The plan to encourage merchant exporters has come at a time when the government is relooking at its export promotion schemes and making them compliant with global trade norms. Slow growth in India’s exports has prompted the government to promote merchant exporters, who contribute almost a third of India’s exports in value terms but can’t avail of some incentives meant for manufacturer exporters. Merchant exporters do not own manufacturing facilities but buy goods from manufacturers here and sell to overseas customers. They have the flexibility to procure goods from many sellers and sell them after negotiating the best prices to foreign buyers. They are usually able to negotiate prices with buyers, sellers and shipping lines which are better than regular exporters. The department of commerce is mulling ways to reduce the cost of credit for them. “It is crucial to promote merchant exporters and make use of their marketing and negotiatingskills with global partners,” said an official in the know of the development. “Merchant exporters indirectly help upgrade the production quality of manufacturers by making them export ready,” said a Delhi-based expert on export-import matters. Though India’s exports crossed the $300-billion mark after a gap of two years in 2017-18, exports contracted in March after four months with labour-intensive sectors such as gems & jewellery, readymade garments of all textiles, jute manufacturing including floor covering, carpets and agri products showing a dip in outward shipments. According to Ajay Sahai, director general of Federation of Indian Export Organisations, manufacturer exporters are constrained by their capacity but merchant exporters are extremely competitive, which helps them bring in higher per unit realisation. “Japan and Korea too have adopted the approach of promoting merchant exporters as they follow the aggregator model and it has been successful there,” Sahai said. The plan to encourage merchant exporters has come at a time when the government is relooking at its export promotion schemes and making them compliant with global trade norms.
Source: The Economic Times
Truetzschler India has opened a training academy at its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Ahmedabad. The inaugural training session at the academy was held from April 9, to 21, 2018. Truetzschler is a textile machinerymanufacturer that specialises in installations and accessories for spinning preparation, the nonwovens, and man-made fibre industry. Efficient operation and maintenance of world-class machinesneeds thorough training. One of the most effective methods of receiving such training is by demonstration on the same kinds of machines one is to operate and maintain. This academy has the latest card TC 10 equipped with the new can changer T Move, and the draw-frame TD 8, so as to provide hands-on training to participants on the latest machines. The training is focused on equipping mill managers with the skills and knowledge required to efficiently operate and maintain the latest Truetzschler spinning machines. Topics covered in the training include the latest developments in blow-room, cards, card clothing, draw-frames, and combers encompassing the related mechanical and electronic details, efficient operation of the machines, mounting and maintenance of card clothing, best maintenance practices to be followed, etc. The topics also give an insight to the participants on the step-by-step execution of a project right from conception and layout making, till the installation and commissioning of the plant and machinery as per customer requirements. Besides the training at the academy, the participants were also taken to the shop floor of Truetzschler facility to provide them with practical training on TCO 12 combers. Mill personnel from Bharat Vijay Mills, Arvind, Chiripal Industries, RSB Cotex, Grospinz, Narayan Spinning Mills, Mori Spinning Mills, and Fiotex Mills made up the batch for the inaugural training programme. All the participants found the training very useful for the efficient running and optimisation of the machines. They also found the training method very practical and effective. During the card clothing training, the participants were also informed about the launch of mobile service vans now available from Truetzschler Card Clothing in Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, and Chandigarh. Truetzschler India will be organising such training programmes quarterly for all the customers of the company.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
NEW DELHI: The agriculture ministry has decided not to change cotton seed price after the Delhi High Court ruled that Monsanto Technologies’ patents on a manmade gene used in Bt cotton seed variety Bollgard II were not valid. Officials said the government would wait for the judgement of the Supreme Court, where the matter is now being heard. The National Seed Association of India (NSAI) has urged the government to scrap the trait fee on Bollgard II cotton to benefit farmers. “There will be no change in cotton seed price for this season. Planting has already started in some parts of Punjab and will pick up in the coming days. The matter is now being heard in the Supreme Court and we will go by the final judgment,” said an agriculture ministry official. The Supreme Court on Monday did not grant a stay on the HC judgement, but justices Rohinton Nariman and Abhay Manohar Sapre sought the response of Monsanto Technology, Nuziveedu Seeds and other seed companies. The matter has been posted for hearing on July 18. NSAI director general Kalyan Goswami had discussions with the Department of Agriculture to scrap the trait fee on Bt II cotton seeds. “We have conveyed to the government and it is up to them to take it forward,” said Goswami. The government had in March revised Bt cotton seed prices, including trait value or tech fees, to support distressed farmers hit by frequent pink bollworm pest attacks. The price of Bollgard II was kept at Rs 740 per packet of 450 gm each, including trait value of Rs 39, which seed companies pay to the technology provider, Monsanto Mahyco Biotech (India). India is the world’s biggest cotton producer with eight million farmers who buy 50 million such seed packets annually to plant on 12.26 million hectares. A Delhi High Court bench had said in an April 11 ruling that Monsanto’s patent was not valid under Section 3(j) of the Patent Act, splitting opinion between those who said it would keep Indian farmers from getting the much-needed benefits of agricultural innovation and others who dismissed this concern as overblown.
