The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council

MARKET WATCH 21 APRIL, 2017

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Ministry of Textiles presents a curtain raiser to ‘Textiles India 2017’

Celebrating the diverse crafts and textiles of India, the Crafts Museum in national capital was a vibrant place on Tuesday evening. The Ministry of Textiles presented a curtain raiser to 'Textiles India 2017', the first ever global B2B Textile and handicrafts event in India. The event brought forward the vision of the PM Narendra Modi - "From Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, Fashion to Foreign." (Madhu Jain's collection mersmerised everyone with its exquisite craftsmanship, and striking design intervention) The event was hosted under the leadership of Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani and Minister of State, Ajay Tamta. Speaking on the occasion, Smriti Zubin Irani shared that the spectrum of Indian textiles is extremely diverse and its history is world renowned. Textiles India 2017 holds the promise of becoming a landmark annual trade event for the Indian textiles and apparel industry at the global level. With this curtain raiser, we are celebrating the significant achievements of our textile industry and the enormous promise of spectacular growth over the next few years. (From left to right: Manish Arora's collection with contemporary twist and Sabyasachi's breathtaking Indian ensembles) A representation of artisans, weavers, emerging and established designers from across the country celebrated the special preview to Textiles India 2017. The fashion designers and craftsmen showcased the strength of the Indian textiles sector in cotton, silk, wool, woven and hand-printed, embroidered as well as modern and futuristic textiles. The textile story was narrated through the works of Abraham & Thakore, Anita Dongre, AnujBhutani, Anuradha Pegu, Amit Aggarwal, ChamanPremji, Good Earth, Hemant Agarwal, Kaleekal, MasabaGupta, Madhu Jain, Manish Arora, Manish Malhotra, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rahul Misra, RituKumar, Rimzim Dadu, Rohit Bal, Sanjay Garg, Sabyasachi, Samant Chauhan, Shades of India - Mandeep Nagi, Sunita Shankar, Suket Dhir, Wendell Rodricks and Tarun Tahiliani. The evening also saw the presence of political dignitaries, ambassadors of textile partner countries industrialists, industry associations, leading fashion and media houses including Dr Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Ayog, H.E. Lorenzo Angeloni, Ambassador of Italy, H.E. Chitraganee Wagiswara, H.E. Melba Pria, Ambassador, Mexico, H.E. Dalton Sembering, Ambassador, Indonesia, H.E. Cho Hyun, Ambassador, South Korea, Muzaffar Ali, and Tarun Tahiliani. (Effortlessly stylish yet comfy cotton separates) Textiles India 2017 is a landmark global trade event for the Indian textile and handicraft sector that will showcase the entire range of textile products from 'Fibre to Fashion' and will be inaugurated by the PM Narendra Modi. It is scheduled to be held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar from June 30 to July 2 this year. It will have more than 1000 stalls and witness the presence of over 2500 discerning international buyers, agents, designers, retail chains from across the world, and 15000 domestic buyers. The three day event will include global conference on the last day with six themes to be chaired by concerned union ministers and the valedictory session will be presided over by the Union Finance Minister. Over 33 roundtables will be held on issues of concern for the various segments of textiles and handicrafts on the second day with prominent international speakers and industry leaders.

