INTERNATIONAL
NATIONAL
Mr. S. P. Verma, Secretary, Textiles Committee and Additional Textile Commissioner, has counselled the members of the Indian Technical Textiles Association (ITTA) to fully utilise the funds amounting to Rs. 1480 crores granted for 4 years (2020-21 to 2023-24) by the Indian government under the National Technical Textile Mission. The NTTM, Mr. Verma underlined, was launched to position India as a global leader in technical textiles and accordingly the funds were provided. However, if the funds remain underutilised or unutilised, the government will presume that the industry is self-sufficient and does not require any governmental support for market development and export promotion and also for education, training and skill enhancement of the Indian technical textile industry. Therefore, the technical textile industry should make concerted efforts to fully utilise the funds and subsequently ask for more funds to elevate India to the world’s top position in technical textiles, he advised. On Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector), Mr. Verma said that there are 7 to 8 courses for which there are no takers. Is there no requirement of skilled man-power or is it something else? He agreed that technical textiles which comprises of 12 different areas cannot be covered in general course. Therefore, there is a need for the industry and Samarth officials to sit together and work out courses which would provide demand-driven, placementoriented skilling programme and help create jobs in the technical textile industry, Mr. Verma said.
Source: Tecoya Trend
The government on Tuesday extended the period of its flagship export promotion scheme Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) for a period of nine months ending June 30, 2024. A committee has been formed to review the rates of incentives available under the scheme, a statement said.The scheme, which was first introduced in 2021, covers exports of 10,610 products. It has seen many extensions and modifications since then. The last extension was expiring at the end of this month.“The RoDTEP Committee has again been constituted in the Department of Revenue to review and recommend the ceiling rates under the RoDTEP Scheme for different export sectors. The first meeting of the scheme was held on Tuesday,” the statement added. Export promotion councils and chambers of commerce have been asking for higher budgetary allocation for the scheme and that higher rates be available for all export items. The extension will help exporters to negotiate contracts in the present international environment on better terms. The RoDTEP scheme is designed to refund duties, taxes and levies at the central, state and local level that get added to the cost of products meant for exports. It is a replacement for the Merchandise Exports from India scheme, which along with other export promotion schemes, was successfully challenged at the World Trade Organization by the US. The rate of tax refund under the scheme ranges from 0.5% to 4.3% of the value of the product. The incentive is paid in the form of transferable duty credit scrip, which can be used to pay import duties or sold in the market by exporters. In FY23, RoDTEP supported $450 billion worth of exports at a cost of Rs 13,020 crore. In 2021-22, it aided $421 billion of exports and cost Rs 12,100 crore. Under the scheme, a support of Rs 27,018 crore had been extended for the 27-month period till March 2023. The RoDTEP scheme operates under a budgetary framework and for FY24, a budget of Rs 15,070 crore is available for it.
Source: Financial express
With goods exports declining for seven months in a row till this August, the government has extended support to outbound shipments by stretching the applicability of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme for nine more months till June 30, 2024. The extension comes even as the Revenue Department on Tuesday began a review of the export incentive scheme which provides a mechanism to reimburse taxes, duties and levies (at the central, state and local level) that are incurred by exporters in the production and distribution process and are not refunded under any other mechanism. At the first review meeting, exporters’ bodies sought higher remission rates for all export items to secure more market access overseas along with Budget allocations for the scheme at the first meeting. Under the RoDTEP scheme, which was introduced in January 2021 and notified till September 30 this year, exporters have been granted tax remission support worth ₹27,018 crore by March 2023. For 2023-24, a budget of ₹15,070 crores has been earmarked to support 10610 HS [Harmonised System for goods tariffs] lines at the 8-digit level, the Commerce Ministry said. The scheme is being extended at the same rates that prevailed so far for different export items, and will help the exporting community to negotiate export contracts in the present international environment on better terms, the ministry said. “The RoDTEP Committee has again been constituted in the Department of Revenue to review and recommend the ceiling rates under the RoDTEP Scheme for different export sectors. The Committee held its first interaction today with the export promotion councils and chambers of commerce and discussed the methodology and other issues relating to the Scheme and its implementation,” the ministry statement noted.
Source: The Hindu
Gartex Texprocess India, hosted by Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions, took place at Pragati Maidan from 3-5 August 2023. Each edition of the trade fair focuses on something different, with the latest one centred around bringing transformative change. It attracted 14,895 trade visitors from 384 Indian cities, 28 Indian states, 7 Union Territories and 27 countries with brands like Jaysynth, Mimaki, Epson, Morgan Technica, Groz Beckert, DuPont, Schmetz India, Jack, Brother, Kansai, Siruba, Durkopp Adler, Colorjet and more displaying their latest and running products in the market. The sessions across three days focused on sustainability in textile manufacturing and technological advancements in the industry. This included sessions like “Circular Fashion: Building Pathways For ESG” organised by Conserve India that discussed the escalating carbon footprint due to lack of policy framework and operational regulations in textile industry. The panel comprised of industry experts and veterans sharing their perspectives on the matter. The organisers explain that live demonstrations from multiple brands resulted in high engagement and satisfied visitors at the Surat Pavilion, the zones of Screen-Print India as well as Fabrics & Trims. Moreover, they add the Denim Show in association with Denim Manufacturers Association, besides displaying an array of denim and jeans fabrics in multiple colours and designs also highlighted sustainability with its “thoughtful art installations.”