Source: The Economic Times
Jamshedpur: Jamshedpur Women's College has tied up with Jharkhand Khadi and Village Industries Board to teach sewing and tailoring skills to students for making them industry ready. To begin with, the college will offer a month-long training to 10 girls. Though the students haven't been selected yet, the college has decided to give the opportunity to underprivileged students who have an inclination towards sewing and tailoring. "With the government stressing on skill development which is also the need of time, it is imperative that educational institutions contribute their part and initiate programmes that are beyond academics. Skill training always enables a person to be better equipped," said principal Purnima Kumar. She thanked Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato who initiated this programme for the college. Kumar said gradually the college would introduce more sets of skill training for the benefit of girl students in the region. With the semester exams currently on, the training will start from May 21, the day when summer vacation begins. Selected students will undergo training at the workshop of the khadi board at O Road in Bistupur here where they will be taught cutting and sewing kurta, salwar suits and designer dresses. "The training will help them become confident and start something of their own. There are many women who have started earning independently after vocational training. We will try to ensure that students learn as much as they can," said Kulwant Singh Bunty, vice-president of khadi board.
Source: Telegraph India
Summer brings sweat, heat, dust and more for those who commute daily to work, to college or to school. Being associated with the freedom struggle, Khadi is one of the humble fabrics which can protect you from this scorching heat so make sure you are taking full advantage of it. Bhavya Chawla, Chief Stylist at Voonik and Sunil Gupta, Founder and Director at ExportersIndia.com list a few tips on using khadi in your day to day lives. * Khadi clothing: The handspun, natural and organic fabric is ideal for Indian weather conditions and keeps the wearer cool in summer. Khadi is a skin-friendly fabric that 'breathes' and uses no chemicals in manufacturing.With the latest designs available, anyone can buy these glad rags from Voonik which is the best fashion marketplace for all women. From layered khadi kurta to handwoven khadi saree, every khadi dress is available on this platform.
* Khadi soaps: The high temperatures and humidity which are characteristic of Indian summers can cause you to sweat and feel stuffy and uncomfortable, at such situations soaps made from khadi help a person to feel lightweight and breathable. Made out from natural ingredients the handmade khadi soap provides nourishment to the skin.
* Khadi bags: Khadi dresses are a very common sight in summers but carrying a khadi bag is altogether different. The light weight bags are easy to use and are very spacious. They are apt for all generations, are pocket friendly and can go on any outfit.
* Khadi footwear: As ethnic khadi captures the imagination of dress designers and turns out to be a favoured fabric for draping ramp models, it is not restricted to only clothing i.e. it has found space in other sectors too, like footwear. Made out of swadeshi fabric, the footwear of khadi is famous among the modern generation and carry a cool quotient with them. Indiamart which is the largest online B2B marketplace, connecting buyers with sellers, is a perfect destination if you are scouting an ethnic footwear seller in your city.
* Khadi bed sheets: Khadi bed sheets might sound odd to hear but they are naturally very soft and appealing to eyes. The soothing texture of the cloth lowers the room temperature and maintains the cool home environment. Available in exotic designs, this exquisite bed sheet is available on Jaipur Fabric easily.
Source: Business Standard
MUMBAI: Continuing fall in the rupee will push trade deficit up to a four-year high of USD 178.1 billion or 6.4 per cent of GDP this fiscal year, says a report. "Trade deficit will widen to a four-year high of 6.4 per cent of GDP in FY19," India Ratings said in a report today and blamed higher crude and gold imports. In FY18, trade deficit had stood at USD 156.8 billion or 6 per cent of GDP. The estimate comes amid a depreciation in the rupee against the dollar, wherein it has shed over 5 per cent to breach the Rs 67-mark to the dollar. The agency said apart from the risk of wider trade deficit, escalation in commodity prices, particularly crude, coupled with expectation of the US Fed raising its rates further, is exerting pressure on the rupee. The agency said contribution of trade as a percentage of GDP has slid to 40.6 per cent in FY18 from a high of 55.8 per cent in FY13, blaming sluggish growth in export markets and rising protectionism for the dip. On the exports front, it said the recent RBI ban on letter of undertakings will not significantly hurt the overall export performance. The ban will impact those export items where inputs or intermediates are imported, due to higher import financing cost and cited the example of the fraud-hit gems & jewellery sector exporters, as the ones who will be "highly affected by the LoU/LC ban".In FY18, there was a 25.7 per cent surge in petroleum product imports coupled with a 32.1 per cent rise in gold, silver and precious stones imports which led to the overall import registering a growth of 19.7 per cent at USD 459.7 billion.