Source: The Times of India

Back to top

Farmers up the ante against mega textile park

SURAT: Farmers from the coastal villages in Olpaad taluka have sought immediate intervention of the industries department to stop the process of allotting the government land at Pinjrat for the development of mega textile park by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI). The Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG) has written a letter to Gujarat Industries commissioner, Mamta Verma, opposing the mega textile park proposed by the SGCCI. The KSG has stated that the proposed park will destroy mangroves along the coast near Pinjrat and will harm the environment besides rendering many fishermen jobless. Farmer leader and KGS member, Darshan Nayak told TOI, "Farmers are not against the development of industries in the region, but they are concerned that the setting up of the park will harm environment and affect hundreds of fishermen. The villagers around Pinjrat, Dabheri, Tena etc. are worried and have demanded that state government should not allot land for the park development." Nayak added, "The farmers are preparing to carry out agitation, if need be to pressurize the government on this issue." For the mega textile park, SGCCI has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV)—Textile Processing Park Association (TPPA). The park will be set up on 70 lakh square meter of land owned by the state government with the initial investment of Rs 1,500 crore. The park will accommodate around 100 textile processing units, 40 water jet weaving units, around 225 garmenting units and other textile ancillary units. As per the proposed plan, the mega textile park will house giant textile processing units, each having average capacity of manufacturing over 3 lakh meters of fabric per day. Around 50% of the fabric manufactured in the processing units will be converted into home textiles and garments. The rest of the fabric will be sold outside the state. Talking with TOI, president of SGCCI, BS Agarwal said, "We have carried out the environmental impact survey of the land, where we want to set up the park. While a huge area is having mud flex, we get around 277 hectare of land for the park development. The government land demanded by us does not fall under the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) Act." Agarwal added, "The development of mega park will change the face of the coastal villages. A lot of unemployed youths will get employment in the textile mills."

Source: The Times of India

Back to top

RBI's 'caution list' fear shatters textiles exporters

Textile exporters fear that their names might figure in the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) caution list after April 20, 2017, deadline set for updating the shipping bills by banks. They have urged the banking sector regulator to remove the names of companies with a good track record as it would prevent them from making exports. In a letter to the RBI, the apex textiles exporters' body, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil), has requested for an update in the centralised banking system before making the caution list for the pending shipping bills public. The EDPMS (Export Data Processing and Monitoring System), which has been introduced by the RBI to monitor payments against export bills, requires all banks to report in this system details of the export proceeds realisation pertaining to the shipping bills filed after February 28, 2014. "There are many shipping bills against which payments have already been realised and the electronic bank realisation certificates (e-BRCs) have been issued by the concerned banks. But, the EDPMS is yet to be updated by the banks. It is likely that many of the textiles exporters will find their names appearing in the caution list after the deadline of April 20, 2017, for no fault on their part," said Ujwal Lahoti, chairman, Texprocil. "Texprocil has taken up this matter with RBI and we hope that some decision will be taken on the matter at the earliest. Otherwise, it may have an adverse impact on textiles exports," Lahoti added. A large number of textiles exporters have pointed out that many of the banks have not completed the EDPMS updation of the shipping bills. As an interim relief, RBI has granted temporary exemption up to April 20, 2017, to exporters whose importer-exporter code (IECs) were appearing in the caution list in the EDPMS and whose outstanding shipping bills (in value terms) were less than 30 per cent of the total value of shipping bills for the period from March 1, 2014, to March 1, 2016. After April 20, 2017, based on the latest position of outstanding export receivables, exporter's name may appear in the caution list on EDPMS. Exporters would face severe hardships in dispatching consignments abroad once their name appears in RBI's caution list.

