Ludhiana: With no relief in sight, garment exporters have threatened for a nationwide stir if their demand is not fulfilled by next week. They have been up in arms against the Union government after their demand for hiking the duty drawback incentive on export of garments fell on deaf ears. On October 1, the government had cut the duty drawback from 7.7 % to 2 % which had hit the garment exporters hard. A series of meetings with officials of the ministry of commerce and textile did not yield any result. Harish Dua, president of Knitwear and Apparel Exporters Organisation, "Garment exports have taken a severe hit ever since the Union government ordered a huge cut in the duty drawback incentive available to garment exporters. Therefore we have been trying to take up this issue with the officials of the ministry of commerce and even with the textile ministry. We have got nothing except assurance and therefore we have called for a meeting of our association and are also seeking help of other associations to raise our voice against this injustice." According to Atul Saggar, general secretary of Apparel Manufacturers Association, Ludhiana the government has cut the duty drawback incentive by 5.7 % which came at a very wrong time especially when GST too was imposed on exporters. "It would have been better had the government made a nominal cut or given time till next year to exporters before imposing this massive cut suddenly from October 1. With the government not realising the ground reality, garment exporters have been left with no other choice except to protest."
Source: The Times of India
New Delhi: The all-powerful GST Council may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules in its meeting this week. The Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, is scheduled to meet on November 10 to consider lowering of the 28 per cent GST rate on certain common use items, Government officials said. In further relief to small and medium enterprises, the panel is likely to rationalise tax rate in sectors where the total incidence of taxation has gone up because the goods were earlier either exempt from excise or was attracted lower VAT rates in the previous indirect tax regime. The Council has been meeting every month since the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which amalgamated over a dozen central and state taxes, was introduced on July 1. The meetings have resulted in an array of changes to ease compliance burden on businesses as well as provided relief to consumers. "A rationalisation of items in the 28 per cent tax bracket is expected. Most of the daily use items could be lowered to 18 per cent. Also tax rate on items like furniture, electric switches, plastic pipes could be relooked," an official said. All types of furniture attract a 28 per cent tax under GST. Wooden furniture is handmade by unorganised sector artisans and is mostly used by middle class families and there have been demands for lowering tax incidence on them. Also, some items of plastic attract 18 per cent GST but goods like shower baths, sinks, wash basins, bidets, lavatory pans, seats and covers, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware of plastics attract 28 per cent levy. There is a need for rationalisation of tax rates on these items, officials said. The plastic manufacturers in their representation to the revenue department had said that 80 per cent of the industry is in MSME category. Besides, the GST rate on weighing machines, compressors may also be rationalised to 18 per cent from 28 per cent. Officials said 90 per cent of the manufacturers are from small and medium industries who in the pre-GST era were exempt from excise duty on manufactured value of less than Rs. 1.5 crore. Hence, such machines only attracted VAT of 14.5 per cent. With regard to compressors, the total pre-GST incidence was 17.5 per cent (12.5 per cent excise duty and 5 per cent VAT), they said stressing on need to rationalise the tax incidence. The GST Council, which comprises of representatives of all states, have already rationalised tax rates for over 100 items. The Council has last month approved an Approach Paper to be followed by the fitment committee while deciding on future rate revisions. Under GST various goods and services have been bracketed in 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. GST has subsumed over a dozen taxes, including excise, service tax and VAT, and transformed India into a single market.