Source: Business Standard
US, Iran, India, rupee rial trade India could revive a rupee-rial payment arrangement with Iran to bail out exporters from the heat of US sanctions that have cast a shadow over any plan to further boost trade with the Islamic nation, exports to which had reversed a three-year slide in 2017-18, trade sources told FE on Thursday. India could revive a rupee-rial payment arrangement with Iran to bail out exporters from the heat of US sanctions that have cast a shadow over any plan to further boost trade with the Islamic nation, exports to which had reversed a three-year slide in 2017-18, trade sources told FE on Thursday. Around 2011-12, a rupee-rial mechanism was put in place where up to 45% of India’s purchases of Iranian crude could be effected in rupees in exchange for items like rice, wheat and medicines that were not sanctioned by the UN. Exports to Iran could witness a hitch if the US and its allies go ahead with sanctions, although such payment issues could be sorted out fast this time around due to previous experience of handling such crisis, restoring the flow of trade, said the sources. But the sanctions have potential to put a lid on growth in India’s exports to Iran. India has a goods trade deficit of over $8 billion with Iran (thanks to massive oil imports), so our exporters may not face much problem in getting payments via rupee, said the sources. Farm commodities make up for a half of India’s $2.6 billion in goods exports to Iran. In fact, at $900 million, basmati rice alone accounted for over a third of India’s total exports to Iran in 2017-18, payments for which were made mostly in the euros by Iran, said exporters. India’s oil purchases from Iran, worth around $9 billion, accounted for over 80% of its total imports from the Persian Gulf nation in 2017-18. According to commerce secretary Rita Teaotia, the US move is unlikely to cause any major shift in India’s trade with Iran, as the country had shipped out goods to the Islamic nation earlier even when sanctions were on. The rupee-rial arrangement was done as hardening sanctions by the Obama administration for Iran’s nuclear ambitions made money transfer to Indian exporters through an informal route using UCO Bank much more difficult. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that the US will pull out of the landmark 2015 accord to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme and reinstate financial sanctions on that nation. Indian trade and government officials are closely tracking the situation, as even key American allies are yet to endorse its stance fully. Vijay Setia, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association and executive director at Chaman Lal Setia Exports, said rice exports to Iran will continue unabated, as food and medicines usually remain outside the sanctions’ ambit. “The rupee-rial arrangement should be revived at the earliest,” he said. Ram Upendra Das, head of ·the Centre for Regional Trade, said the sanctions are unlikely to have any material impact on Indian exports to Iran as of now. There are several mechanisms through which payments can be made for bilateral trade. However, we have to wait for more details to have a precise estimate of the impact of the sanctions, he added.
Source: Financial Express
The company's aim is to achieve a sales growth of 10 percent from the textiles business, around a third of which it expects from the garments division. Arvind's consolidated numbers for the quarter and fiscal year ended March 2018 were quite decent and the company saw its branded apparel business improving further over the period. But now that it has declared its earnings, the company's proposed demerger, which would involve listing the engineering and branded apparel businesses separately, should bring the focus back to its textiles business. Arvind’s textiles business has been steadily evolving into a less capital-intensive and higher-ROCE (return on capital employed) garment division, with a reduced focus on commodity denim. Advanced materials (technical textile) is a business with high entry barriers and high margins, and is likely to be the next driver of growth for the company. While the stock has had a good run so far, its future looks promising too. So any weakness in the scrip should be used to accumulate it. In the quarter gone by, the company’s overall sales grew on the back of improved offtake in all its segments. However, prima facie, a rise in cotton prices impacted the textile segment’s margins. Arvind’s branded apparel segment, besides being on a consistent uptrend in recent times, is still well-poised to deliver healthy returns. As a result, the company is aggressively scaling up operations and marketing expenses in this space, aiming to maximise operating leverage. The engineering segment too has put on a steady show. Arvind’s power, speciality and emerging brands have been growing steadily. Since the momentum is expected to continue, the company will continue to invest in the expansion of its distribution network, with an aim to grow sales by 20-24 percent in the ongoing fiscal year. The company will incur capital expenditure of around Rs 150 crore this year for the purpose. In case of power brands, retail channels bring in only a third of the total sales. The rest comes from departmental stores, multi-brand outlets and online portals. With the latter three being more margin-accretive than exclusive brand outlets, they should continue growing at a fair click. Also, three of the company’s brands that are loss-making at the moment, may turn EBITDA positive by March 2019.
Textile segment
Vertical integration, which is currently underway, is underscored by Arvind’s Rs 500-crore capital expenditure plan being directed towards its garment manufacturing units in FY19, particularly those in Ethiopia and Jharkhand. Additionally, the company aims at increasing the allocation of manufactured fabric to such facilities from 18 percent at present to 25-30 percent over the next 2 years. The objective is to achieve a sales growth of 10 percent from the textiles business, around a third of which it expects from the garments division. Arvind recently forayed into the fast-growing athleisure category to cater to leading sportswear brands such as Nike, Adidas and Asics. By virtue of these initiatives, the company intends to earn a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore by FY20 from the textiles business.