Source: Business Standard

Back to top

Rising rupee sees pressure for export support

With the rupee expected to continue strengthening in the short term, a demand for further tariff support to select sectors has risen. "The worst is still to come. With the currency appreciating at a fast clip, while those of major competitors steadily go down, competitiveness of Indian goods will go down," says Ajay Sahai, director-general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. Major exporting sectors such as engineering products, readymade goods and automobiles are expected to come under the pressure of reduced earnings and potential drops in orders. It doesn't help that these major foreign exchange earners are also price-sensitive. They need to be given support, Sahai argues. However, with the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme covering nearly 8,000 product categories, chances of further support are slim. Under this scheme, the government provides duty benefits to exporters at two per cent, three per cent and five per cent, depending on the product and country exported to. "The scheme has already been widened last year, in September and November. We are not looking at an expansion soon." a senior commerce ministry official said. The rupee has risen in value by more than five per cent since January against the dollar. It closed at 64.57 on Wednesday. A weaker currency is an advantage for export; it makes import, foreign travel and education more expensive. "If current conditions persist, the benefits emerging from the textile (support) package will be lost within the next two months," said Rahul Mehta, president of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India. T S Bhasin, chairman of the Engineering Exports Promotion Council, says the rupee is certainly over-valued, as the current rally in the stock markets is liquidity-driven and not backed by domestic corporate earnings. Economists have predicted a further strengthening, owing to rising investor confidence in India. "India is a net importer and a stronger rupee will help in reducing trade deficits, as well as keep domestic inflation in check. The focus should be on specific sectoral interventions," says Devendra Pant, chief economist at India Ratings.  The rupee has gained steadily in recent weeks as foreign portfolio investors have pumped money into the stock and bond markets, amid improving growth prospects. "Forex reserves have increased by almost $10 billion between end-January and end-March," says a report from rating agency ICRA. The country rose by one spot to eighth rank in the 2017 AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index, where investors had favourable responses on current governance and regulatory issues. In the past few days, the government has taken measures towards depoliticising of rail freight and passenger fares, listing of state-owned enterprises, introducing a dynamic pricing of petrol and diesel, and on a new schedule to control the fiscal deficit. Commerce and industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had recently suggested the focus be on better infrastructure and reduced logistics cost, rather than on the currency exchange rate where boosting of export was concerned. Adding that low labour costs allowed Indian exporters a relative advantage. The World Trade Organization has pegged higher growth in 2017 at 2.4 per cent, up from the tepid 1.3 per cent in 2016. India's merchandise exports grew 27.6 per cent in March, the final month of the 2016-17 financial year, the steepest rise in a little over five years. However, this failed to help outbound shipment cross $300 bn in FY17, for a second straight year. Exports were $305 bn in 2011-12 and remained a little over $300 bn in the next three years. And, declined to $269 bn in 2015-16.

Source: Business Standard

Back to top

GST rules: Smaller taxpayers may face problems, say experts

Keeping pace with the July 1 roll-out for the goods and services tax (GST), the government on Wednesday unveiled three more draft rules related to account and records, advance ruling, and appeals & revision, respectively. Experts said that while taxpayers would maintain all account and records electronically, certain requirements in the rules could be cumbersome, especially for smaller taxpayers. The new draft rules for accounting and record-keeping require maintenance of trail of each deleted or edited entry in electronic records. While this is supported by major enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, complying with this may be a major challenge for desktop software, which allow removal of entries or details, Preeti Khurana, chief editor of Cleartax.com, said. She added this may pose compliance challenge for small businesses which may be using a readily-available, basic accounting software. “This log of deleted or edited entries could pose a serious challenge when it comes to explaining deleted or edited entries to tax officers,” Rakesh Nangia, managing partner, Nangia & Co, said. He also said that while manufacturers are understandably required to keep a record of quantitative details of raw materials or services used in the manufacture including details waste and byproducts, the same set of accounting rules will now apply to the service provider. Separately, according to advance ruling rules, a taxpayer applying for advance ruling will need to shell out Rs 5,000 as fees while the same for appeal against advance ruling will be Rs 10,000. This fee is fourfold when compared with the corresponding charge under the current service tax rules. “The fee for appeal against advance ruling for service tax was Rs 2,500, however the same fee has been increased to Rs 10,000 under appeal for advance ruling in GST,” Khurana said. While all the applications for advance ruling can be made electronically, the rules suggest that petitioner will have to submit multiple copies of the same in hard copy as well. “An appeal to the Appellate Authority or Appellate tribunal can be filed either through electronic mode or in physical mode, but hard copies of the same are compulsory to be submitted. I hope in the final rules, the entire process of application filing would be made electronic,” Nangia said.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

