to the Taiwanese people. "We will continue to strengthen our relations with India. There is enormous appetite on our part for closer cooperation with India and we would try each and every area to see what will materialise," he added. Complimenting India on its success in the space sector, Wu said Taipei is seeking cooperation with New Delhi on it. "I want to congratulate India for its G20 presidency and wish the upcoming G20 summit a great success. As a friend of India, we want India to be successful in major international events like G20," Wu said. On new areas of cooperation, the Taiwanese foreign minister identified parliamentary engagement between the two sides as a priority for Taipei. "We hope there is more government-to-government interaction with each other. So far there are limited interactions. We hope that we can break some barriers in order to have better political ties with each other," he said. "It should work for the benefit of our bilateral relations. We also want more investment in India. India is interested in the semiconductor industries to be operating in India. And we have more intention to work with the Indian government and materialise the FTA," he said. China has been maintaining that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must regularly sending fighter jets into Taiwan's air defence zone and deploying warships close to the self-governed island. India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations. Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi's ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.
Source: Economic Times
INTERNATIONAL
The Global Fashion Agenda, a non-profit looking to help the industry collaborate on sustainable solutions, has launched a new platform to do just that. The platform - called the Global Textiles Policy Forum (GTPF) - aims to help textile industry players and governments to “align on an ambitious sustainability pathway for the industry and the global policy frameworks needed”. It also aims to “raise and amplify supply chain voices” and “spread the likely impact of the EU Textiles Strategy outside of the EU”. The new platform was launched at The Global Fashion Summit, which took place in Copenhagen from June 27-28. Alongside GTPF, the Global Fashion Agenda also launched a new policy matrix to summarise the key legislations going on around the world implicating the textiles industry. The Global Fashion Industry said: “The GTPF will seek to address the need for global policy coordination outlined by various actors including UNEP’s upcoming report Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain - A global roadmap by providing a platform for governments and textile industry associations from around the world”. GTPF will be a destination to meet, discuss, and agree on an ambitious sustainability pathway for the industry and the global policy framework(s) needed to support this; raise and amplify supply chain voices and increase capacity building towards the agreed pathway; and spread the experiences and likely impact of the EU Textiles Strategy outside of the EU.
Source: Apparel Resources
Project Plan B and the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) have achieved a significant breakthrough in textile recycling. The collaboration aims to effectively reuse polyester materials, converting them back into raw materials for further use. The project, called Re:claim, has announced plans to establish the first commercial-scale post-consumer polyester recycling plant. Project Plan B, known for its expertise in corporate wear, has developed an exclusive polyester recycling system based on the recycling of plastic bottles. The technology will be installed by SATCoL at one of their processing centers. Currently, SATCoL’s processing centers handle approximately 65,000 tonnes of donated textiles each year. With the new recycling plant, around 2,500 tonnes of polyester will be reused in the first year, with the target to reach 5,000 tonnes in the second year. This initiative aims to give polyester materials that have reached the end of their useful life a new purpose. The recycling process involves transforming polyester into pellets, which have already been successfully used to create the first yarn. The installation of the brand-new technology is scheduled for September at SATCoL’s processing center in Kettering. To maximise the volume and potential of polyester recycling, SATCoL recognises the need to go beyond clothing bank donations. They are actively seeking business partners who are willing to pledge donations of textiles made exclusively from 100 per cent polyester. SATCoL already houses Fibersort, the UK’s only automated textile sorting facility, in Kettering. Fibersort plays a crucial role in material-to-material recycling by identifying and sorting recycled materials based on fibre type. The implementation of this new technology represents the next step in SATCoL’s plan to establish the UK’s first fibre farm and significantly expand textile-to-textile recycling across all materials.
Source: Apparel Resources
The United States is considering new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips to China, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, according to Reuters. The Commerce Department will stop the shipments of chips made by Nvidia and other chip companies to customers in China as early as July, the report said. Nvidia, Micron, and AMD are among the US chipmakers caught in the crossfire between China and the Biden administration. In September, Nvidia had said that US officials asked the company to stop exporting two top computing chips for artificial intelligence work to China. Months later, Jensen Huang-led Nvidia said it will offer a new advanced chip called the A800 in China to meet export control rules. The company also tweaked its flagship H100 chip early this year to comply with regulations. But the new curbs being mulled by the department would ban the sale of even A800 chips without a special US export license, the report added. The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Source: The Financial Express
The 19th edition of ITMA proved to be a great success for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. ACIMIT president Zucchi noted, “So many satisfied visitors and exhibitors, confirming the vitality of the global textile machinery industry, and of the sector in Italy particularly.” ITMA 2023, which was held in Milan from June 8 to 14 at the exhibition fairgrounds of Fiera Milano – Rho, closed with some impressive figures. Hosting 1709 exhibitors in total, the seven-day fair registered an attendance of over 111,000 people hailing from 143 Countries. With 422 companies exhibiting their wares, Italy was by far the Country with the largest contingent, coming in first for the number of visitors as well at 29% of the total in attendance, followed by Turkey, India and Germany (6% each), France (4%) and Brazil (3%). “ITMA remains a must event for the industry, and the figures for the edition in Milan speak for themselves, confirming the resilience of the textile sector worldwide” comments Alessandro Zucchi, president of ACIMIT. “As far as our Country is concerned, the number of exhibitors and visitors testifies to the vitality of the entire Italian textile supply chain. Italy’s success, both in terms of visitors in attendance and orders acquired during the fair, is the consequence of a deep rooted commitment – which is also an economic investment – put forward by our manufacturers, and the indispensable support in implementing promotional initiatives for ITMA with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and by the Italian Trade Agency”. Solutions were being proposed for more sustainable textile productions by most of the exhibitors, and here too Italian manufacturers were absolutely at the forefront, with solutions catering to saving water, energy and raw materials. Sustainability was also the main focus of the ACIMIT press conference, in which the ACIMIT Green Label Award was assigned to two Italian manufacturers, Pafasystem S.r.l and Brazzoli S.r.l., who among ACIMIT’s associated members have proved to be the most committed to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions produced during the operation of their machinery over the past few years. Among the many government representatives in attendance, ITMA 2023 hosted high-level delegations from two of the world’s major textile producing countries, India and Uzbekistan. ACIMIT’s top management thus met with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Indian Minister of Textiles, Mrs. Darshana Vikram Jardosh, showcasing the excellence of Italian technology on offer. Other significant encounters took place with the Ambassador of Iran Mohammad Reza Sabouri, as well as with representatives of the Italian Government, such as the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Honourable Giorgio Silli. In conclusion, a comment by ACIMIT president Zucchi: “This edition will be remembered for the message it conveyed, as exhibitors presented numerous technological innovations focusing on a search for greater sustainability and a more decisive digitization of textile production processes. Sustainability and digitization: a combination that constitutes the key to success for the entire textile supply chain, and which I am sure will see new developments at ITMA’s next edition, to be held in Hannover (Germany) from September 16 to 22, 2027.”
Source: The Financial Express