Valuation
Arvind’s proposed demerger of its branded apparel and engineering businesses is likely to be concluded in the second half of FY19, as stated in our earlier article. This will unlock value for investors in Arvind Fashions (the branded apparel arm) and Anup Engineering, and free up cash for growing the textile segment. Arvind’s proposed demerger of its branded apparel and engineering businesses is likely to be concluded in the second half of FY19, as stated in our earlier article. This will unlock value for investors in Arvind Fashions (the branded apparel arm) and Anup Engineering, and free up cash for growing the textile segment. The stock has had a decent run in recent times. While the potential for re-rating is limited, the stock’s future appears to be in fine fettle. We would, therefore, recommend buying it whenever it corrects.
Source: Money Control
New Delhi: In a recent report on emerging trends in manufacturing, the World Bank has mentioned Textiles, Garments and Leather based industries will continue to be biggest job creators in low and medium industrialised countries like India. However, growth in export from these sectors in India has remained stunted for quite a long time, which may be a good indication of the status of these sector. More than the resultant poor export revenue, it is playing havoc with job creation. And what is more important, these sectors will remain comparatively safe and create jobs even in the era of automation and artificial intelligence. The world bank report cryptically titled’ Trouble in the Making?’ has cautioned that widespread use of robotics and 3 D printing will cause a disruptive change in the global manufacturing sector and the first casualty will be jobs. This is of great concern for countries like India where the large mass of low and zero skilled youth joining the job market can only be absorbed in the manufacturing in the low technology sectors. And here the silver lining is low skill sectors like garments and leather products will remain comparatively immune from the automation wave and continue to be job spinners. However, with a focus to hi – tech manufacturing, the policy makers probably has put the low priority tag on the traditional industries. The results are evident. Almost all sectors with high employment potential, which also contribute significantly in countries export basket, are in negative or near zero growth rate for a considerable period. Commenting on the scenario, Animesh Saxena, a leading exporter of Textiles and Garments and Member of the Central Committee of FISME, mentioned that the industry today is throttled by the current business environment – starting from arbitrarily set high minimum wages to imposition of GST on exports. While fully agreeing to the world bank report Saxena mentioned that a number of studies has brought out the high employment potential of Garments industry vis a vis capital intensive industries and its ability to absorb and skill a large number of unskilled youth. If the Government is really interested in Growth with Employment, this sector should be immediately provided relief from the arbitrary regulations, Saxena opined. The World Bank report also provides a prescription for the countries to survive with manufacturing and prescribed 3Cs – competence, connectivity and competitiveness as remedials. The report shows that while India has achieved some level of competitiveness in the internal market, its connectivity or ease of trade is much lower that other developing countries, even behind Bangladesh and Pakistan. And exactly this is being continuously advocated to the Government. The invisible barriers in the trade regime, the catch the thief approach of the revenue officials and rent seeking at every node of the import / export chain is making international trade really difficult in India. With the added confusion created by GST and also the global protectionism has made the situation hopeless particularly for the Textiles, Garments and leather exporters, largely in the MSME sector. (KN/DB)
Source: Knn India
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1401.05 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
VSF |
2182.02 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
ASF |
2951.22 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Polyester POY |
1457.56 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Nylon FDY |
3343.67 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
40D Spandex |
5651.28 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Nylon POY |
3594.84 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
5933.84 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Polyester FDY |
1711.08 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Nylon DTY |
3061.11 |
USD/Ton |
-0.51% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
3061.11 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
Polyester DTY |
1742.48 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2959.07 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
2178.88 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
2998.32 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
2323.30 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2543.08 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
3123.90 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2684.36 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.46 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.90 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.25 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.70 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.74 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
5/10/2018 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.15968 USD dtd. 7 /5/2018). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
KARACHI: Huge amount of exporters’ liquidity of billions of rupees in shape of refunds of sales tax claims, customs rebate, withholding tax and payments of DDT and DLTL have been stuck up with the government causing great sufferings to the already harassed and burdened exporters who are now at a loss to understand how to make both ends meet and such an alarming situation will ruin the export business of the value-added textile exporters. The government has been making just announcements without any firm commitment to release the refund claims since last several years. “If the refunds are not paid, more than 30% Industry shall be compelled to closure leading to massive unemployment which may create severe law and order situation,” lamented Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum. He said that in the history, there was never such hardships caused to the Value Added Textile Exporters who were battling for their survival in the global market against severe competition from better endowed neighbouring and other competing countries in the face of the severest ever liquidity crunch in the so-called sitting business-friendly government. Sales tax refund claims and customs rebate claims are not being paid to them for no reason at all. He stated that under section 10 of the Sales Tax Act 1990, sales tax refunds to exporters are required to be paid within 45 days and under Sales Tax Rules, 2006 as per Expeditious Processing and Payment of Refunds, Concerned RTO /LTU will arrange issuance of cheque for the amount cleared by RMS within 7 working days for the receipt of the E-RPO. In-spite the above section and rules, exporters refunds of sales tax and customs rebate claimed approx. 1.5 years back are still pending with the government. He articulated that value-added textile export sector is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy earns the major amount of foreign exchange and revenue for the government. Besides, the sector is also labour-intensive and largest employment provider and generator. He focused that to overcome the challenges, to provide an enabling business environment in country and to create level playing field for textile exporters it is crucial that the Government, instead of lip-service, before concluding its tenure, must take practical steps and measures to facilitate the textile export industry in real sense while according priority to resolve their issues and problems and immediately release long pending refunds of textile exporters.