GST reform an ‘act of courage’: IMF chief Christine Lagarde

Describing the ongoing Goods and Services Tax (GST) reform as an “act of courage”, IMF chief Christine Lagarde today said she expects “some positive outcome” as a result of the decision. “The GST reform is really an act of courage,” Lagarde told reporters during the annual Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It really means reforming in-depth in each of the Indian States in order to substitute the State taxes with overall federal tax, the re-allocation of it and the digital platform that supports it, she said. “So, I am personally impressed by the work that is being done in that regard and expect some positive outcome,” Lagarde said in response to a question, adding that she is impressed by the other reforms being carried out by the Indian Government. “There has been other reforms as well that has been conducted by the Indian authorities courageously. One of them -– as a former lawyer I am particularly attentive to because it particularly when you have to deal with the corporate sector banking sector that means help — is the bankruptcy reform,” the 61-year-old IMF chief said. “We are seeing significant development and clear determination to continue and sustain growth going forward,” she said. Lagarde said the situation in the country after demonetisation has “improved significantly”. “We have slightly revised down our Indian projection as a result of demonetisation that has been announced recently a little bit unexpectedly. Our understanding is that demonetisation has now remedied about 75 per cent. Those are the latest figures that we have,” she said. “So clearly the situation is now being mended. And we believe that India is going to continue to grow at a really fast pace. I think, we have 7.2 per cent forecast for 2017,” Lagarde said. Touted as the biggest taxation reform since India’s Independence, the GST will subsume central excise, service tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and other local levies to create an uniform market. GST is expected to boost India’s GDP growth by about 2 per cent and check tax evasion.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

Global Textile Raw Material Price 2017-04-20

Item

Price

Unit

Fluctuation

Date

PSF

1111.01

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

VSF

2272.85

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

ASF

2251.07

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Polyester POY

1172.73

USD/Ton

-0.31%

4/20/2017

Nylon FDY

2643.19

USD/Ton

-0.55%

4/20/2017

40D Spandex

5373.51

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Polyester DTY

2425.34

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Nylon POY

1379.69

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Acrylic Top 3D

2948.17

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Polyester FDY

5823.72

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Nylon DTY

1408.73

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

Viscose Long Filament

2512.48

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

30S Spun Rayon Yarn

2904.60

USD/Ton

0.50%

4/20/2017

32S Polyester Yarn

1713.71

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

45S T/C Yarn

2686.76

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

40S Rayon Yarn

1844.42

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

T/R Yarn 65/35 32S

2251.07

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

45S Polyester Yarn

3049.83

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

T/C Yarn 65/35 32S

2352.73

USD/Ton

0%

4/20/2017

10S Denim Fabric

1.35

USD/Meter

0%

4/20/2017

32S Twill Fabric

0.85

USD/Meter

0%

4/20/2017

40S Combed Poplin

1.18

USD/Meter

0%

4/20/2017

30S Rayon Fabric

0.66

USD/Meter

0%

4/20/2017

45S T/C Fabric

0.67

USD/Meter

0%

4/20/2017

Source: Global Textiles

Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.14523 USD dtd.

20/04/2017). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com.  SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.