Source: Business Standard
Amid the confusion over Goods and Services Tax, Maharashtra becomes the first state to offer a certificate course on the comprehensive indirect tax system. A five-day vocational course will kick off at around 10 institutes across the state Monday. The GST Course is a tri-departmental initiative. The course will be run by the Maharashtra State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) and is certified by the state’s vocational education department. The state GST department, which is spearheading the course, will be the knowledge partner. “The course has been designed by the GST department. The aim is to create assistants or skilled resources who can help chartered accountants and traders register and file returns,” said Maharashtra GST Commissioner Rajeev Jalota. The course is designed as a practical-oriented one, with only 30 per cent weightage on theory, and is spread over 30 hours in five days. Students will be evaluated at the end of the course and awarded a certificate. “These students can then either join chartered accountants or start their own firms to help traders make the transition,” said Amit Saini, Joint Commissioner, Investigations, Sales Tax. “Going forward, we are hopeful that the course becomes an employment generator,” he added. About 45 teachers from vocational training institutes in 36 districts were identified as trainers for the course. They were then brought to Mumbai and trained by officials from the GST department, which has also made its utilities such as softwares and forms available to the trainers and the students for practice. One must at least have a BCom degree or should be in the final year of B. Com to be eligible to enroll for the course. “We are also urging chartered accountants to encourage their apprentices and assistants to enroll for the course,” said Saini. The course was born out of a need for skilled assistants to help CAs, traders and businessmen register to GST and file returns. “Traders have been telling us that they are having difficulty filing their returns as the process is difficult to understand and there isn’t any help available immediately at hand. Through this course, our aim is to bring up a breed of trained professionals who are proficient at the workings of the new tax,” said Jalota. Depending on the success of the course, the MSSDS plans to build a masterlist of GST experts in each district. “Smart students will be identified and their names displayed in a district-wise list on the website of MSSDS. Traders and CAs can look at the list and seek help from these students as and when they require,” said Saini.
Source: Indian Express
The government could consider a proposal to stagger deadlines for filing of monthly returns under the Goods and Services Tax for small and large firms. The move would ensure that the rush towards the last few days gets partly dissipated and leads to lower burden on the IT systems as well that often leads to large delays in uploading of returns and invoices. “The proposal is at a very nascent stage. It was mooted but is yet to be taken up for discussion,” said a person familiar with the development. This could possibly mean that small and medium firms up to a particular threshold would have a different deadline for filing GST returns while larger companies would have another date. To ease the compliance burden for companies, the GST Council has already announced a slew of measures including widening of the composition scheme that allows quarterly return filing of returns and allowing firms with annual turnover of up to ₹1.5 crore to qualify for the facility. More relaxations for compliance under the tax regime is expected in the next meeting of the GST Council on November 10 in Guwahati. “Small and medium taxpayers account for nearly 90 per cent of GST return filers but may marginal or zero tax,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said at the time. Further, despite repeated reminders, return filing in the first two months of GST has seen a rush on the last day, with many businesses keen to file returns. “Over 50 lakh returns are filed under GST 3B every month. But many taxpayers want to do it on the last day. No system can be made to handle such large traffic,” pointed out another official. Earlier, Jaitley had also urged taxpayers to not wait till the last day. In August, he had pointed out that nearly 75 per cent of businesses had waited till the last day to file returns and pay GST.
Source Business Line
MUMBAI :112-Member Business Delegation comprising of 51 leading manufacturer exporters from Textile and Apparel Industry from India were in Dubai for exhibiting their products in the “Indian Pavilion” at International Apparel & Textile Fair held from 1st to 3rd November 2017 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The Delegation comprise of leading Indian clothing and textile experts who are into various product profiles including men’s wear kids wear high fashion women’s wear technical textiles etc. and represent the best of what India is offering to the world in the Textile Industry. The Indian Pavilion was inaugurated by Mr Vipul Consul General of India Dubai on November 1 2017 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Inaugurating the Indian Pavilion Mr Vipul said that Indian companies and businesses have benefited from leveraging Dubai’s position as supply market to the Gulf and other region. While referring to Indian Textiles sector he said that India is positioning herself as high fashion and quality garments exporter in the region and there is huge potential to promote “Brand India” in UAE and other markets in the region. While highlighting the growth in trade and investment between India and UAE the Consul General of India said that India is UAE’s largest trading partner and its export to UAE during the year 2016 touched US$ 32 billion. While referring to the opportunities for Indian Textile industry he said that UAE provides excellent opportunities for Indian companies to utilize Dubai’s location as a platform for increasing exports to other countries. Dr. A. Sakthivel Regional Chairman FIEO Southern Region and leader of the Delegation said that India and UAE need to work together in the textiles segment to promote high quality and fashion clothing industry which can be promoted not only in the West Asia and West African Region but also to other developed countries including EU and US from Dubai. While referring to the services rendered by FIEO Dr Sakthivel said that FIEO not only helping Indian exporters to find markets across the globe but also helps overseas businessmen to do matchmaking and enter Indian market. India’s exports to UAE during the year 2015-16 was to the tune of USD 3.96 billion which was 22.7% of India’s garment exports of USD 17.35 billion to the world.