Source: The Nation
Entrepreneurs from China are considering making investment in the Yangon region of Myanmar. They have discussed the expansion of garment industry in Yangon industrial zones with the Yangon Region Investment Committee, according to Myanmarese media reports. The garment industry in Myanmar is rapidly growing due to demand from the EU and Asian countries. Myanmar already has several garment factories in joint venture with entrepreneurs from Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea. The garment industry in Myanmar mainly caters to the cut-make-pack (CMP) system. The industry employs over 350,000 people with women constituting 90 per cent of the workforce. In fiscal 2017-18, Myanmar earned $2.58 billion from CMP garment exports. Most of the shipments were destined to the European countries and Japan. (RKS)
Source:Fibre2Fashion
Exports grew 7.11 percent year-on-year to $2.95 billion in April riding on the higher shipment of garment items. though the receipt is 0.51 percent higher than the monthly target of $2.94 billion, it was the lowest in six months Overall, exports rose 6.41 percent year-on-year to $30.40 billion in the July-April period. The earnings narrowly missed the periodic target of $30.49 billion, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau. Garments exports grew 9.37 percent year-on-year to $25.30 billion in the first 10 months of the fiscal year. Knitwear exports rose 11.43 percent to $12.54 billion and woven garments exports were up 7.42 percent to $12.76 billion. The shipment of garments, which account for more than 80 percent of the national export, grew because of the increased sales of high-value items and the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar, according to exporters. “We will be able to achieve more than 10 percent garment export growth at the end of the fiscal year as the trend in the international market shows very bright prospects,” said Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. “At the end of the current fiscal year, we will be able to surpass the garment export of $30 billion for the first time," he said. He said the country's garment factories are full of orders from international retailers and brands, thanks to the massive progress in workplace safety carried out by the Accord, the Alliance and the government. The exporters also benefitted from the depreciated exchange value of the taka. On Wednesday, the interbank exchange rate was Tk 83.10 per US dollar, up from Tk 80.50 a year earlier, according to central bank data. Frozen and live fish exports grew 2.32 percent to $434.97 million on the back of the higher demand in Europe. Shipment of agricultural products such as fruits and spices was up 16.77 percent to $543.18 million. Cement, salt and stone fetched $11.08 million, up 33.01 percent, and pharmaceuticals brought home $85.96 million, an increase of 14.84 percent. Cotton, cotton products, and yarn exports went up by 19.01 percent to $108.22 million in the July-April period. Jute and jute goods also fared well as the demand for the goods made in Bangladesh from the natural fibre is rising. In July-April, jute and jute goods fetched $889.74 million, up 7.66 percent. Home textile export rose 13.07 percent to $751.67 million, footwear 5.29 percent to $205.30 million and furniture 21.86 percent to 51.68 million. On the other hand, exports of plastic goods fell 19.92 percent to $81.19 million in July-April. Leather and leather goods sector, the second largest export earner after garments, fetched $916.74 million in the 10-month period, down 10.02 percent. The shipment of leather and leather goods was hit largely by the relocation of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar as production was hampered. All the 155 tanneries have been relocated, but only 25 of them have so far been able to start production in their new location, industry people said.
Source: The Daily Star
LAHORE - Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association has urged the government to take into confidence all the stakeholders including the value-added textile sector on formation as well as the implementation of the federal budget. In a letter written to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PRGMEA Senior Vice Chairman Sheikh Luqman Amin stressed the need for taking all real stakeholders onboard in finalisation of all trade and industrial policies. He said that PRGMEA from the very beginning held the stance that the implementation of policies without taking all the stakeholders onboard will not be fruitful. He criticized the PM for holding a meeting with the textile sector representatives recently to discuss the post-budget scenario, but it was missing by the apparel industry representation. "Therefore, PRGMEA delegation would like to meet the PM at his office on urgent basis to highlight the concerns of apparel sector and to find out the ways and means for enhancing the export," he said. He said that PRGMEA is the main stakeholder of the apparel sector. And apparel industry is playing a pivotal role in foreign exchange earnings and generating large employment in the whole textile chain and exporting up to $5 billion textile products. He said that the government should be fully interactive with all stakeholders before formulation and legislation of its policies.