Back to top

29 global apparel companies reveal sources of production

At least 29 global apparel companies have published some information about the factories that manufacture their products as part of the move to make the supply chain transparent, according to a recent report. A coalition of nine global human and labour rights activists in the joint report also called upon the remaining apparel and footwear companies to reveal their source of production and join the 'Transparency Pledge' that they endorsed last year. The 40-page report titled "Follow the Thread: The Need for Supply Chain Transparency in the Garment and Footwear Industry" was released Thursday just ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1100 garment workers in Bangladesh. The coalition consists of Clean Clothes Campaign, Human Rights Watch, IndustriALL Global Union, the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable, the International Labor Rights Forum, the International Trade Union Confederation, the Maquila Solidarity Network, UNI Global Union, and the Worker Rights Consortium. As of December 2016, Adidas, C&A, Disney, Esprit, Gap Inc., G-Star RAW, H&M Group, Marks and Spencer, Nike, Puma, Target USA, VF Corporation and Wesfarmers Group (Kmart and Target Australia, and Coles) are among the apparel companies that published some supply chain information about their branded products, according to the report. "More apparel and footwear companies should join 17 leading apparel brands that have aligned with an important new transparency pledge," the coalition said in the report. The coalition contacted 72 companies and asked them to adopt and carry out the pledge. The report details their responses and measures their current supply chain transparency practices against the pledge. "A basic level of supply chain transparency in the garment industry should be the norm in the 21st century," Aruna Kashyap, senior counsel for the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Openness about a company's supply chain is better for workers, better for human rights, and shows that companies care about preventing abuse in their supply chains." Citing the industrial incidents Tazreen Fashions fire and Rana plaza building collapse in Bangladesh and a fire in a Pakistani factory-Ali Enterprises, the statement added that afterward, labour advocates could not determine which companies' products were made at these factories and had to hunt for the brand labels from the factory sites and interview surviving workers to determine who was responsible. "After Rana Plaza and other disasters, human rights groups, unions, and some companies and investors have seen how important transparency is for preventing abuses and for efforts at accountability," said Ben Vanpeperstraete, lobby and advocacy coordinator at the Clean Clothes Campaign International Office. "Companies need to put transparency into practice to show that they respect human rights and decent working conditions." Transparency is a powerful tool for promoting corporate accountability for garment workers' rights in global supply chains, the coalition said adding it allows workers and labour and human rights advocates to alert the company to rights abuses in its supplier factories. Information about brands' supplier factories facilitates faster access to grievance redress mechanisms for human rights abuses, the statement added. "Adhering to a minimum level of supply chain transparency in the pledge is important for accountability efforts," said Judy Gearhart, executive director at the International Labour Rights Forum. "Companies can do more, but they should at least start with this basic step." Some companies claimed that disclosure would put them at a commercial disadvantage. But that justification is clearly contradicted by the other companies that are publishing such information, the groups said. As Esprit, one of the companies that made a commitment to align with the pledge, said, 'releasing this information is not comfortable for many companies, but the time has come to do it."

Source: The Financial Express Bangladesh

Back to top

Wool and cotton price hit all-time highs as demand exceeds production

Profitable farms, higher demand from local apparel producers and retailers, higher consumer’s confidence levels and a profitability rebound based on growing margins are the main reasons why wool and cotton fibres are enjoying historic highs. Thus, while the price of wool has risen to its highest point since April 2013 and is currently priced at circa 13 dollars per kilo, an intensified use of fine wool for high end fashion has proved a boon for countries such as Australia. Wool price from strength to strength as production becomes profitable Many have pinpointed how the global wool industry has changed recently as more wool is being grown and therefore available in the retail market. Stuart McCullough, managing director of The Woolmark Company explained in an interview with ‘Fibre2Fashion’ that "In the last decade, the (wool) price has gone up and that has been the biggest change.” “Farmers are now becoming profitable. This is a big and important change as they are now making money; that’s because a decade ago they were not making any. They are keeping the industry alive," concluded McCullough. Another trend noticed by analysts is how textile buyers are progressively moving away from China and going back to Western countries such as Italy. "Before, given (brands) were paying much less, they turned a blind eye to quality," said to Reuters Giovanni Germanetti, director general of Italian yarn and textile producer Tollegno 1900. For Germanetti, the return of clients responds to their seeking for better value for money. On a related note, Alessandro Brun, professor at the MIP Milan Politecnico, said brands are also motivated by concerns over product traceability, and want to avoid potential reputational risk. Growing interest from apparel producers in fine wool lifts Australian’s production…and prices The wool market is enjoying quite an upwards ride in Australia, as the fibres trading on the Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) price has seen seven consecutive weeks of climbing prices per kilogramme per week. On average, the current price range for EMI is above 25 percent higher than a year ago. Providing greater detail, Chris Wilcox, the chief executive of the National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia, reported the EMI has jumped 181 U.S. dollar cents per kilo in United States dollar terms since the Christmas recess and by 219 U.S. dollar cents per kilo since the start of the 2016/17 season. Wilcox highlighted that ultra fine and superfine wool had received the major gains. In this regard, Australian Wool Exchange senior market analyst Lionel Plunkett said the record prices had brought previously unwilling sellers to market, pushing the amount of wool being held in storage to historical lows.  “The lack of wool on hold has severely limited any large increases in weekly quantities, enabling the market to gradually rise without any extra supply pressure and this sale was no exception,” Plunkett said, adding that “With clearance rates consistently in the 90 per cent region the amount of wool on hold will continue to stay at these levels.” The FashionUnited Wool Price Index shows how the raw material’s prices fluctuate over time Cotton prices set to rebound as demand exceeds production for the first time in years. But wool is not the only fibre that has experienced a recent price rebound. While cotton prices had been declining for several years, they began to pick up again in 2016, when consumption exceed production for the first time in 6 years. According to data analysed by FashionUnited Business Intelligence, cotton has reached price levels – over 82 dollars per pound - not seen since July 2014. As indicated in the FashionUnited Cotton Price Index , cotton prices have gained 2.8 percent in India and 3.9 percent in Pakistan, only rising 1.1 percent in China where spinners were anticipating a lower level in cotton prices after the return of official sales from state reserves as of March, 6th. One growth driver extensively highlighted by market experts consulted by FashionUnited is Meanwhile, more conscious consumers demand textiles sustainably manufactured, pushing manufacturers to source organic cotton, more costly but with a much smaller environmental impact. The global organic cotton market was worth USD 15.76 billion in 2014/15 and shows stable growth, according to Textile Exchange. As more people are beginning to factor in sustainability when buying clothing and other products, using organic cotton can give companies an edge over their competitors. Looking into how these moves will affect consumers, Citi senior analyst Craig Woolford said at the beginning of the year that the recent decline in clothes prices won't last because cotton and wool prices are rising. The FashionUnited Cotton Price Index reveals how the popular fibre’s price evolves on a monthly basis.

