NEW DELHI : Seeking to come up with a standardised ‘India size chart’ for ready-made garments the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will soon start a national sizing survey that will sample 25 000 people using high-tech whole body scanners. The project has been approved by the Centre and will entail measuring of 25 000 male and female Indians in six cities in six regions of the country: Kolkata(East) Mumbai(West) New Delhi(North) Hyderabad (Central India) Bengaluru(South) and Shillong (North-East) according to the Textiles Ministry. NIFT Director General Sarada Muraleedharan told reporters here that the survey will cost nearly Rs 30 crore and the project would be conducted over a period of 2-3 years. Once a uniform India size is arrived at “even foreign brands in India would also carry it Rajesh Shah the chairman of the Board of Governors of the NIFT said . “Besides our diaspora can then also order any wear based on that standard size”. NIFT is under administrative control of the Textiles Ministry. The survey entails measuring statistically relevant sample size pan country using human safe technology of 3D whole body scanner a non-contact method of taking body measurements and analysing the collected data to create size charts. “Indian apparel industry uses size charts which are tweaked versions of size charts of other countries so returns of the garments are in the range of 20 to 40 per cent and is increasing with the growth of e-commerce and the main reason for returns are poor garment fit ” the Textiles Ministry said in a statement. Using 3D whole body scanners computers will extract hundreds of measurements from a scan. The anthropometric data collected from the sample population in the age group 15- 65 years to create a database will result in a standardised size chart which is representative of the Indian population and can be adopted by the apparel industry it said. The data created as part of this project will be confidential and secure the statement highlighted. Talking about the need of the survey the ministry said a large percentage of shoppers face difficulty in finding clothes that fit perfectly according to their body measurements. The reason is differences in anthropometric built of people in different geographical regions across the country. In India either the US or the UK system of ‘Small Medium Large Extra Large’ has been used and people then go for fitting accordingly the NIFT director general said. After the uniform size chart is available whole country will have a “standard reference point” for ready-to-wear industry Muraleedharan said. “That means all India brands will have the same size for a person.” Till date 14 countries have successfully completed national sizing surveys: the US Canada Mexico the UK France Spain Germany Korea China and Australia. The findings of the study will impact various other sectors like automotive aerospace fitness and sport art and computer gaming where insights from this data can produce ergonomically designed products which are suited for the Indian population. Providing well fitting garments in the absence of standardized size chart is proving to be a big challenge for the domestic textile and apparel industry which is projected to reach USD 123 billion by 2021 and holds 5th position in apparel imports the Textiles Ministry sai reports PTI. “The NIFT had been toying with this idea since 2006. But you can say the stars finally aligned and with the support of the Ministry of Textiles we are ready for this exercise. Of the Rs 30 crore the ministry will give Rs 21 crore and the NIFT will pitch in with about Rs 9 crore ” Muraleedharan said.
Source: Tecoya Trend
NEW DELHI: The textiles ministry has engaged 21 e-commerce companies till date for online marketing of handloom products, minister of state for textiles, Ajay Tamta informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The information came in response to a question by Trinamool Congress MP, Vivek Gupta. Gupta had asked for details of yearly sales on online platform started by the government of India for khadi and handloom products. Tamta, replying to the question, said that sale of khadi items through online platform, which was started in January last year by the government, had clocked Rs 1.26 lakh. For handloom products though, there is no government online platform, the minister of state informed. "To promote e-marketing of handloom products, a policy framework was designed under which any willing e-commerce platform with good track record can participate in online marketing of handloom products. So far, the ministry has engaged 21 e-commerce entities for online marketing of handloom products ,textile minister of state Tamta said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. He added that as on December 31, 2017, sales worth Rs 9.54 crore were generated by web portals. The figures for the years before were Rs 1.06 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 7.07 crore in 2016-17. The total sales generated since 2015 were over Rs 17 crore, he said. Tamta added that for khadi, two e-commerce portals had been engaged. In a separate reply, Tamta said as on December 31 last year, there were 3,546 textile mills in the country and a total number of 56 mills have been closed during the past three years.
Source: The Times of India
Direct benefit transfer (DBT) cannot be a panacea for the agricultural sector’s many problems, given the multiple layers of subsidies from both the Centre and the States, said a top official of NITI Aayog. As NITI Aayog’s internal committee sets out to explore a method to implement DBT, Ramesh Chand, a thinktank member who chairs the committee, believes that given the complexities involved, the task may not be easy. “We had a meeting a few days ago. When I started looking at it, I found it quite complex. It’s not as easy as it appears on the surface: you can’t just do DBT (in agriculture) like you did with gas connections and other subsidies,” he told BusinessLine.
Income support model
One strand of opinion within the government favours direct income support rather than input subsidies. The Economic Survey 2017-18 made a pitch for just such an approach. The Survey prepared, by Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and his team, iterated the need for ushering in direct income support in place of farm subsidies for power and fertiliser. But according to Chand, one of the major complexities is in differentiating between subsidy support and income support. “These are two different things. Subsidy, by definition, means charging less than the price and is always related to use of input, whereas income support is linked to output. So, how will it be worked out is a challenge,” Chand said. He, however, emphasised that there is a need to bring some rationality to subsidies as they are imposing a serious strain on resources. The basic purpose of subsidy is to promote the use of a particular input, he said, adding that “subsidy is specific whereas income support is very general.” The Committee, which will submit its report in three months, will also look at whether there is a case for DBT in this sector or whether the subsidy money can be given in the form of income to the farmers on a per-acre basis. Chand agreed that agriculture was a sensitive issue and that the Committee would have to look at all the options and possibilities before coming out with a mechanism to give the subsidy in the form of DBT or on area basis. Another question that could come up is: who will get the support? Some States — Andhra Pradesh, for instance — have a large number of absentee landlords. Tenant farmers in Andhra cultivate 60 per cent of the land there in Bihar, it is about 30 per cent. How can it be ensured that it is these farmers — and not the landlords — who benefit from the income support mechanism? Asked if a similar method can be adopted as was done with DBT for LPG, Chand said, “You are giving DBT for LPG only to those who are connection holders. In the case of agriculture, if you say we will give DBT on fertiliser, how will you establish whether the farmer is the user of fertiliser? And, therefore, you are reduced to giving this subsidy to all farmers, whose number is not small.”