Source: Tecoya Trend
Hyderabad: Even as untimely rains in October had a dampening effect on the hopes of cotton growers, they have not much to worry for rest of the season. The season began on a bearish note with traders offering less than the MSP of Rs 4,320 announced by the Centre. But, quality cotton fetched more than the MSP in bigger markets. The growers can draw comfort from reports that nearly 32 per cent of cotton purchased in the yards fetched the minimum support price or more in all major markets in the State. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) commenced its operations in about 38 markets, including Adilabad, Khammam and Warangal. The initiative of Minister for Marketing T Harish Rao made ginning mills in the State also join the marketing network. The CCI opened purchase centre at 201 ginning mills so far and the number is likely to go up. The State, in fact, wanted at least 143 purchase centres opened for the season by the CCI. The Marketing Department wrote to the Centre more than two months ago on the likely impact of weather conditions to prevail in the State in September and October and its bearing on the first few pickings of cotton. The Marketing Minister appealed to the Centre to ensure purchase of arrivals of B grade cotton also. There is a sizeable quantity of cotton that got discoloured and contained high-moisture levels ranging up to 12 to 25 per cent. Much of the problem owed to the fact that State received heavy rainfall for a major part of October. Markets in Adilabad district received cotton with moisture levels ranging from 25 per cent to 28 per cent also. The price fetched by such cotton ranged from Rs 3,714 to Rs 3,849. It is no less than a fair deal, said officials. The farmers who pinned high hopes may be disappointed by comparing with prices of the last season. Only solace for them could be reports that the prices may look up in the months to come with an expected rise in consumption levels in countries such as China. With over 19.09 lakh hecatres being covered under cotton crop in kharif this year, the yields were expected to be over 28.09 lakh tonnes. The total arrivals in the market yards till the end of October were 11,10,518 quintals and of this, 3,59,496 quintals were purchased at the MSP or more. The Centre offered an MSP of Rs 4,320 for cotton up to 8 per cent moisture. The best quality cotton fetched over Rs 4,500 per quintal in Warangal market yard, more than the MSP. As much as 15,076 quintals were purchased at prices above the MSP in the market. The highest price fetched by cotton so far in Adilabad was Rs 4,475 per quintal. The Marketing Department so far issued identity cards to about 20 lakh cotton farmers enabling them to have hassle-free access to the yards and receive prompt payments. Even tenant farmers were also provided free access to the yards to sell the produce. A senior marketing officer said more than 50 per cent of the cotton produced in the State would fetch the MSP or more. The worst is over as the dry weather conditions prevailing in the State helped in minimising the moisture levels in the arrivals. Instances, wherein greedy elements were adding to the moisture levels, were noticed. Such practices would have an adverse impact on the markets, he cautioned.
Source : Telangana Today
Barring Private Equity Partners India has exited its portfolio company Vardhman Textiles at a time when private equity participation has continued to touch new highs in India. The domestic private equity firm had exited listed non-banking financial company Muthoot Finance, domestic consumer products giant Marico and Godrej Consumer Products in September. The development comes after the reported purchase, about a month back, of the entire stake of Marubeni Corporation and Marubeni Hong Kong and South China Limited by VMT Spinning Company, a subsidiary of Vardhman Textiles, one of the largest textile conglomerates in the country, according to a report in a leading Indian business daily.