Source: The Nation
HÀ NỘI — The textiles and garment industry gained the second-largest export value in the first four months of this year, after the export value of phones and their components, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The export value of textiles and garments in the first four months was estimated at US$8.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.7 per cent. Regarding the export markets, the ministry said in the first three months of the year, the United States ranked first, with the export value of textiles and garments from Việt Nam reaching $3.04 billion, a year-on-year surge of 11.6 per cent. This accounted for 47.3 per cent of the total garment export value. The export value of textiles and garments from Việt Nam to Japan reached $855.44 million, 19.6 per cent higher than the same period last year, accounting for 13.3 per cent of the total export value. The export value of textiles and garments to South Korea stood at $798.6 million and $268.95 million to China, an increase of 14.8 per cent and 40.9 per cent, respectively, against the same period in 2017. Meanwhile, the value rose by 11.8 per cent to reach $806.23 million worth of exports to the European Union and by 26 per cent to $228.36 million worth of exports to the ASEAN market compared to the same period last year. To reach the target of $35 billion in total textiles and garment export value for this year, the Việt Nam Textile and Apparel Association has asked enterprises to fully exploit the working capacity of their workers as well as restructure their management practices to improve labour productivity. Besides maintaining and developing export markets such as the United States, European Union, Japan and South Korea, the enterprises should focus on developing other markets such as ASEAN, Eurasian Economic Union, India and Latin American countries, including linkage with the distribution system in the local market.
Source: Viet Nam News
The increasing preference for using offshore production could push the New Zealand textile industry to die off within two years, the founder of an outdoor apparel brand says. Over 40 years to 2016, the number of jobs in textile, clothing and footwear plunged from 47,000 to just 9500. Davey Hughes, who started Swazi in 1993, said New Zealand factories were being priced out of the market by cheaper overseas suppliers. "It's chiselling away at the foundation of the apparel industry in New Zealand," he said. "Each year we see more and more government departments taking all of their uniforms, their clothing, their safety equipment offshore to be manufactured simply because New Zealand manufacturers aren't as competitive as those in the Far East." Mr Hughes said the textile industry had been in a steep decline for some time and would probably die by 2020. "I think it'll be incredibly sad ... People who sew garments, you know, they're craftspeople and it's a craft that once you lose it, you lose it forever," he said. "I think we're so close to that actually happening." "In Auckland, there is a woman and she is a genius at button-holing. "Now, everyone who has ever judged iD has had a buttonhole made by her, and she is looking to retire and sell her business," he said. "No-one is buying her business and when she retires I will stop making jackets with buttons and just put zips on them, because there won't be anyone to put buttons on my garments." World owner Dame Denise L'Estrange-Corbet said this week her company had been selling T-shirts made in Bangladesh for "approximately seven years", after the factories with the machinery they needed to make their T-shirts all closed down. Before the World controversy, designer Annah Stretton said she had to move production to China, because there were no machines left in New Zealand that could create the intricate detailing for which she is known. "From our point of view, there's a lot of femininity, a lot of froufrou ... there's a lot of trimming, there's a lot of colour, there's a lot of print," she said. "That is a lot harder to get here." Statistics from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment showed that in 2009, the export value of tapestries, trimmings and embroidery was $5million, while its value in 2017 was just $2million. In addition to the struggles faced with production moving offshore, Mr Hughes said new costs such as the rise in the minimum wage meant keeping production local was only going to get harder. "Everything that gets pushed against us is just making it so unsustainable," he said. Mr Hughes said there should be more factories like his in regional towns to improve the economic sustainability of local and national economies.
Source: Otago Daily Times
The Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB) signed a deal with the International Labor Organization (ILO) to provide employment for Syrian refugees in Turkey. The project aims to integrate refugees in the workforce. The İHKİB and ILO will cooperate on the project in cities with a high population of refugees. The Turkish association's president Mustafa Gültepe says they would coordinate businesses' recruitment of refugees, from the production process to their social adoption and management of human resources, in order to boost employment of refugees. ILO's Turkey director Numan Özcan says the international body was working since 2015 for integration of Syrian refugees to the Turkish workforce and the project would be carried out in 10 cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa. "We believe that collaboration with İHKİB is highly important in the apparel industry where Syrians and host communities are, or have the potential of being, employed in large numbers. As a most important sectoral organization with more than 7,000 members representing the Turkish apparel industry, the İHKİB makes significant contributions to the sector and Turkish economy," Özcan said. Under the deal, the association's members will be informed on incentives for employment and on-site consulting services would be provided to companies for proper recruitment of refugees. Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million refugees from war-torn Syria, the largest Syrian refugee community in the world. The country is praised for its continuous humanitarian aid to displaced Syrians and modern refugee camps in its border cities. Still, only a small fraction of the large refugee population live in these camps and others mostly depend on aid. With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria which broke out in 2011, Turkey seeks for ways for integration of refugees. It started issuing work permits to refugees two years ago. One-year permits that can be renewed are confined to the textile, construction and manufacturing sectors.