Subsidy calculation
Besides, in the case of gas, it is easy calculate the subsidy: it can be anchored to the number of cylinders one buys. But what will be the anchor in the case of fertiliser subsidy, asked the NITI Aayog member. “One way of anchoring it could be to give it to those who are buying fertilisers. But we need to clarify that if we are talking about DBT in inputs, we will be giving DBT to only those who are buying these inputs,” he said. On the Telangana model of giving ₹4,000 per acre per season to farmers, Chand said, “One is not sure whether what Telangana is doing can actually be called DBT. It is going on a per-acre basis. If you do it on a per-acre basis, you are giving it to someone who doesn’t even intend to use that input. Is there any justification for this? Besides, you also end up giving much less to those who need to use them.”
Different subsidies
The Committee, said Chand, has an open mind. “Another challenge is the different subsidies being given. Some subsidy (for example, on fertiliser) is given by the Centre, some by States (for instance, power and canal irrigation) and some by both (in the case of seed). When you are talking of pooling the subsidy, will States be willing to do?,” he wondered. Another challenge will be to sort out the credit issue, particularly interest subventions. “So a question emerges: will you give subsidy to those farmers who do not have insurance and will you also give to farmers who never borrow? In fact, the credit structure is already like DBT. Then there is issue of drip irrigation: will you be giving it to rain-fed farms? There are many questions to be answered,” said Chand.
Source: Business Line
Tirupati: The Bachelor of Vocational (B.Voc) degree in Fashion Technology and Apparel Designing ( FTAD) course offered by Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV) has been empowering students with skill training and making them to secure suitable jobs. The course was designed in such a way that the students of the course will have one-week compulsory internship programme in each semester with last semester will have three months internship. This enables the students to know the field realities, the latest trends and fashions in the market and shape them to mould accordingly. The university has been offering a three-year undergraduate course with 50 seats with multi-level entry and exit options for which students of any group in Intermediate with 45 per cent marks are eligible. University Grants Commission (UGC) has recognised the course and grant was also sanctioned by it. Students by completing I semester can get certificate and diploma at the end of II semester. Advanced Diploma will be given to those, who complete IV semester. After the completion of VI semester, degree in B.Voc FTAD will be awarded. Those who completed Polytechnic course with garment technology as specialisation can get direct entry into 2ndyear of B.Voc course. Students were showing interest to join in the course as it will be very useful in their future, observed the course coordinator Prof D Sarada. She told The Hans India that the students after completion of the course are eligible to undergo postgraduate programmes in MSc Textiles & Clothing, MSc Apparel Technology & Management and such other similar courses. Students were having laboratory facilities both on and off campus and the university has linkages with apparel and textile Industries and institutions. She also said that the services of experts in the field of fashion technology and apparel designing were being utilised as guest faculty. University has procured the required equipment to train the students with UGC grant and going to buy Juki machine now. The students of the course have conducted about six fashion shows. Red FM station also organised a show with these students. The second batch students were now in internship during their last semester. Brandix India of Visakhapatnam has provided internship to nine students, soft toys industry of Nagari in Chittoor district took six students. Riviera Creations, Texport Syndicate Limited, Sai Apparels, F.Com India – all belongs to Bengaluru and apparel unit of Apollo Total health Summit in Chittoor district have provided internship to the remaining students. The students can get job opportunities in textile and apparel industries. They were also empowered to become entrepreneurs with financial support from banks and other institutions, Prof Sarada said. This year, the University will be starting two year M.Voc FTAD course with 20 seats, she said.
Source: The Hans India
The Nirav Modi scam has a direct impact on the forex market. Foreign branches of Indian banks have closed down the buyers’ credit window to protect themselves from getting caught out by fake LoUs. SBI overseas branches, for instance, have been “instructed not to extend buyers credit to any PSB/private bank in India till further instructions.” Other PSBs have issued similar instructions. The cost of financing imports has risen by 50-75 bps, in some cases. This will have a significant impact on the rupee. The finance ministry recently (September 17) reported that short-term trade credits in the system were $91 billion (`6 lakh crore), of which about $60 bn had a maturity of 6-12 months. This means that the outstanding buyers’ credit maturing over the next 6 months will be even more than $60 bn, since some of the credits were already rolled over before the scam. Given that rollovers have all but stopped, a larger percentage of this than usual will translate to spot USD demand over the next few months. Since everyone can see this happening, the rupee has slipped about 2% over the past 10 days or so. Complicating the matter is the fact that RBI has been doing buy-sell swaps, buying dollars to infuse liquidity to prevent the market for rupee funds from drying up, due to which “extra” demand has created additional pressure on the rupee. On the other side and part of its determination to control volatility, RBI has turned into the elephant in the market and—in the same week—has been selling dollars to prevent the rupee from weakening too much! This has been a windfall for trading banks and inter-bank brokers, but leaves firms even more uncertain about what would constitute a “fair” intra-day price—so much for policy assisting the final users of the market. The big question is why the rupee hasn’t weakened even more? There is, of course, the fact of the prodigious political skills of the Modi/Shah tag team, seen performing in the Northeast last week. But, on the down side, in addition to l’affaire Modi, the macro picture, at least from an FX point of view, is not too good. The trade deficit has been widening despite strong global growth, confirming that there is something structurally off on the export front. The reversion to increasing import tariffs in the budget and the expected fiscal slippage will add to the macro woes. Both of these, compounded by the pathetic picture of our banking sector, could weaken investment interest in India. FPI flows are already reflecting this – they pulled more than $2 bn out of India in February, the bulk of which was from equity. Debt outflows have, thus far at least, been relatively modest, but the equilibrium appears quite tentative. The new chairman at the US Fed, who is an ex-banker rather than an economist, was expected to be both more market-savvy and more sympathetic to market players. However, in recent testimony, Chairman Powell has made it clear that he isn’t going to be a pushover for the market—in fact, the probability of four rate hikes (rather than three) this year has increased since his most recent testimony. Equity markets are very nervous—the average absolute daily move in the Dow since the start of February has been around 1.5%. This is huge—the first time it has been so high since October 2011; long market experience suggests that such high volatility is often the precursor of a major market move. The US unemployment report on March 9 will be watched even more eagerly. A continuation of strong numbers, particularly on wage increases, could re-ignite US Treasury yields, which would kick equities even lower. In parallel, Trump’s tariffs, which have succeeded in upsetting much of American industry and many of its trading partners, if sustained, could turn the ongoing correction into something much worse. Indeed, it seems likely that markets may fall sharply next week, if only to signal to Trump that he needs to backpedal on tariffs, as he has on virtually everything else. The dollar, which has been benefitting from the expected rise in US yields, is poised for a technical break-out upwards. But the tariff imbroglio, plus comments from the US Treasury, suggesting that the US administration wants a weaker dollar, could keep markets unsettled—FX volatility will increase till some kind of trend forces itself onto the scene. The rupee is walking its own tightrope between increased dollar demand, on one side, and RBI’s obeisance to volatility control, on the other. If global markets calm down—say, the employment report is soft, or some “unknown unknowns” reason—things could quieten down and the rupee could again climb back to above 65. If, however, things get more difficult globally—and, unfortunately, to someone who thinks about risk, that always seems more likely—RBI’s volatility management will be pressured and we could see the rupee head lower, and, possibly, much lower. As I have said innumerable times earlier, there are sound arguments on both sides, best to build and implement a risk management system that delivers acceptable value whatever path the market takes. Calculate your income tax post budget 2018 through this Income Tax Calculator; get latest news on Budget 2018 and Auto Expo 2018.
