Indian Textiles industry though extremely fragmented in terms of size it often responds swiftly to policy encouragement and takes lead in growth and investments. Accordingly large investment was made in Manmade Fibre sector (MMF). In 2017 total global trade of Textile and apparel recorded US$ 789 billion of which US$ 387 billion was that of the synthetic based textile and apparel accounting for 49% while in India’s product basket synthetic textiles has a share of only 32%. Evidence indicates that Global markets are shifting from exports of cotton yarn to MMF. Hence India must take steps to keep pace with the global markets by increasing production and exports of MMF products competitively. India’s per capita consumption of Manmade Fibre is around 3.0 kg whereas the world per capita consumption of same is 8.0 Kg. There is a wide gap and tremendous opportunity for enhancing the consumption of MMF based Textiles and clothing in India. Hence considering the huge opportunities in the global market and growing demand from the domestic market Government need to formulate encouraging specific policies for enhancing the growth of synthetic sector in India. Polyester Staple Fibre and Polyester Yarns are used in the manufacturing of fabrics which are primarily used by the common man and are in specific called as ‘Poor Man’s fabric’. It is known so primarily because it is low cost as compared to cotton and secondarily for its maintainability. Therefore in view of Indian Textile Industry’s role to clothe the masses and its potential to provide huge job opportunities especially to the rural poor and women our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji has included the textile industry as an important component of Make In India program. Accordingly the need of the hour to boost the growth of the Indian Synthetic Textile industry is to provide fibre neutrality rates in the GST. This will give a big push to the sector both in production and exports leading to higher value addition and valuable employment generation in the downstream segments. Parity in duties with other fibres is maintained in our neighboring countries like China Indonesia Thailand and Turkey. The Government’s decision for reducing GST rate from 18% to 12% on Man Made Filament & Yarns will definitely revitalize this segment. However the woes of Synthetic yarn and Fibre manufacture and the basic raw materials PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid – H.S. Code No. 29173600) and MEG (Mono Ethylene Glycol – H.S. Code No. 29053100) are still continuing. The GST on Man Made Fiber (Polyester Fiber) (H.S. Code – 55032000) has been kept at 18% even though this is also spun into yarns and ultimately used in fabrics having GST of 5%. For manufacturing Polyester Staple Fibre (PSF) and Polyester Filament Yarn (PFY) the key ingredients used are PTA and MEG. These raw materials constitute around 80% of the value of the product. These are being taxed @ 18%. Other minor additives also have a duty rate of 18% or higher. Thus all these input materials comprising around 83-85% of the product cost have a tax rate of 18%. The details of GST rates pertaining to the Polyester industry are given in Annexure 1. The existing GST rate on PTA MEG and Staple Fibre of 18% will not only lead to the inflationary pressure on the entire value chain but will also be huge set back to the industry leading to lower capacity utilization and overall stress to capital invested. In recent times Indian Textile Industry is going through severe stress due to factors like lack of global demand and also lull in the domestic sector growth due to cost disadvantage. Due to high cost of basic raw materials the overall exports of the Textiles industry in the last few years have been adversely affected. This is evident from the fact that exports of total Textiles is not only stagnant but have come down from US$37.65 Billion in 2014-15 to US$36.75 Billion in 2017-18. The details are as in Table 1. * Reduction of GST rates of these basic raw materials of Polyester Fibre viz. PTA MEG and Polyester Staple Fibre from 18 per cent to at least 12 per cent if not 5 per cent will give a boost to the growth of the Indian MMF industry which will not only fetch a sizeable foreign currency but also result in employment generation and help increase in the country’s GDP. * Reduction in the GST rates from 18 per cent to 12 per cent on PTA MEG and Polyester Staple Fibre will not lead to any revenue loss to the Government as lowering of tax rates will lead to increase in the overall consumption due lower cost in the downstream products which in turn enhance Government’s revenue. * With the reduction in GST rate the basic raw materials will become cheaper thereby helping to increase the capacity utilisation and leading to more jobs in the textiles sector. Ultimately the imports of the downstream value added products will also reduce or stop as the sector will become more competitive. In view of the above points to give a big push to the overall growth of Indian Textiles sector particularly that of the Synthetic Textiles sector the early implementation of reduction in the GST rates for the basic raw materials of PTA MEG and Polyester Staple Fibre is to be recommended from 18% to 12 % if not 5%.