Source: Daily Sabah
Turkey's apparel exports increased by 11.4% in the January-March period of 2018, rising to $4.52 billion in value (2017 - $4.06 billion). During the period, knitted apparel exports commanded the largest share at 50.6%. Woven apparel’s share was 37%. During the period, $3.2 billion worth of ready-to-wear garments were exported to EU countries with Turkey exporting 71.4% of all EU garment exports. Exports of knitted garments increased by 9.8% compared to the same period last year, rising by $2.3 billion. 21.8% of Turkey's exports of knitted garments went to Germany, 13.1% went to UK, 9.9% to Spain, 5.8% to the Netherlands and 5.5% to Iraq. T-shirts, athletic wear and similar items of clothing were among the most exported products, totalling $826.9 million. This was followed by knitted sweaters, cardigans, vests and similar garments at $331.2 million. Exports of items including women's knitted suits, jackets, skirts, pants, overalls, and shorts totalled $316. Exports of socks in the first three months of 2018 stood at $262.4 million.
Source: Knitting Industry
Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says the tax stamp policy is going to be extended to textiles. According to Emmanuel Kofi Nti, this move by the GRA will help deal with issues faced by the local textile industry including counterfeiting and smuggling of cheap textile to the detriment of the local textile industry. “We are to ensure that only certified goods come to the market and that we do not condone pirated goods and smuggled textiles to ensure that the local textiles do not suffer. The tax stamps will not only improve revenue generation in the sector but also sanitize it,.” he revealed. Mr Kofi Nti spoke to JoyBusiness at the presentation of 15 pickup trucks to GRA by the Danish embassy. The fight against pirated textiles continues to intensify especially by the Coalition of Textile Workers which earlier petitioned the government to double efforts in clamping down pirated textiles on the Ghanaian market. Industry players in the textiles industry say the presence of these substandard products on the markets is collapsing local businesses. Earlier, the Dutch ambassador to Ghana, Ron Strikker, says current counterfeiting of textiles in the country is scaring foreign investors and industry players away. The ambassador has revealed that the Ghana Printing Textiles Limited (GTP) which remains on the brink of collapse, can no longer compete with the influx of counterfeit materials from China and neighbouring African countries. The Excise Tax Stamp Scheme is in accordance with the Excise Tax Stamp Act 2013, Act 873. The Excise Tax Stamp is a specially designed digital stamp with security features which will be affixed on specified excisable goods in Ghana whether locally manufactured or imported to show that taxes and duties have been paid or will be paid on them. The aim of the policy is to control the importation and local production of excisable goods for revenue purposes, check illicit trading, smuggling and counterfeiting of excisable products, check under-declaration of goods and protect and increase tax revenue.
Source: MyJoyonline.com
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan wants to export its cotton to Pakistan, and both the countries have decided to facilitate bilateral trade. According to official announcements made here on Thursday, the ceremony of signing the agreed minutes of Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral trade meeting was held on 8th May, 2018, at the Ministry of Commerce. The agreed minutes were inked by Mohammad Younus Dagha, Commerce Secretary from Pakistani side; whereas, Kamila Sidiqi, Deputy Minister for Industries and Commerce, affixed signatures on the minutes on behalf of the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Federal Minister for Commerce, Mohammad Pervaiz Malik; Omar Zakhilwal, Afghanistan Ambassador to Pakistan, officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Textiles, members of the Afghan ministerial delegation and embassy officials were present on the occasion. It is worth mentioning here that the Afghan ministerial delegation who arrived in Islamabad on 7th May, 2018, had been holding policy and expert level talks with Pakistani counterparts for improvement of trade relations. After the signing ceremony, both sides had a brief discussion and expressed desire to enhance trade relations between the two countries by overcoming existing challenges/impediments through frequent interaction and extending facilitation. The announcement by the Prime Minister of Pakistan during his recent visit to Afghanistan regarding removal of regulatory duties on import of Afghan products was discussed during the recent visit and talks. As per discussions on 8th May, 2018, at the Ministry of Commerce, Afghanistan side, requested for removal of the RDs from fresh fruits, vegetables, dry-fruits and other goods. The Ministry of Commerce assured Afghanistan of accommodating its request to all possible extent. In addition it was also agreed to facilitate Afghan cotton exports to Pakistan. The Afghan delegation thanked the Pakistani government for their hospitality and for showing the spirit of accommodation about concerns of Afghan side on SPS/Quarantine certification and regulatory duties. The ambassador of Afghanistan assured to remove impediments in bilateral and transit trade with Pakistan.