Source: Financial Express
The rupee fell sharply last week, breaking below the psychological 65-level mark. The currency touched a low of 65.31 on Wednesday, but bounced back to recover some of the losses. It closed at 65.11 on Monday, down 0.5 per cent for the week. Strong dollar continues to keep the rupee under pressure. The US dollar index surged, breaking above the key resistance level of 90.55 and tested 91 last week. The dollar index, however, fell back from the high to below 90.55 again after US President Donald Trump announced import tariffs on steel and aluminium. But the rupee failed to absorb it as the domestic markets were closed on Friday on account of a public holiday. The dollar index is currently trading near 89.9. A key support is likely at 89.8.
Rupee trading levels
A strong break below it can drag the index lower to 89.5 and 89 in the coming days ahead of the jobs data release on Friday. On the other hand, if the dollar index sustains above 89.8 and reverses higher, it can breach the 90.55 hurdle and test 91 again. A strong break and a decisive close above 91 will then pave the way for the next targets of 91.8 and 92. Such a rally in the dollar index can increase the pressure on the rupee and drag it further lower. Foreign portfolio investors’ continuing sale of Indian debt and equities over the last few weeks is also adding to the pressure on the rupee, along with the strength in the US dollar. The FPIs have sold $1.18 billion in debt and $1.3 billion in equities over the last three weeks. If the FPI selling spree continues, the rupee’s strength will be limited and will remain vulnerable for fall further against the dollar.
Rupee outlook
Though the rupee broke above 65 on Monday, it failed to sustain higher. The currency fell back again after making a high of 64.93. Inability to sustain above 65 reflects the inherent weakness in the rupee and also the presence of fresh sellers around the psychological 65 level. This keeps the overall bearish outlook intact for the rupee. As long as the currency remains below 65, a fall to 65.5 is likely in the short term. The medium-term outlook is also bearish. An eventual break below 65.5 will increase the likelihood of the rupee weakening towards 66 over the medium term. The downside pressure will ease if the rupee manages to break above 65 decisively. In such a scenario, it can strengthen towards 64.6 or 64.5. However, strong resistance in the 64.5-64.4 region can limit the strength in the rupee in the short term.
Source: Business Line
SANGAREDDY: Cotton farmers from the district, who were hopeful of a good yield and had planned to clear the debts, are once again disappointed. Thanks to the pest attack and seasonal changes, there was less yield of cotton crop this season.Farmers who are cultivating crops on leased lands in most of the villages in Sadasivpet mandal were disappointed with the low yield. In the last five days, two cotton farmers have committed suicide and locals are a worried lot and they feel that other farmers too might take an extreme step. Farmers from Atmakur, Bobbilagam, Pottipally and other villages in Sadasivpet mandal have one or two acres of land in addition to which they had taken land for lease for cultivation of cotton. Normally, 15 quintals of cotton is produced in one acre of land, which fetches about `2.50 lakh. The farmers had taken 20-30 acres of land on lease for the cultivation of cotton and had taken debts for it. According to official figures, as many as 700-800 farmers have cultivated cotton crop in Sadasivpet mandal and most of them were tenant farmers. Talari Vasu from Bobbiligam village said that tenant farmers have agreed to pay `20,000-`25,000 per acre to the land owners and a few farmers had already paid some advance. He added that each farmer had taken `4-`5 lakh debts for paying advance to land owner, cultivation and others. He said that cotton crop has been completely infested by pests in Sadasivpet mandal and it is difficult to get even three quintals of cotton per acre. Irate farmers remove bolts of water pipeline in Peddapalli Peddapalli: Distressed farmers from Munjampalli village in Palakurthi mandal removed the bolts of water pipe line of Yellamaplli to Nandi Medaram reservoir on Monday resulting in water gushing out upto about 30 meters high. For the last several days farmers in Peddapalli are suffering from shortage of irrigation water. On the other hand, Irrigation authorities started trial runs from Yellamaplli project to Nandi Medaram. The agitated farmers removed the bolts of the pipeline to fill local tanks. Authorities rushed to the spot and pacified the farmers and sealed the bolts.
where’s help?
Traders are not willing to pay more than `3,000-`4,000 for cotton. Some of the farmers have stopped collecting cotton thinking it as a waste of money. A farmer from Pottipally said that the state government should come forward to rescue cotton farmers and provide them compensation.