Source: Tecoya Trend
NEW DELHI— With growth in direct tax collections sluggish the CBDT has directed income tax department officials to “maximize” their efforts and conduct targeted surveys and file court cases against those who wilfully evade taxes. CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra has shot off a letter to all Principal Chief Commissioners of I-T Department asking them to pull up their socks as only three months are left for the current financial year to close on March 31. “On review of the trends of growth under different minor heads it is noted that the growth in collection under regular assessment tax (recovery from arrear and current demand) is extremely low at 1.1 per cent as compared to 15.6 per cent growth during the corresponding period last year. “Most of the regions are in fact showing negative growth under regular assessment tax. This is a matter of serious concern and concerted efforts are now required to be made to drive up recovery from arrear and current demand ” the board chief said. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) frames policy for the I-T Department and supervises its work. Talking about direct tax collections Chandra said that by the end of December 2018 the growth rate has been 13.6 per cent as against the target of 14.7 per cent. “The position of growth in gross collections is marginally better at 14.1 per cent but still below achieving the budget estimates of Rs 11 50 000 crore ” he said. The CBDT chief also suggested some “strategies” to be adopted and implemented to achieve the targets. He asked the taxman to conduct “targeted recovery surveys in potential cases where high amount of recovery is likely.
Source: Tecoya Trend
The economic growth will scale a three-year peak of 7.2% in the current fiscal, against 6.7% a year before, as a recovery in the investment cycle is expected to soften the blow of a slowdown in private consumption, according to the advance estimate released by the Central Statistics Organisation on Monday. However, a projected marginal drop in FY19 nominal GDP from the budgeted target will exert further pressure on a poll-bound government — already facing a shortfall in indirect tax receipts and scouring for resources to make up for it — to either cut expenditure in excess of Rs 2,500 crore or shore up revenue to that extent from its budgetted goals to maintain its fiscal deficit aim of 3.3%.The CSO’s estimate is lower than the Reserve Bank of India’s GDP growth projection of 7.4% for FY19, although it’s higher than that of some private analysts who had lowered their projections to around 7% in recent months. Manufacturing has showed signs of a pick-up and is now forecast to grow 8.3% this fiscal year, compared with 5.7% in the previous year. Farm and allied sector growth is projected at 3.8%, up from 3.4%. Growth in construction, which got hit after demonetisation, is expected to recover to 8.9% in FY19, against just 5.7% a year before. Financial, real estate and professional services will grow 6.8% in FY19, compared with 6.6% in the last fiscal, the CSO said. On the demand side, however, growth in private final consumption expenditure, a key driver of the economic growth in recent years, is expected to falter to 6.4% in FY19 from 6.6% a year before. Even the government final consumption expenditure is expected to grow at a slower pace — 9.2% in FY19, against 10.9% in the pear before. However, gross fixed capital expenditure is expected to stage a rebound — it will grow 12.2% in FY19 against 7.6% in the last fiscal. Consequently, while the share of such fixed investment in GDP is expected to rise from 31.4% in FY18 to 32.9% this fiscal, that of private consumption will fall. Some analysts however expressed doubts about the sustainability of the recovery in private investments. In a report last month, Nomura said: “Lower oil prices have created a positive environment for India, but we are downbeat on the economic outlook as we expect the economy to transition from a growth sweet-spot in 2018 to a soft patch in 2019.” GDP growth had fallen to a worse-than-expected 7.1% in the second quarter, from 8.2% in the previous quarter, dragged down by a slower consumer spending and farm growth. With the fall in global crude oil prices and strengthening of the rupee in recent weeks, the government plans to prop up rural demand through higher spending and a financial package for farmers, likely in the annual budget to be presented on February 1.
Source: Financial Express
New Delhi: While addressing at the awards ceremony of 'Threads of Excellence', Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu said, "Textiles sector is the second largest industry after agriculture in terms of economic contribution and employment generation. It currently employs over 10 crore people directly and indirectly. Women account for 70% of the total workforce employed in the garment sector." "I would like the sector to focus on improving quality and tapping the opportunities in the global market to increase India's share in exports. This is the ideal time for the industry to discard outdated technology and modernise its machinery to be global competitive, he further added."