Private equity firms have invested $17.6 billion over the first nine months of 2017, more than the earlier high of $17.3 billion, recorded in calendar year 2015, according to Venture Intelligence, a leading source of information and analysis on private company financials and transactions. (DS)
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Nalgonda accounted for the largest area under cotton cultivation in the State. Going by the cotton sown in the district, the administration forecast a bumper harvest of about 60 lakh quintal. But the district is facing a facing a peculiar situation. As the harvest season is on, there is a dearth of cotton pluckers here. With growing demand for more area under cotton, it’s natural that there will be shortage of cotton pluckers. And, the bigger issue is pluckers are agricultural laborers, not machines.
Labour costs
Paying ₹12 per kg per worker for a day’s work, 60-year-old cotton farmer from Haliya Yedukondalu gets a harvest of about 15 kg of cotton. But with demand for cotton pluckers going up, the same work has a fixed rate of ₹ 250 per day. “Every plant has at least 8 to 12 rotten bolls. What I pay for the labor is more than what I reap,” Mr. Yedukondalu points out. Most of the cotton in the region, in full-grown stage is still on plants, not plucked due to ruined quality and change in color of the lint, farmers say the loss could be nearly 25% at the plucking stage. Another farmer Veeraiah from S. Narayanpur shows a diary of expenses he has been maintaining since the start of the season. He hired 18 workers from Manchala and Ibrahimpatnam, from the neighboring Andhra region, to work on his fields. “I paid ₹5,500 to them for about 3.5 quintal. After selling the harvest to a trader or a mill owner, I am left with ₹ 3500 after covering all the costs,” he calculates. “Labor, transportation, halting charges, and paying bribes. What remains is more disappointment, and settling for ₹ 2500 per quintal by the middleman in the village appears a better choice,” Yedukondalu calculates.
Source: The Hindu
Birla Cellulose, Aditya Birla Group's umbrella brand for its range of cellulosic fibres, will open a design studio this month in New York to connect with international fashion brands, a company official said. Besides, the company also has plans to open studios at other international destinations such as London and Hong Kong for its collections, Birla Cellulose, President - Marketing, Manohar Samuel, said. "We are launching a design studio at the 7th Avenue in New York which is known as the garment district, it is the most premium location in New York," Samuel told. He further said: "We are launching the studio in November this year, then our seasonal collections will be available for global brands." Opened in Noida this year, the studio is known in India as Liva accredited partner forum (LAPF). LAPF has samples of Viscose, Modal and Excel with technical specifications and a variety of woven, knitted, and flat knitted fabrics on display under Liva, the fabric brand of Birla Cellulose. Samuel further said the company is "also planning to set up studios in Europe and Hong Kong".Birla Cellulose is opening one LAPF studio at Tirupur to cater the Southern textiles hub and has plans to be present at major centres like Jaipur and Bengaluru. The company is also looking at adding more kiosks in its network, which consists of co-branded design fabricated studios. These are operated in collaboration with local partners. "We see around 15 kiosks in the coming years and about 6 studios in the country as of now. Four studios in India, Jaipur and Bengaluru for sure. Noida is already present and Tirupur is almost ready," Samuel said. Birla Cellulose is the Pulp and fibre business of Aditya Birla Group under Grasim. It has four units in India and fibre units in Thailand, Indonesia and China.