Source: The New Indian Express
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1445.98 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
VSF |
2300.96 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
ASF |
2758.00 |
USD/Ton |
2.94% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Polyester POY |
1390.82 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Nylon FDY |
3577.52 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
40D Spandex |
5910.00 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Nylon POY |
5957.28 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
1627.22 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Polyester FDY |
3349.00 |
USD/Ton |
0.24% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Nylon DTY |
2962.88 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
1639.04 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
Polyester DTY |
3806.04 |
USD/Ton |
0.21% |
3/5/2018 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
3010.16 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
2206.40 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
3010.16 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
3136.24 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2647.68 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
2348.24 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2537.36 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.47 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.90 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.26 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.70 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.74 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
3/5/2018 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.15760 USD dtd. 5/3/2018). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
China's economy will grow by over 6.5 percent this year and next with deleveraging and risk prevention as priorities of macro-economic policy, a report has said. Released at a meeting co-hosted by the Xinhua-run Economic Information Daily and Xiamen University, the report said steady and slower growth will continue in 2018 and 2019. With an annual average growth of 6.3 percent from 2018 to 2020, China will double GDP from the 2010 level, said Zhang Ping, deputy director of the National Institute for Finance and Development. Zhang added that downward pressure, including contracting domestic demand, cannot be ignored and structural reform should continue. While GDP is still important in terms of the scale of an economy, China has other indicators to account for growth quality including environmental protection and risk prevention, said Jia Kang, chief economist with the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics. The report cited deleveraging and risk prevention as core macro-economic policies this year. To prevent systemic financial risk, China needs to strengthen supervision and let more private capital serve the real economy, said Hu Bin with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The business environment needs to be improved and more reform, including mixed-ownership, are needed to stimulate private capital, said Zhang Yansheng with the Academic Committee of the National Development and Reform Commission. China's economy expanded 6.9 percent last year, picking up for the first time in seven years and well above the government target of around 6.5 percent.
Source: China Daily
PAKISTAN’S exports touched their zenith at $25.05 billion in 2013, but have declined since then to $20bn during the last four years. All major exporting sectors of the country saw this decline, including textiles. The loss in textile exports has been attributed to lack of investment in upgrading technology and innovation in the textile industry. Absence of investment in the sector has been a result of: non-accumulation of savings and investment owing to low profitability because of high costs of production, liquidity and cash flows being soaked up by the Federal Board of Revenue and the State Bank in delayed refunds/drawbacks, and continued overvaluation of the currency for five consecutive years making exports uncompetitive. There is no denying the fact that our textile sector has become regionally uncompetitive, but this is not because of inefficiency of the industry but because of a non-conducive business environment. To avoid going to the IMF again, we must improve export performance by tapping into the textile industry’s exportable surplus of almost $20bn, which can help reverse the trade account deficit. It is the government’s role to provide a viable business environment by maintaining a competitive cost of doing business, promoting competition through an open economy which brings trade opportunities and protects domestic industries through tariff and non-tariff barriers where necessary. Market forces should be allowed to work any greater role of the government that interferes with market forces creates bureaucratic delays and inefficiencies. According to the recent World Bank report, “Pakistan’s poor trade performance in recent years is an outcome of diminishing export competitiveness”. The reason for the loss of competitiveness is the increased cost of doing business. According to the ease of doing business report, Pakistan stands at 147 out of 190 countries, significantly lower than regional peers and competitors like India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Turkey. A country with a regionally uncompetitive business environment cannot be expected to compete with regional players. Pakistani textiles were once a celebrated international brand, famous for their premium quality as well as affordability owing to the moderate cost of doing business and low prices. International organisations in 2006 rated Pakistan’s textile industry as one of the most technologically advanced industries. Now, unfortunately, we cannot ensure high quality products because of the unavailability of quality raw material and other inputs. Cotton is the lifeline of the textile sector and its production has declined by 21 per cent in the last three to four years. Furthermore, through irrational policies, import of quality cotton has been restricted while domestic crop production is also dismal the quality of output will be compromised even with the most innovative machinery. To provide a competitive price for exports, competitive cost structure is a prerequisite, attained only through correct currency valuation. We have an overvalued currency as well as a high cost of doing business. These instruments need to be stabilised in order to compete. On the contrary, regional competitors like India, Vietnam, China, and Bangladesh are pursuing aggressive textile policies and buying market share in textiles through highly subsidised exports. Amusingly, Pakistan is the world’s leading importer of used clothing with per capita per annum import of approximately $1, whereas import in India is only 9 cents per capita per annum. Our imports of used clothing are 10 times that of India which has a similar poverty rate. This is because Pakistan is importing used clothing under the guise of new apparel. This is actually the rejected apparel and clothing from the US and EU, dumped in our market at unbelievably low rates that no one can compete with. The government should act as a regulatory and complementary body in market economies, making policies that support the domestic industry. Once an enabling environment is created, market forces will compel competitive production, accurate pricing, and set the floor for achieving economies of scale. Pakistan’s textile industry has an untapped exportable surplus of almost $20bn, which can help reverse the trade account deficit. Such a balance of payment situation is not a very comfortable position to be in. In order to avert the possibility of going to the International Monetary Fund again, we must improve export performance through the aforementioned measures and then place our bet at winning against aggressive competitors.
Source: Dawn.com
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has released President Trump’s Trade Policy Agenda and Annual Report , outlining how the Administration is promoting free, fair, and reciprocal trade and strongly enforcing US trade laws. The Trade Policy Agenda relies on five major pillars and fulfill Trump’s promise to fight for free, fair, and reciprocal trade. The five pillars of Trade Policy Agenda are: Supporting the United States’ national security by ensuring economic security, Strengthening the United States economy so it benefits all Americans, Negotiating trade deals that result in prosperity for more Americans, Enforcing and defending trade laws so bad actors no longer take advantage of the United States, and Reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO) to promote rules for efficient markets, expanded trade, and greater wealth for all nations. In December 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) – the most significant tax cut and reform law in more than 30 years. This tax reform will strengthen the US economy and help make US companies and workers more competitive in global markets, says a fact sheet issued by the Office of the USTR. The centre piece of the business tax reforms in the TCJA is a reduction in the top statutory corporate tax rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent, aligning the United States with its major trading partners and allowing its businesses and workers to compete on a level playing field. “By switching from a worldwide tax system to a territorial tax system, the TCJA further levels the playing field for American businesses and allows them to repatriate earnings back to the United States without incurring high tax penalties,” the fact sheet said. Under negotiating better trade deals, the Administration’s primary goals are to update North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with modern provisions representing a 21st-century, high-standard agreement and to rebalance NAFTA for fair, reciprocal trade. The Administration’s proposals include correcting policies that have encouraged outsourcing and ensuring strong, enforceable provisions on labour and the environment that will help level the playing field for American workers. However, in the words of President Trump, “America first does not mean America alone. When the United States grows, so does the world.”