Source: Fashion United

Back to top

A&E Launches Recycled Core-Spun Sewing Thread

Perma Core is a high-quality, eco-friendly thread with a filament polyester core of Repreve wrapped in A&E’s signature polyester staple fiber. “Perma Core using Repreve provides an eco-friendly, core-spun sewing-thread solution without sacrificing quality or sewing performance as seen in some existing recycled threads in the industry,” said Chris Alt, A&E’s senior vice president of global sales, in a company statement. “Perma Core using Repreve is extremely versatile and can be dyed, finished and delivered from any of A&E’s global manufacturing locations and is available across A&E’s global color range. The portability of this product is important to our global customers and prospects, which are already incorporating Repreve fabrics into their products, allowing them to complete their sustainability efforts in a cost-efficient way, no matter where in the world they place their sewing production.” Produced by Unifi Inc., Repreve fiber is made from recycled plastic bottles. “Consumers are looking for products and brands that are environmentally responsible from start to finish. With Perma Core using Repreve, brands can be confident that their products are sewn with eco-friendly thread,” said Jay Hertwig, Unifi’s vice president of global brand sales, marketing and product development. “At Unifi, we’re dedicated to providing a transparent recycled product through our U Trust program with Fiberprinttechnology, which verifies products contain Repreve in the right amounts.” Based in Greensboro, N.C., Unifi produces polyester and nylon product yarns including Repreve, Sorbtek and Reflexx. A&E produces premium industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles for the apparel, automotive components, home furnishings, medical supplies and footwear industries. The company’s products are manufactured in 23 countries and sold in more than 100 countries around the world.