Source: PTI
For many centuries, Asia was both the center of the world’s textile production and the source of its fashion trends. India, in particular, was responsible for the largest share of textile production and for much of the finest kinds of cloth. Indian manufacturers had sophisticated methods for weaving cotton into light, breathable textiles, and vibrant, long-lasting dyes that gave these fabrics dazzling colors. From the Middle Ages to the early 19th century, Indian textiles were one of the most popular global commodities. Indian producers developed special lines for export to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe, adapting to local demand.Today, the centers of the global fashion industry lie in Europe and North America, with cities like New York, London, and Milan setting trends for the rest of the world. It’s still in Asia, however, that the textiles designed in these fashion hubs are actually made, with China and India leading global production. This unequal separation of design and manufacture is rather new in history. The story of how this came to be reveals the extent to which Asia’s textiles and fashion sense inspired the modern fashion industry. It also shows how the West’s appropriation of those aesthetics paved the way for the troubling fast-fashion environment we live in today. French consumers were willing to break the law to get their hands on the Indian cloth that they craved. Europeans began sailing to India in the late 15th century in search of spices, but textiles soon became the most important import from the region. By the 17th century, such large quantities of Indian cloth were flooding into cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and London that leaders of local textile industries grew afraid. They lobbied governments to ban Indian textiles. The French monarchy responded, not only forbidding merchants to import dyed cotton cloth from India, but also forbidding manufacturers to make dyed cotton cloth themselves. Lawmakers reasoned that French versions of Indian cloth would be only poor imitations of the real thing, and so would encourage more demand for the genuine Indian article. But French consumers, as historians like Felicia Gottmann of the University of Dundee have shown, were willing to break the law to get their hands on the Indian cloth that they craved. While the ban was in force, from 1686 to 1759, tens of thousands of pieces of Indian cloth were smuggled into France. As they purchased these illicit goods on the black market, French consumers, particularly upper-class fashionable women, risked fines as large as the cost of a house, confiscation of their property, and the indignity of appearing in court alongside people they considered their social inferiors. They transformed the illicit cloth into nightgowns, coverings for furniture, and, for those willing to defy the law in public, street clothes. Punishments fell most heavily on smugglers and merchants, but it was not uncommon to see women dragged off the street or out of their own homes for possession of Indian cloth. In 18th century France, the state took crimes of fashion seriously.
Source: Quartz
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1352.08 |
USD/Ton |
0.28% |
11/5/2017 |
|
VSF |
2289.88 |
USD/Ton |
-0.65% |
11/5/2017 |
|
ASF |
2651.44 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Polyester POY |
1336.27 |
USD/Ton |
1.03% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Nylon FDY |
3540.28 |
USD/Ton |
-0.84% |
11/5/2017 |
|
40D Spandex |
5950.68 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Polyester DTY |
1642.09 |
USD/Ton |
0.46% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Nylon POY |
3329.37 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
5694.57 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Polyester FDY |
2787.03 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Nylon DTY |
1566.76 |
USD/Ton |
0.48% |
11/5/2017 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
3705.99 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2952.74 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
2018.71 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
2881.93 |
USD/Ton |
0.16% |
11/5/2017 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
2440.53 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2425.47 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
3103.39 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2169.36 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.41 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.87 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.21 |
USD/Meter |
-0.49% |
11/5/2017 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.67 |
USD/Meter |
-0.22% |
11/5/2017 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.72 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
11/5/2017 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.15065 USD dtd. 5/11/2017). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
Minister for Commerce and Textile Pervaiz Malik says the textile industry is flourishing by leaps and bounds due to the prudent economic policies of the government. He sated this during briefing about the implementation status on the Prime Minister Package and incentive for the promotion of textile sector in Lahore on Saturday. He said that our textile sector has an immense potential that is proven with a significant rise in the textile exports. He directed concerned officials to remove gray area between industry and the government. During the meeting, the Chairman of the APTMA Mr. Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh suggested a five-year plan for the promotion of the textile sector to attract entrepreneurs. He also underlined the need of smooth process of text rebate. Minister of State for Commerce and Textile , Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari also attended the meeting.