Source: Fibre2Fashion
It is a misinterpretation to regard the country's Belt and Road Initiative as China's geostrategic tool, as the initiative is aimed at pursuing shared benefits for all parties involved, a spokesman said at a National People's Congress news conference on Sunday. "The Belt and Road Initiative is a proposal for economic cooperation, it focuses on interconnectivity and aims to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes," said spokesman Zhang Yesui, who is also executive vice-foreign minister, at a news conference ahead of the first session of the 13th NPC scheduled to open on Monday. Zhang said the initiative is guided by the principle of pursuing shared benefits through consultation and cooperation, and all participants are equal partners. It is an open and inclusive platform and does not exclude or target any country, but it is open to all those who are interested, he said. China put forward the idea of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, or the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, in 2013. "The hope is to combine strengths to create more opportunities for global economic growth and shared prosperity of all countries," Zhang said. Zhang added that in the past five years the initiative has come to fruition with positive outcomes in infrastructure connectivity and financial facilities. "In the meantime, policy communication is becoming more meaningful, cooperation is being strengthened and collaboration on the ground is unfolding," he said. Zhang admitted that as the initiative is still in its early stage, it is natural for it to face some challenges. "We welcome all positive and constructive opinions, and we believe that with all parties working together for shared benefits through dialogue and close communication, the Belt and Road Initiative will deliver great results," he said. Zhang added that China is going to combine three previous foreign investment laws, and work on a new law on promoting and protecting foreign investment. "We will build new institutions to support an open economy, pursue mutually beneficial strategies and facilitate trade," Zhang said.
Source: China Daily
The Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday reflected both the rosy and not-so-rosy sides of China's economic and social development. On the rosy side, China's GDP has risen from 54 trillion yuan ($8.52 trillion) to 82.7 trillion yuan over the past five years, with its share in the global economy growing to roughly 15 percent and its contribution to global growth exceeding 30 percent. China's economic activities with other economies last year showed the country's growing capacity to help rebalance the world economy and determination to realize win-win global cooperation. That contention is supported by China's overall trade and investment flow vis-a-vis the rest of the world and by the figures related to its economic relations with the economies that are involved in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Li said in the report: "We are committed to achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, and will act on the outcomes of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. We will work toward building major international corridors and deepen cooperation on streamlining customs clearance along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative." Trade continues to be the driving force of China's growing economy, which grew 6.9 percent last year. However, the growth momentum of imports is much stronger than that of exports, which should be welcomed by most of China's trading partners, especially the Western economies, because many of them are still facing the problem of high, even rising unemployment. The breakdown of foreign trade shows the growth rate of China's imports was much higher than the growth rate of exports with all its major trading partners, including the European Union, the country's biggest trading partner, the United States, ASEAN states and Japan. Compared with 2016, China's imports from its four leading trading partners have all increased by more than 15 percent. This, together with the fact that China has contributed to more than 30 percent of the world's economic growth for years, must have helped create more jobs in those economies. There is little doubt that China's imports will continue to increase. China now boasts a middle-income population of about 400 million, roughly the combined total of the US and Japan, and their purchasing power is steadily expanding. The demands of the Chinese middle-income group extend from consumer goods to education, cultural products and tourism, which will bring China and its trading partners even closer. The increasing demands of China's middle-income group means the country's imports and outbound tourists will continue to rise, and the gap between the country's exports and imports will decrease, though China will still be a trade-surplus country for some years. For decades, China's exports-led economic policy has provided the world with affordable goods. But this economic pattern is about to change thanks to China's current policy of modernizing its manufacturing sector and moving up to global production chain. For example, to encourage imports, China has decided to host the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai from Nov 5 to 10 this year. Such bold actions will help further rebalance the global economy and create more jobs in other economies. China's trade with those economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, too, was impressive last year. With the overall growth rate being as high as 17.8 percent, China's imports from those economies increased 26.8 percent year-on-year, much higher than in the previous year. Besides, China's inbound foreign direct investment soared 27.8 percent in 2017, which saw 35,652 foreign enterprises start new businesses in China, whereas its overseas investment saw a sharp decrease－of 29.4 percent－mainly due to rising protectionism and isolationism in some economies. But two-way investments between China and the economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have been brisk, and 3,857 newly established enterprises in China are from those economies, up by 32.8 percent. And despite the decrease in China's overseas investment, Chinese businesses directly invested $14.4 billion in economies taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017, roughly the same level as that in the previous year. This is just the beginning, and in the long run, the flow of two-way trade and investment between China and the economies taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative will increase at an even faster pace.
Source: China Daily.
Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), a leading sports manufacturer adidas, and The Woolmark Company have announced their partnership to create and gift the first Best in Class tee, which will be reserved only for the top 20 2018 Boston Marathon finishers per 13 age groups. Adidas and The Woolmark Company are partnering to develop innovative new product applications within the sports and performance market by applying the science and performance benefits of biodegradable Australian Merino wool to achieve breathability, temperature control and odour resistance. The Best in Class wool long-sleeved tee is made up of 75% Merino wool and 25% polyamide. © The Woolmark Company. The Woolmark Company is taking an active role in educating internal adidas teams, connecting the brand with the wider wool supply chain and supporting business units on product innovation, the company explains. “Collaborating with an industry leader such as adidas allows us to showcase the natural benefits of Merino wool including thermo-regulation, anti-odour and movement in the context of cutting edge design and innovation,” said Stuart McCullough, Managing Director of The Woolmark Company. “The relationship is testament to the versatility of Merino wool and the forward-thinking vision of the adidas product development team.” The Best in Class wool long-sleeved tee is made up of 75% Merino wool and 25% polyamide. The exclusive tees cannot be purchased and will be gifted the day after the Boston Marathon on 17 April.