Source: The News International
Uzbekistan and Turkey are planning to create a wholesale trade centre called Textilkent for textile products and knitted garments. The centre will be inspired by similar centres created in Turkey and Europe. Preliminary agreements were made on the establishment of this project during president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Uzbekistan. A Turkish business delegation led by president Erdogan recently visited Uzbekistan. A forum that witnessed the participation of Turkish and Uzbek companies was held at the Uzexpocenter. The Uztekstilprom association made a presentation for the delegation, informing them about its achievements and prospects and opportunities for international cooperation in the textile sector. The idea for the creation of Textilkent was suggested during a meeting held with Mehmet Demezoglu, the head of Demez Oglu which manufactures and supplies products to some big brands including Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino and Aeronautica, as per the Uzbek media reports. Negotiations were held between Turkish companies and various Uzbek firms, which can become their potential trade partners. Detailed information of the Uzbekistan textile industry was also provided to the Turkish delegation to attract foreign investment. Joint ventures between the companies of the two nations for manufacturing finished textiles, hosiery, knitwear and sewing products, curtains and more could also be on the cards. A meeting was also conducted between the Uzbek representatives and Nail Olpak, the president of the council for foreign economic relations of Turkey, to discuss the reduction of excise duties on products from Uzbekistan. Trade between the two countries amounted to $1.5 billion in 2017. Uzbekistan exported textile products like cotton yarn, carpets, knitted fabrics and goods, sewing goods and more worth $109.5 million to Turkey in the same year. The figure has already reached $40 million for these products in Q1 2018.
Source: Fibre2fashion
The age of fast fashion has led to a need for faster design technology, but breakthroughs to produce a better 3-D platform have been moving slowly. During the first half of 2018, leaders in the apparel-technology segment have elevated their digital solutions to generate realistic patterns, accurate samples and streamline product lifecycle management (PLM). Last week, Connecticut-based Gerber Technologylaunched its latest version of AccuMark 3D. Through partnerships with technology companies such as San Francisco–based startup Avametric, a provider of fabric simulation tools, and Israel’s Virtuality.Fashion, which provides applications to generate realistic digital imagery, Gerber Technology wants to digitize vital design resources. With this most recent installment, Gerber Technology has provided a solution that facilitates the process from simple sketches to interaction with consumers, explained Mary McFadden, executive director of CAD product management for Gerber Technology. “We have really good integration of data flow between these systems, as well as the ability to integrate with external systems that our customers use because they have many tools they need to use in their process, so having 3-D product offerings makes our offerings more robust and complete,” she said. By utilizing this technology, every person who contributes to the apparel-making process can easily make detailed changes to digital patterns, illustrating in real time how they can achieve a specific style, without the challenges of shipping patterns or samples. “By allowing the artwork to actually be in the CAD data, you can eliminate these hard pieces going along the factory floor,” McFadden said. “It really helps with communicating instructions to factories, especially when they don’t speak your language, because often you have these huge language barriers.” Through using integrated software solutions from one source at every stage of design, brands can eventually utilize the technology for merchandising and virtual try-on for customers. “Rather than doing photo shoots with the samples and the colorways that you would need to populate an e-commerce website, you could use 3-D simulations instead,” McFadden explained. Offering a comprehensive system for apparel design was also the goal at Lectra, the French technology-solutions provider, which recently upgraded its 3-D technology to streamline the Fashion PLM 4.0 platform. Through its Connected Development application, which was launched during the first quarter of 2018 along with the company’s Connected Design, Lectra now features enhanced tools for patternmaking, 3-D sampling and marker making. Believing this is the natural evolution of the business, Carlos Jimenez, professional services manager for fashion and apparel, explained how the new application ties together loose ends. “The Connected Development is that portion of the Lectra PLM 4.0 that includes the application, which involves pattern developers, technical designers, 3-D sampling and marker making,” he said. “It’s those applications that are packaged in Connected Development.” Reapproaching its 3-D platform to become integrated with a 2-D patternmaking feature was integral to upgrading this technology to create easy communication between a designer and the team that interprets his or her designs. “The 3-D sample can be used early in the design process to make decisions in terms of style lines, the size of the garment or ensure the vision of the designer is clearly communicated and understood by the technical-design team or patternmakers,” Jimenez revealed. “It can also be used later for fitting purposes, which is a very strong feature for Lectra’s 3-D offering.” Despite the influence of fast fashion on apparel-industry software innovation, there is also a push for more sustainable solutions to make the design process more efficient for the planet. “Companies are being more conscientious about our impact on the planet, and we have customers who come to us to have samples faster,” Jimenez said. “The 3-D was very slow and now it’s becoming a reality. People are looking at samples on screen and seeing what it looks like as a final product.” In addition to fully integrating these necessary fashion design steps into digital platforms, technology providers are excited to develop applications that allow detailed samples to be viewed and altered by professionals who might be located in different corners of the world. Developing a product that provided a crisp, digital vision of designs was the goal of Amnon Shalev, the chief executive of Virtuality.Fashion, whose technology allows fashion brands to bypass 2-D patternmaking, creating a detailed sample in less than 48 hours. Based on software created for the video-game and movie industries, the applications provide a realistic vision of designs. “There is pressure on designers to introduce new collections faster, more collections in a single season and faster to the market. If you have to do 3-D and go through 2-D, it takes time,” Shalev said. “With our technology you don’t have to go through 2-D. Presentations can be done very fast for buyers and management.” Through investing in innovative upgrades to their own software and joining cutting-edge digital partners, apparel-software providers are creating virtual creative spaces and options to help designers reduce waste, cut costs and bring collections to market faster.
Source: Apparel News