Source: Pakistan News
US garment, textile and footwear firms are seeking investment opportunities in Vietnam after their country withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). According to American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) senior vice president Nate Herman, Vietnam’s strengths in quality, price and delivery commitments attracts US retailers to the country. Herman said Vietnam surpassed rivals in export growth to the United States despite receiving no preferential trade pacts. Vietnam’s exports to the United States in these sectors are likely to increase in future, even without TPP, a Vietnamese news agency quoted Herman as saying. He noted that the imports of Vietnam’s garment-textile and footwear to his country grew by 8.74 per cent and 11.83 per cent respectively over the past 12 months and Vietnam was the second biggest exporter to the US market, after China. Vietnam exported over $30.16 billion worth of goods to the United States in the first eight months of 2017, making up 1.99 per cent of the total US import turnover. During the same period, the country paid over $2.2 billion in taxes, ranking second among 15 countries paying the highest import taxes to the United States. AAFA and the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam) held a series of activities in Ho Chi Minh City, including a workshop on product safety and compliance issues, in late October. Earlier, the National Cotton Council of America (CCI) coordinated with the Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association to organise the Cotton Day 2017 and granted investment licenses to 12 businesses operating in Vietnam and using the US cotton.However, some experts feel Vietnam’s exports to the United States may face difficulties in future due to tighter US regulations on product safety to reduce trade deficit.
Source: Fibre2fashion
Multan : Better cotton production was achieved this year due to relaxation of taxes on pesticides, subsidy on fertilisers and provision of quality cotton seed for 10,000 acres under Khadim-e-Punjab Kissan package. The cotton crop was sown on over 19 per cent more land compared with previous year in Punjab. According to the Agriculture Department spokesperson, pest attack on cotton crop remained low compared with previous years due to efforts of the department and timely guidance to the cotton growers. The provincial government has also devised a strategy to increase cotton production in 2018, concluded the spokesperson.
Source: Pakistan Observer
The 2017 Hanoi Textile and Garment Industry Expo (HANOITEX 2017) opened at the International Centre for Exhibition on Tran Hung Dao street, Hanoi on November 1. The annual event draws over 150 companies from 15 countries and territories, including China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, the UK, the US, and Vietnam. The three-day event is showcasing textile-garment machinery and equipment, high-quality silk and fabrics, dyeing equipment and chemicals, materials and accessories across an area of 6,000sq.m. Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Cao Quoc Hung said the expo provides an opportunity for Vietnamese textile-garment producers to access the latest technologies of the world, thus raising locally made proportion and enhancing the added value of products. In order to implement its sustainable strategy by 2020, the sector has invested more in high-quality and environmentally friendly technologies, said General Director of the Vietnam National Textile Garment Group (Vinatex) Le Tien Truong. The event is organised by the CP Exhibition Hong Kong, VCCI Expo, and Vinatex, under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association. Meanwhile, about 500 firms will join the 17th International Textile and Apparel Accessories Exhibition in HCM city from November 22-25, featuring new solutions, technologies and equipment for the apparel sector.
Source: VietNamNet.
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast announced on Friday that it would keep the government-mandated price for farmers’ cotton unchanged for the 2017/18 season despite low global prices. Ivorian farmers will be paid 265 CFA francs ($0.4723) per kilogramme when harvesting begins this month, which will force the government to subsidise the payments, government spokesman Bruno Kone told reporters after a cabinet meeting. The cotton season in Ivory Coast runs from May to April, with planting beginning with the first rains in May and harvesting opening in late November. Output peaked at 450,000 tonnes in the 2014/15 season but has since languished at about 300,000 tonnes. ($1 = 561.1300 CFA francs)
Source: Reuters
COLOMBO (Reuters) - European lawmakers said on Thursday they were disappointed about Sri Lanka’s slow roll-out of human rights reforms that the island nation had promised in exchange for trade concessions. The European Union reinstated concessions on a series of products in May - after Sri Lanka said it would ratify 27 international conventions on rights, labor conditions, the environment and governance. The island’s key garments industry benefited the most from the duty reductions and other allowances offered by the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus scheme. But a European Parliament delegation said they had seen little progress more than five months after the agreement. There was no immediate comment from the government. “It was noted that a number of important issues remain pending, in particular the revision of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on which the Prime Minister and other senior figures had given their personal assurances,” the EU delegation said in a statement.