Source: Innovation in Textiles
Three of the ten firms to have recently joined the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme are from textiles. These organisations commit to working on the programme’s vision of widespread implementation of sustainable chemistry, driving innovations and best practices in the textile, apparel and footwear industries to protect consumers, workers and the environment. The new textile organisations joining as the value chain affiliates are ACS Textiles Bangladesh Ltd, Salirone and Santori Pellami Spa. ACS Textiles is a British investment, a state-of-the-art, composite manufacturing facility, with weaving, dyeing, printing, finishing, and packaging services. Salirone is a unique and well-developed manufacturer for 100 per cent silicone coated materials and Santori Pellami Spa is a family owned business, specialised in the production and sale of leathers. “It’s great to see the continuous ongoing support from the industry. We appreciate the help and commitment from all our contributors and are delighted to welcome these new organisations to our ZDHC family. With the onboarding of the new contributors we also enlarge our geographic scope and depth by welcoming the first organisation headquartered in Bangladesh," said ZDHC executive director Frank Michel. By joining ZDHC, the organisations not only help to work on the programme’s vision, but also commit to a strengthened commitment towards better chemical management practices and the adoption and implementation of ZDHC tools. These include, amongst others, the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List and the ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines. Last month ZDHC officially launched the ZDHC Implementation HUB during the Friends of ZDHC Day in Amsterdam. The implementation of HUB takes the scaling of chemical and environmental management best practices to the next level and accelerates impact along the value chains of the textile, apparel, footwear and leather industries.
Source: Fibre2fashion.
Cotton bales not moving fast enough out of warehouses to customers in the U.S. and worldwide. The National Cotton Council is addressing problems of cotton bales not moving fast enough out of warehouses to customers in the U.S. and worldwide. In an interview with Southeast Farm Press, Dr. Gary Adams, president and CEO of the Council, said the Council’s Cotton Flow Committee has worked on the cotton flow issues for many years, even prior to the time Adams joined the staff of the Council. “The committee has been doing some good work over this last year to look at ways to improve cotton flow,” Adams said. Problems of slow U.S. cotton shipments were brought up by Joe Nicosia, senior head of cotton and merchandising platforms at Louis Dreyfus Company in Memphis, in a speech to the Southern Cotton Growers and Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association annual meeting in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Jan. 19. Nicosia said shipping delays by the warehouses harms all sectors of the industry. “Warehouses serve as the storage and distribution centers and are responsible for making the product available to the customer. Their level of performance is critical to the overall success of the industry. Sub-optimal performance of any one of the segments negatively affects the bottom line of all segments to some extent,” he said. Adams said all sectors of the cotton industry are engaged to find answers to the shipping delays. He said the Council and the Council’s Cotton Flow Committee are working hard to find a solution. Among the solutions is to include incentives in the new farm bill to improve cotton flow. “One of the recommendations that came down from our board was to look at some type of credit that might be generated by a warehouse if they achieve a certain shipping performance within a week. Those credits would be used to help offset the cost of a future redemption of cotton out of the CCC (Commodity Credit Corporation) loan, but it would provide incentives to have more cotton moving into the marketing channels earlier in the marketing year,” Adams said. The Cotton Flow Committee is also looking into practices to optimize the location of cotton within the warehouse. “On electronic warehouse receipts there is actually a field for a locator identification. One of the things the committee talked about is to require that that field be actually populated so that you have a much better idea of where the cotton bale is in the warehouse,” Adams said. A challenge facing shippers was last year’s large 21 million bale U.S. crop. “It really puts some constraints on the warehouse when receiving all of the cotton in the fall and at the same time they are trying to turn around and ship different bales of cotton,” Adams said. “Some warehouses are shipping as hard as they can go. They are doing everything they can to move cotton. And then you have some warehouses, for a variety of reasons, that aren’t shipping as fast. There is a lot of variability when you look across that segment.”
Source: Southeast Farm Press
Stop me if you’ve had this problem before — you are shopping online for that perfect dress for your friend’s wedding, or a new shirt for your next big business presentation. You find one you love, but words in the product description such a “slim fit,” “petite,” or “tall” have you unsure what size and fit is best for you. Your solution? You buy multiple sizes with the plan to send back the ones that don’t fit for free. It’s the online equivalent to being in a dressing room in a brick-and-mortar store, but it’s also online retail’s most prevalent problem. The lack of a true sizing system results in buyer confusion, and often, the ordering of an ill-fitting item. Then it’s the retailer left to pick up the tab for the cost of return shipping, as well as resending a new item if it’s required. It’s been reported that 20 percent to 30 percent of online apparel orders are being returned (with 70 percent of those returns due to problems with fit), costing the retailer anywhere from $3 to $12 per order. One study cites total expenses to e-retailers from apparel returns at $1.4 billion dollars, roughly 2.5 percent of the total online revenue ($60 billion) of apparel and accessories in 2015. Returns have become such an expensive issue that we’ve begun to see legacy retailers change decades old return policies in order to cut costs. For the past 100 years, L.L Bean had accepted returns of basically any item, purchased at any time, with or without a receipt. But over the past five years, the company reported losing $250 million worth of returned items that could not be resold. But many retailers still offer free returns for merchandise purchased online, putting a significant dent into the bottom line of a booming industry.
Sizing up the problem
The most sensible solution to excessive retail return is to fix the industry-wide issue related to product sizing. Despite best efforts across the industry, there is no universal system that drops everyone into an accurate bucket for their size. Where some retailers sell pants by waist and length, others tag them as small, medium or large, and there is no consistency across brand. Even where retailers offer a sizing chart, many consumers will still guess their size or opt for the size they prefer to be, leading to incorrect purchases. Fortunately, there is technology available to the market that will allow consumers to take their true measurements utilizing a mobile device, which would then sync directly to a retailer’s sizing chart and only show the consumer items in a size that correspond to their exact measurements. This ensures a true fit and a correct purchase each and every time. There are other technologies on the market that guestimate your size based off of photos you submit, or that ask you to enter what you think your measurements are so they can recommend what will fit you best. There is also 3D scanning, virtual try-on, and other big data methods. The sizing and return issue has created a sizeable market opportunity for technology companies that can provide a solution enabling retailers to recoup these losses. As the industry continues to drive innovation, we should see retailers trying out these various solutions as a way to increase customer experience while also improving their own bottom line. Ronen Luzon is the CEO of MySize, a developer of proprietary smartphone measurement applications.