Source: Apparel News

Back to top

Shima Seiki to demonstrate flat knitting technology at Techtextil

On display will be the company’s latest technological contributions aimed at promoting knitted applications in the field of technical textiles, designed and produced on Shima Seiki’s lineup of advanced computer design systems and computerized flat knitting machines. Knitting offers great potential for technical textiles with its inherent characteristics; stretch and compression. According to Shima Seiki, flat knitting provides further potential as the only textile production method that can shape fabric on the machine. To this end, Shima Seiki's new SVR123SP flat knitting machine features an extra loop presser bed for a wider range of knitting techniques including inlay, which has gained particular attention in knitted technical textiles with its capability to produce a hybrid knit-weave pattern by inserting yarn into existing knit fabric in a weave fashion. Inlay can be used to control stretch characteristics of knitted fabrics, and since new materials such as metallic and monofilament yarns can be used, new applications in industrial textiles are possible. WHOLEGARMENT knitting by Shima Seiki is said to maximize the benefits of shaped knitting even further by expanding that potential to 3 dimensions. WHOLEGARMENT knitting is capable of producing knitted items in their entirety on the machine, and allows 3D forms and tubing to be produced without sewing. The seam-free nature also ensures continuity of yarn, allowing functional yarns such as conductive yarns to wrap around the entire body for applications in smart garments and wearable technology. The inlay technique for increased potential in technical applications is available with WHOLEGARMENT knitting as well. Demonstrating the latest in WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology at Techtextil will be the flagship MACH2XS machine that features the company’s original SlideNeedle on 4 needle beds and patented spring-loaded full-time sinker system. Capable of WHOLEGARMENT knitting in all-needles, MACH2XS offers great flexibility for knitting high-quality WHOLEGARMENT products with a seemingly endless variety of knit patterns at very high speed and efficiency, all while minimizing dependence upon labor-intensive sewing and linking. The latest version of Shima Seiki’s SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design and simulation of various technical textiles. Of particular interest is its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes Virtual Sampling. When countless variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time and cost normally associated with producing actual samples for each variation.

Source: Knitting Trade journal

Back to top

HKTDC Home Textiles fair begins in Hong Kong

The 8th Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings fair has begun today, attracting close to 300 exhibitors from eight countries and regions to explore a multitude of opportunities in the home textiles and furnishings sectors. This year’s event features new exhibitors from Belgium and Vietnam. Nantong in the Chinese mainland province of Jiangsu – a city dubbed 'the Hometown of Textiles' – as well as a number of Indian textile associations have also returned to set up group pavilions to showcase their quality textiles at the fair. The Home Textiles and Furnishings event has adopted the 'Interior' theme to showcase a variety of home textiles, upholstery and furnishing products. The premium 'Hall of Glamour' features quality brands and designer collections, covering products such as bedding, curtains, carpets and towels. Featured products include Hong Kong exhibitor Nightingale's gold embroidery trim on black satin table linen, Indian hand block printed cushion covers and wool/denim Panja rugs. The HKTDC is also staging a series of seminars and networking events to help industry players keep abreast of the latest trends and developments in the home textiles markets. Highlights include the seminar 'WGSN Trendtalk: Houseware & Home Textiles 2018 Forecast' led by expert trend forecaster WGSN. A number of product demo and launch pad sessions have also been organised to facilitate buyer viewing of exhibitors' products. The four-day event is concurrently being held with the 32nd HKTDC Hong Kong Houseware fair.

Source: Fibre2Fashion

Back to top

IAF to discuss Industry 4.0 and denim development at Texprocess Symposium

Messe Frankfurt has partnered with the International Apparel Federation (IAF) to organise part of the Symposium that takes place on the floor of the Texprocess trade show, which will be held in Frankfurt next month, concurrently with Techtextil. Dialog Textile Bekleiding (DTB) and the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) also run part of Symposium programme. On 9 May, IAF will present a highly topical and relevant session titled Implementing Industry 4.0 successfully in the fashion industry. In three subsessions IAF members and relations from across the world will explain to the audience in short speeches and panel discussions what the digitisation of the industry is capable of, how it is actually implemented by clothing manufacturers, brands and retailers, and finally, how start-ups are using new technology to create new business models and entice consumers. Organisations such as Lectra, Gerber, Spesa, Oerlikon, Saxion University, WTiN and Denkendorf will share their insights with the audience. On 12 May, IAF will host a session titled Developments in denim and lessons for the rest of the industry. In a single round table discussion, the audience will hear about ways in which innovation in materials and machinery is transforming the denim industry, creating new value and sustainability and serving as a good example to other sectors of the fashion industry. “The IAF symposia at Texprocess are meant to add an important extra dimension to an exhibition visit, giving inspiration on how to implement the available technology in one’s own business environment,” the association explains.

Source: Innovations in Textiles

Back to top