The United Nations has said Sri Lanka’s current terrorism legislation allows the torture of detainees. Sri Lanka originally lost the EU concession in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected demands from the international community to address human rights abuses allegedly committed during a 2009 offensive to crush a Tamil insurgency. Rajapaksa was ousted in January last year, and the EU agreed to reinstate the concessions after a new administration, led by President Maithripala Sirisena, promised to make changes. The garments industry is Sri Lanka’s second biggest hard currency earner after remittances. It boasts annual exports of around $5 billion and produces goods for Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Marks & Spencer and other well known brands.
Source: Reuters
The wearable technology company 8K has launched stylish heated apparel that allows wearers control the temperature from a smartphone app. A world’s first, the 8K jackets and gilets sync technology with fashion, and give urbanites and adventurers lightweight outerwear that allows them to be in complete control of their perfect temperature in any conditions. The jackets and gilets start a clothing industry revolution. These incorporate a unique printable heating technology called Flexwarm that removes the need for bulky insulation layers. Designed for the busiest of city streets or the most rugged of terrains, the 8K Powered by Flexwarm heated apparel has made traditional carbon fibre heating methods antiquated. Designed to be versatile and comfortable, there are no cold spots as the heat is evenly dispersed. This is thanks to a thin 0.5 millimeters heating layer that offers three heat zones and three heat levels that can achieve temperatures of up to 50 centigrade in 360 seconds. Those who embrace an outdoor lifestyle have a range of heating options available simply choose the area of the body to heat and the ideal temperature to heat it to. The apparel comes with a power bank, so users can enjoy up to six hours of warmth – perfect for long walks on cold days. The battery (which can also be used to charge phone) is housed in a discreet inner pocket. “Heating technology in clothing has been around for a while now, but this has always been primarily aimed at the workwear market. We felt that there was a gap in the market for a collection of outerwear that seamlessly blends fashion with technology” said Scott Brenchley, CEO of 8K. “Our clothing is aimed at fashion conscious individuals who love being outdoors but don’t want to compromise on style. Technology is becoming integrated into our daily lives more and more, so clothing that can be controlled via a smartphone and places the wearer in full control of their own body temperature is a natural progression.” Believing in their mission, Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist, Sam Quek has joined the effort as the company’s brand ambassador for the UK launch. She personifies the outdoor lifestyle ethos that the 8K and Flexwarm brands stands for, and resonates with an audience that are keen to embrace fashion, technology and the great outdoors. Available for men and women, the 8K jackets and gilets are machine washable, supplied with a wash and carry bag, and an intuitive smart phone app.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The Bangladesh jute and textiles ministry recently gave the go-ahead to the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) to develop jute industrial villages on its unused lands for the diversification of products made from the natural fibre. The corporation runs 25 state-run mills. The ministry’s decision followed a feasibility reported submitted by a panel. The panel also recommended setting up of such parks in privatised jute mills that have violated government contracts, according to Bangladesh media reports. About 34 mills under the BJMC were privatised in the past.Sixteen districts produce most of the jute, with each producing more than 2 lakh bales in 2016-17, the panel found. The highest amount of jute is grown in Faridpur, followed by Rajbari, Magura, Jamalpur and Kushtia. The panel also suggested establishing small industries to make diversified jute goods to cater to the export market and create jobs. The idea of developing jute industrial villages is derived from the concept of existing weaving villages to promote small and medium enterprises. Products like jute bags and sandals will be made in the small scale factories in the villages. The jute industry, which employs nearly 2 lakh workers, is Bangladesh's third largest export-earning sector after garment and leather.