Source: Apparel Magazine
Levi’s late last year became one of the first mainstream clothing brands to offer a truly wearable garment with the launch of their $350 “smart jacket.” Not content to rest on its laurels, the denim pioneer is once again tapping technology for a strategic – and eco-friendly – advantage. Levi’s recently announced what it is calling the “future of jeans manufacturing.” Dubbed Project F.L.X. (future-led execution), the new operating model “ushers denim finishing into the digital era” by replacing manual techniques and automating the time-consuming, labor-intensive and chemical-reliant process of hand-finishing through the use of lasers. Specifically, Levi’s says the new technique drastically cuts finishing time – from two to three pairs per hour by hand to just 90 seconds per garment followed by a wash cycle – and shaves off valuable time in the design and development process. What used to take months can now be accomplished in just weeks or perhaps mere days, allowing Levi’s to make changes in a product’s design later into the production process. Levi’s also anticipates a significant reduction in the total number of chemical formulations used in its finishing process, from a few thousand currently down to just a couple dozen. The company pegs this as a major step forward in its commitment to achieving “zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.” Some will no doubt view this as yet another example of machines / robots / technology eliminating human jobs although quite frankly, I’m surprised a global brand the size of Levi’s was still using manual labor to finish its jeans. Levi’s is piloting Project F.L.X. with select vendors and retails partners and plans to roll the technique out across its supply chain in phases over the next two years.
Source: Techspot
European brands are set to steal the show at the upcoming Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics show in China, one of the leading apparel fabric and accessories exhibitions in the world. The show that provides an excellent opportunity for overseas suppliers to build stronger relationships, will be held from March 14 to 16, 2018 in Shanghai, China. SalonEurope will show a range of products across the whole textile spectrum on offer. Celebrating its 100-year anniversary this July, Alumo has undertaken a complete refresh of their brand, highlighting the character of their mill in Appenzell, Switzerland that has deep roots in the local textile industry. This edition, they will showcase a renewed collection of luxury shirting fabrics with intricate designs and added functions such as natural stretch and wrinkle-free, and a newly enlarged, never-out-of-stock ‘Sartorial’ collection. Hatfil Tekstil Isletmeleri, a Turkish-Italian joint venture, will offer a huge range of yarns including eco-friendly options such as organic, BCI and fair trade yarns, as well as cotton, Tencel, Amicor, bamboo, cashmere, modal and other varieties. Hohenstein Textile Testing from Germany will show testing services, Oeko-Tex services and certifications, the Hohenstein Quality Label, and more, at the expo. Ricamificio Paolo Italy SpA, an embroidery manufacturer, will show a new technique using very thin embroideries to produce a lace-like effect, which can also be customised to the customer’s requirements in no more than four weeks. Teseo Tessitura Serica Di Olmeda SpA (Italy), will display their summer 2019 collection, inspired by the natural elements with increased attention to sustainability with GOTS-certified bio silk and eco-friendly yarns. Ten leading global viscose producers in China have come together to form the Collaboration for Sustainable Development of Viscose (CV) to promote the sustainable sourcing and responsible production of viscose. These 10 producers collectively account for over 50 per cent of the world’s viscose staple fibre production, and have partnered with two trade associations to adopt a sustainability roadmap for the viscose industry. The CV collaboration will make its debut appearance in the fair’s All about Sustainability zone, where visitors can learn more about this initiative, as well as sustainable developments in the Chinese textile industry. Apart from an educational programme and garment display area, the zone will also feature a number of exhibitors other than CV. While digital printing is rapidly gaining traction in the global textile industry, this is especially so in China due to its potential to reduce pollution during the production process. Amongst the exhibitors looking to take advantage of this in the fair’s new Digital Printing Zone is MS Italy, a market leader in the development of innovative digital ink-jet printing systems and associated consumables, which serves the high-end, roll-to-roll textile printing and specialty material markets. Also exhibiting is Digitex, which will introduce the latest digital- and inkjet-printed natural and manmade fabrics. The Fast Fashion and Digital Printing Application Forum will feature sessions on fast fashion technology & trends and digital printing applications. These will be followed by a series of discussions on topics such as flexible supply chains, business opportunities created by digital printing and IP protection. The forum will also include a presentation on the findings of a six-month study conducted by Fashion Print, a Chinese publication, for which they visited hundreds of textile companies, printing and dyeing enterprises, as well as their suppliers to produce a research paper on the digital textile printing market and technology.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
The ratio of female workers to male in the country’s readymade garments sector has decreased as the number of new entry of female workers was lagging behind their male counterpart because of automation, according to a survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue, which was released on Saturday. The ratio of female workers to their male workers now stood at 60.80 per cent against 65 per cent (as per a study conducted in 2015) as the introduction of new technologies and machineries squeezed the opportunity for the female due to lack of technical knowledge, Khondoker Golam Moazzem, research director of the CPD told New Age after presenting the findings of survey at a programme at Khazana Gardenia Hall in the city. A survey, conducted by the Asian Centre for Development in 2015, found 65 per cent female workers in Bangladesh’s readymade garment sector, against the RMG owners’ claim of more than 80 per cent female workers working in this sector. Moazzem said that total number of female workers has not decreased in the sector but their percentage has been decreased as the employment of male workers increased. According to the survey, the ratio of male workers increased to 39.20 per cent in the RMG sector. The CPD organised a dialogue on ‘Ongoing Upgradation in RMG sector Enterprise: Results from a Survey’, which was moderated by its distinguished fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya. CPD made the report based on the survey in 252 garment factories with 2,123 workers. According to the survey, the employment growth in the sample organisation declined to 3.3 per cent in 2012-2016 although according to BBS, the average national growth of garments sector jobs was 4.01 per cent. Moazzem told New Age that the sample survey on job growth was still a preliminary work and they would work further on the issue. Regarding the female workforce, Moazzem showed that although the ratio of female workers has declined in the RMG sector, the sewing and finishing departments of the sector were still female worker-driven with the highest, 74.90 per cent female, working at sewing sector while the percentage was 58.60 in finishing section. Without the enterprises in Export Processing Zones, the study prepared a data universal of some 3,596 garment factories with 35.04 million workers. In the survey, Moazzem showed that female workers were less interested to work in some of the