Source: The just-style.com
Yogesh Kusumgar, founder of Kusumgar Corporates, has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the Indian Technical Textile Association. This prestigious recognition is a testament to his unwavering dedication, groundbreaking innovation and profound impact in the field of technical textiles. Widely recognized as the Father of Technical Textiles in India, throughout his illustrious career, he has reshaped the landscape, setting new standards of excellence and inspiring all.
Source: Indian Textile magazine
INTERNATIONAL
A designer, developer, and manufacture of highly specialized engineered woven fabrics, announces it will highlight its creative solutions for product design and development at the SAFE Association 61st Annual Symposium, which will be held October 10-12 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Va., Booth #132. On display will be a selection of the company’s highperformance webbings, including safety webbings and tapes, ideal for military, aerospace, fire, law enforcement, industrial, and commercial fall protection personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as specialty items to showcase BRM’s capabilities. Using its decades of weaving expertise, BRM designs, engineers, and manufactures materials that maximize the end products’ performance characteristics and properties — including strength, durability, resistance to abrasion, chemicals, heat and weather. BRM enjoys the challenge of assisting customers in problem resolution and innovation creation regarding material selection in their design and development phases. BRM’s services include development of customized innovations, complete engineering and solutions, sample preparation, and full-scale and specialty manufacturing. Recently, BRM participated in an exciting project with Sierra Space in which embedded fiberoptic sensors were woven into Vectran ® webbing and then later integrated into an inflatable test article that was tested at NASA Johnson Space Center for potential use in future inflatable habitat structures for NASA Lunar Gateway and Mars missions. Experts will be on hand at booth #132 to show how BRM can design, develop and manufacture specialized, engineered, woven safety webbings and tapes. Made from Nylon, Polyester, Nomex®, Kevlar®, Vectran®, PBI®, Nextel®, and other specialty fibers, BRM’s safety webbing and tapes are ideal for applications requiring high tenacity, abrasion resistance and flame and heat resistance. They are also a good choice for controlled elongation applications as well as those requiring chemical resistance in specific environments, and can be used for shoulder straps, harness webbing, and chin straps, as well as helmet suspension, binding tapes, loop tapes, lap belts, shock absorbing webbing, flotation device webbings, parachute assemblies, and other aerospace safety applications.
Source: Textile world
dvanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc. (AFFOA) is excited to introduce the Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) program, exclusively for AFFOA’s Fabric Innovation Network Members. The PAFF program is designed to help U.S. companies close the gap(s) in their advanced functional fabric product and technology development. To improve the time to market of these products, industry will be able to access AFFOA’s established specialized capabilities and expertise with no direct cost to your organization. The PAFF program is specifically meant for companies who have a product near commercialization or a process with a targeted improvement need that can be completed over a period of performance of up to 12 months. AFFOA will conduct a virtual webinar on October 12 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST where interested companies can learn more about this program and staff can answer any questions. A recording of the webinar will be sent out to all registrants and program information will be shared via the Member Portal after the webinar.
Source: Textile world
Insight Textiles, part of the Apex Mills family of companies and a USA-based manufacturer of specialty industrial fabrics has made significant investments in infrastructure since opening in January 2023. The company’s most recent investments in production equipment and infrastructure will increase throughput, reduce delivery time, and has created immediate career employment opportunities for the local community. Insight Textiles in Woolwine is actively seeking highly motivated individuals to join its team. To learn more about the available positions and to submit applications, interested candidates are encouraged to visit the careers page on Recruitment (adp.com). Insight Textiles offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits packages, and a supportive work environment. Current hiring includes a variety of positions in the Finishing Department, including: Pad Operator; Relief Operator; Delivery Operator; Material Handler; and Entry Operator. “The state-of-the-art machinery investments will require less material handling, reduce costs, and be fully operational at the end of September. We look forward to welcoming new talent to our fabric finishing team,” said Jimmy Dollarhite, Insite Textiles plant manager. New team members will support our 3rd shift Finishing operations to increase customer deliveries by 30 percent. Other facility investments include maintenance and monitoring upgrades, broadband internet, communication, and computer systems. “We are confident that our investments and the addition of skilled professionals will drive our company’s success to new heights. A large part of our decision to locate our innovative fabric facility in Woolwine, Virgina was driven by the work ethic and skill of the workforce in the surrounding communities which we so greatly value. We are committed to our customers, our community and support of the domestic textile industry,” said Jonathan Kurz, Apex Mills president and CEO.