Source: Fibre2fashion
The first China International Import Expo will deepen economic globalization and promote an open world economy, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Fu Ziying said the first China International Import Expo, scheduled in Shanghai for Nov 5-10, 2018, was "a significant move for China to open up its market to the world and will facilitate trade and opening-up among participating countries." "The expo will also push the development of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as economic globalization," Fu said. The expo will include exhibitions and forums, provide a platform to trade goods and services, and work for closer international cooperation. Over 100 countries and regions are expected to participate in the expo, with state leaders, entrepreneurs and scholars from various countries joining the event. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in May this year that China would hold the International Import Expo starting 2018.
Source: China Daily.
Pakistan: Govt asked to devise strategy for supporting textile sector
Textile sector associations on Saturday emphasised that the government should devise medium to long-term plan in which it reduces electricity tariff by Rs3.53/kWh, withdrawing tariff rationalisation surcharge, GIDC and clear sales and customs refunds in order to enhance exports. Exporters have shown serious concerns over the latest increase in electricity prices, saying it would further increase the cost of doing business of textile sector and may further hamper the production capacity of export-oriented sector . They demanded to waive surcharges of Rs3.53/kWh to bring the tariff to Rs7/kWh from the current Rs10.5/kWh and gas price to Rs600/mmbtu for the exports sector . The textile associations requested to clear sales tax and customs refunds and extending zero-rating facility to packing material and power looms. Various textile sector associations have given their recommendations in the 7th meeting of Federal Textile Board, which was held under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile Parvaiz Malik and State Minister for Commerce and Textile Haji Akram Ansari. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after meeting with the exporters last month assigned a task to the federal commerce minister to come up with a long-term plan in 30 days in consultation with exporters. The government wants to enhance exports to control the widening current account deficit of the country, which had gone to $3.55 billion during first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year compared to $1.63 billion a year ago, showing an increase of 117.3 percent. The meeting discussed multitude of issues being faced by the largest export industry of Pakistan and the facilitation given by the federal government. Representatives of textile associations appreciated the federal government for providing policy and budgetary facilitations to textile industry of Pakistan, which has resulted in increase of textile exports in comparison to previous year. The federal commerce minister informed the house that the government has allocated Rs14 billion till date for the implementation of phase-I of the PM’s package of Incentives. He further informed the house that the ECC of the Cabinet amended the PM’s package to further facilitate the textile sector , and now 50 percent of the drawback will be provided without condition of increment, and remaining 50 percent will be provided if the exporter achieves an increase of 10 percent or more in exports during FY2017-18 as compared to FY2016-17. To further facilitate the exporters and to diversify the market, an additional 2 percent shall be allowed for exports to nontraditional markets - Africa, Latin America, non-EU European countries, Commonwealth of Independent States and Oceania. The minister also informed that relevant Notification Order has already been issued by the Textile Division. The state minister for commerce and textile informed the house that to provide further facilitation to textile sector , short-term policy measures should be taken on priority basis specially rationalisation of energy prices. The federal minister requested the associations to diversify markets by accessing non-traditional markets for which the government is also providing facilitation. He further requested the associations to encourage new investment feasibility studies should be carried out, come-up with proposals for social and environmental compliance, skill development, research and development, product and market diversification. He said, “Our preparations for the GSP+ review are excellent and in this regard all the federal and provincial departments are on board and very well prepared.” He highlighted various efforts of his ministry to ensure smooth review. He directed the Textile Division secretary to immediately take up the matters with the ministries and departments concerned and also asked the Food Security secretary to examine the cotton imports procedure and early issuance of Plant Breeders Right Rules. The minister also said that the government has taken bold steps to reduce cost of doing business and in this connection this meeting has been called to finalise the proposals of the textile sector and then he would take up these matters with the prime minister to provide a platform for the development of this largest manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The meeting was also attended by the Textile Division secretary along with Ministry of National Food Security and Research secretary, senior officers of Textile Division, Commerce Division, Ministry of Industries and Production and Finance Division. The chairmen and senior representatives of member textile associations like All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), Towel Manufacturers Association (TMA), All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association (APBUMA), Pakistan hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA), Pakistan Bedsheet Exporters Association (PBEA) also participated in the meeting.
Source: The Nation PK.