departments of garment factories including cutting section. It is encouraging for the sector that a large portion of RMG enterprises were established during 2013-2016, following the Rana Plaza building collapse,’ he said. The study found an uneven development in the sector as the social up-gradation scored 60.9 which were a bit higher than the economic up gradation. Moazzem said that garment factories made significant progress in social upgrading due to the global pressure after Rana Plaza building collapse but the overall score of economic upgradation was lower than social upgradation due to poor score in process upgradation, product upgradation and functional upgradation. According to the study, the board of directors of 89 per cent of garment factories is mostly family based and owners are still playing major role in price negotiation with buyers. Managerial posts in the RMG sector are still male dominated and 50 per cent managers have post graduate degrees but the disciplines of graduation have little relevance with management and operation of industrial enterprises, the study read. The survey found considerable percentage of foreign professionals in different section of sample enterprises due to lack of adequate skill and quality of domestic professionals. CPD found that about 16 per cent of sample enterprises employed foreign staff members working in mostly production planning, merchandising, quality assurance and washing sections. The study found lower gender-wage gap in the RMG sector showing workers monthly wages on an average at around Tk 7,270 for male workers and Tk 7,058 for female workers. It also found huge disparity in the number of trade unions and workers participation committees in the RMG sector. WPC have been formed in 91 per cent of factories while only the trade unions exist in only 3.3 per cent factories, the survey found. CPD chairman Professor Rehman Sobhan said that trade unions in the readymade garments sector were divided in several small groups under 70 federations but they have to bargain jointly. ‘Factory owners are not divided. BGMEA is only one association of owners to bargain,’ he said. Sobhan, however, suggested RMG factory owners to adopt 21st century’s business module instead of 19th century.‘You always work on 19th century model but this is 21st century. With the old model you will be a part of global supply chain but not a partner of the supply chain,’ he said. Sobhan suggested entrepreneurs should invest on their workers and make them shareholders of business. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Md Siddiqur Rahman proposed for sectoral trade union in the RMG sector. Regarding workers wages, he said minimum wage board would finalise a wage for the workers considering workers needs and sector’s strengths. Babul Akter, former secretary general of IndustriALL Bangladesh Council, said that real trade unions were not being formed in the RMG sector due to various reasons. He said that trade unions were still not allowed in large enterprises in the RMG sector although labour law allow unions in all type of establishment. Demanding Tk 16,000 as minimum wage for the workers, Babul said that the government should consider the social safety issue of workers.
Source: New Age BD
UBM Fashion, a leader in fashion tradeshows, will host the third edition of MAGIC Japan, the premier trade event that connects contemporary apparel, footwear, and accessory brands, as well as sourcing suppliers, to the leading retail buyers in around the globe. The show will be held from April 25 to 27, 2018, at the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Centre, Japan. MAGIC Japan will be co-located with UBM produced Licensing Expo Japan, which is the most-attended international licensing event in japan for industry professionals. The event will showcase a diverse selection of brands from all over the world, as well as designers who can only be seen in Japan. At least eight brands who have won the Tokyo New Designer Fashion Grand Prix will showcase their latest collections, including 2017 winners Phablic X Kazui and YON. In addition, the Tokyo Fashion Award winner of 2017 “Children of the Discordance” will also be proudly showcasing their 2018 Fall/Winter collection. A new “DENIM Zone” is launching at MAGIC Japan this April that will showcase what Japan is widely known for – denim. With Kurashiki and Kojima in Okayama Prefecture being key hubs for denim brands and supporting factories, MAGIC Japan will host brands such as Japan Blue Jeans, Momotaro Jeans, Red Card (Dr. Denim Honzawa), and Graph Zero will exhibit for the first time, who are all joining this new “DENIM zone” area. Hayato Ishihara, director of MAGIC Japan said, “After a successful MAGIC Japan launch in 2017, we are making the second step towards our objective to be THE fashion event in Asia. The increase of American and European brands is something that was demanded from the Japanese and Asian buyers, and we are pleased to deliver that.” A significant increase of North American and European brands is another attraction for buyers visiting the show from across Asia. Over thirty brands from US and fifteen brands from France and the UK will be exhibiting in the expo. Christopher Griffin, president, international business development, UBM Fashion Group said, “In its third edition, MAGIC Japan will showcase not just the best fashion brands Tokyo has to offer, but an amazing selection of UK and US brands as well. Tokyo’s fashion community is both high energy and passionate, and we are honoured to play a small part in it.”
Source: Fibre2fashion
The current minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh is US$68 and was set in 2013 now the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council is demanding an increase to US$192. At the end of February, IndustriALL’s affiliates in Bangladesh’ garment sector, organized a series of actions including a joint press conference on 25 February and a human chain march on 28 February. Under the banner of the IndustriALL Bangladesh Council (IBC), unions are demanding an increase of the minimum wage to 16,000 BDT(US$192) per month, and other welfare measures for workers in the sector. The IBC submitted a memorandum containing workers’ demands to the chair of the newly constituted minimum wage board on 28 February. The minimum wage has been the same for nearly five years, and increasing has been a longstanding demand of garment workers in Bangladesh. In December 2016 to January 2017 unions and workers faced a severe crackdown by the government when demanding increase in minimum wages. Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL regional secretary, says: It has taken the government of Bangladesh a long time to set up the minimum wage board, and now we hope that it will take swift measures to fulfil workers’ demands. An increase in minimum wage will have a progressive impact on the standard of living, and it will also go a long way to promote decent work and the country’s economy. In addition to a new minimum wage, the IBC is demanding that job grades are streamlined from seven to five, on which workers’ pay is based. They are also proposing promotion criteria, absent in the current system, where workers in the 5th grade should be promoted to 4th grade after one year of work. Subsequently after every two years of continuous work, workers should be promoted to upper grades. Furthermore, the IBC want a 10 per cent annual increase in payment. Piece rate workers are paid according to the production of each unit, and the piece rate is often decided only after workers complete a certain amount of work, a system which often leads to disputes. The unions say that payment for piece rate workers should be decided before the work starts. The IBC also want to restrict the training period for apprentice workers to three months, as opposed to current practice of extending it to six months. Wages for apprentices should be raised from BDT 4,180 BDT (US$50) to 10,000 BDT (US$120).
Source: IndustriALL