Source: Textile world
As the looming threat of a Government shutdown on 1st October casts a shadow over the US economy due to stalled budget talks, industry leaders are taking action. The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and US Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) are spearheading efforts to ensure the uninterrupted flow of imports and exports, which they consider essential for the economy.
In a joint statement with fellow import and export associations, they emphasise the need for cooperation between the Government and the private sector during these challenging times. The trade community has put forth a series of key requests: Private-Sector Communication with CBP: The trade community praises the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for its preparations for a potential Government shutdown. They advocate for real-time communication channels with the private sector to address critical trade issues promptly. Presence of Participating Government Agencies (PGAs): Integrating PGAs, especially those with hold authority, into the CBP ‘war room’ is recommended. They also suggest considering the inclusion of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to maintain border security and technical support for the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system. Coordination Between CBP Headquarters, Ports, and Centers: Efficient trade operations require preplanned coordination efforts between CBP Headquarters, local ports, and centers to avoid communication breakdowns that have hampered trade during past Government shutdowns. CBP Daily Briefings with the Private Sector: The community encourages CBP to reinstate daily briefings with the private sector to identify and address emerging issues. PGAs with goods clearance authority should actively participate to ensure smooth trade operations. Sustaining Two-Way Trade: Emphasising the importance of sustaining trade in both directions during a Government funding gap, the trade community highlights the need for inbound and outbound trade operations, including licensing, inspections, and cargo screening. Essential Tangential Trade Functions: Government authorities are urged to recognise the significance of essential tangential trade functions when designating essential personnel. This includes issuing licenses, conducting inspections, and providing technical support, all crucial for maintaining trade continuity.
Source: Apparel resources
For almost three years, workers at Lanka Leather Fashion in Sri Lanka have been fighting for their right to unionise. The German-owned company was among the first to be established in the country’s free trade zone. It is Asia’s oldest and one of the region’s largest producers of high-end leather garments, boasting high-profile customers such as Hugo Boss. But whilst the company glistens on the outside, its garment workers toil. Conditions at the Lanka Leather factory are harsh; workers report being pressured to meet unrealistic production targets, with insufficient bathroom breaks, and no free meal as mandated by law. Seeking to address these conditions, and with no internal mechanism to resolve labour issues, workers formed a union, aiming to join the Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees’ Union (FTZ&GSEU). What has since unfolded is a textbook case of union-busting. From the outset, the union was met with hostility, with Lanka Leather management refusing to recognise the union and meet with its representatives. Since March 2021, several workers associated with the union have been dismissed in what appear to be attempts at obstruction and intimidation. These include the union organiser, treasurer, and president, among others, and as of today they have not been reinstated. With demands falling on deaf ears, workers turned to Hugo Boss, a key customer of Lanka Leather. Workers in Sri Lanka have a right to unionise, and Hugo Boss has a duty to ensure that the workers in their supply chain are able to access that right. Several letters were exchanged between the union and Hugo Boss, which claims to take allegations of union-busting “very seriously” and prides itself on empowering women in the workforce. It is worth noting that over 70% of the workers at Lanka Leather are women, who struggle to make ends meet and are among some of the most vulnerable in Sri Lanka. Despite these claims, Hugo Boss has failed to take any meaningful action to urge Lanka Leather to recognise the union, relying on inadequate inspections of the factory to absolve itself of responsibility. But the workers have refused to back down. The union filed a complaint against Hugo Boss to the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, together with the German Clean Clothes Campaign (Kampagne für saubere Kleidung). The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles – of which Hugo Boss is a member - is an alliance of companies, trade unions, NGOs and representatives from the German government, set up with the aim of improving conditions in the textile industry. Together with FTZ&GSEU we are calling for the union to be recognised and for the dismissed workers to be reinstated in their roles. The situation at Lanka Leather is extremely troubling, particularly when viewed through the lens of the financial and political crisis in Sri Lanka. Garment workers are bearing the brunt, with high inflation and currency devaluation pushing many into hunger and destitution. On top of this crisis, the Sri Lankan government has sought to change the labour law as well as measures targeting workers' pension funds, placing garment workers in an even more precarious position. As Anton Marcus, Joint Secretary of the FTZ&GSEU, says: "The government's proposals and process for revising the labour law violate international standards for decent work and threaten to trigger a race to the bottom on workers' rights." Large-scale amendments such as these should be rooted in a thorough consultation process with workers and their elected trade union representatives. However, in June 2023, four unions, including the FTZ&GSEU, were illegally removed from the National Labour Advisory Council, the body responsible for deciding on amendments. After the unions initiated a court case on the matter, FTZ&GSEU has been readmitted to the council. However, this is a temporary measure until the final judgement is declared.
Source: Tecoya Trend