Source: Business Standard
India is projected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the current and next fiscal, the finance ministry said recently citing statistics from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Stressing on the various government initiatives to boost investor confidence, it said the economy is on track to maintain a high growth rate in the current global environment. The World Bank ranked India 77th in its Ease of Doing Business report last year. The average growth of the Indian economy between 2014-15 and 2017-18 was 7.3 per cent, fastest among the major economies in the world, the ministry said in its year end review. The initiatives include measures to boost manufacturing, comprehensive reforms in the foreign direct investment policy, special package for the textile industry, push to infrastructure development by giving infrastructure status to affordable housing and focus on coastal connectivity. The country witnessed moderate inflation during 2017-18, it noted. (DS)
Source: Fibre2fashion
The ministry of textiles has conferred Pratibha Syntex managing director (MD) Shreyaskar Chaudhary with Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award in the textile sector, in the category of garments and made-ups. He was awarded for his initiatives in the area of product innovation, process innovation, sustainability initiatives and marketing & branding innovation. With a motto of 'minimise environmental impact and maximise social impact', Chaudhary ensured 100 per cent waste water is recycled and 95 per cent of which is reused back to the system. Almost 90 per cent of the wastes generated in different processes are either recycled or reused. Cotton wastes are converted into stationery items for internal use. "We have ensured 30 per cent of our power usage coming through renewable energy. Installation of biomass briquette boiler and plantation of 3 lakh trees resulted in significant reduction in GHG emission," said Chaudhary on the processes adopted at Pratibha Syntex. "Pratibha Syntex Limited has a deep concern for the people we have launched 'India of my dream' initiative to empower women residing in slums. Our Gyan Peeth initiative develops skills of local communities and provides them employment. Till now, more than 5,000 people are trained in yarn spinning & garment manufacturing. We have announced interest-free housing to fulfill the dream of associates and employees to have their own home, besides holding regular health check-up camps under the supervision of specialised doctors and counselors. To support the education of the children of employees & associates, a scholarship programme has been initiated," he explained. In association with C&A Foundation, Chaudhary established first certified C2C (Cradle to Cradle) garments, contributing towards the circular fashion. He initiated significant innovation in business practices, where majority of our raw materials are sustainable, which includes sustainable cotton, recycled polyester, spun dyed viscose, linen, tencel etc. Under his leadership, Pratibha Syntex achieved 90.5 sustainability score in Higg Index parameter for its main plant. The Higg Index, developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, is a suite of tools that enables to accurately measure and score a company or product’s sustainability performance. Chaudhary has promoted company as More than Responsible Textile', which abides by sustainable development goals. (RR)
Source: Fibre2fashion
On a cold January evening, a host of political leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs and artisans got together at the newly refurbished Red Fort complex, not for any political event but to celebrate the artisans of India from the ramparts of the historic monument. The Ministry of Textiles organised ‘Artisan Speak’ on Saturday, an event to showcase India’s textiles and honour the people behind the loom, at Red Fort’s Sawan Pavilion, with the stunning Zafar Mahal forming the backdrop. Union Minister for Textiles, Smriti Z Irani, presented Special Recognition Awards to seven individuals and an organisation for their contribution to the textile sector, while also honouring 13 master artisans for their work in the handloom industry. These weavers — six Padma Shri awardees and seven Sant Kabir awardees — included Ramkishore Chippa from Rajasthan, an expert in Bagru and dabu hand blockprinting, Gajam Anjaiah from Andhra, who weaves Ikat and Kota saris, and Langpoklakpam Subadani Devi from Manipur, known for her work in art weaving. Irani called the event “historic” as it brought together weavers and fashion designers on a single platform. Raghvendra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, added, “While planning an event of this scale at Red Fort, we kept the sensitivity of the monument in mind. The event marks the beginning of an outreach programme by the Ministry towards the artisans, by linking them with the verticals of big garment manufacturers.” A similar programme was organised at Kolkata’s historic Old Currency Building on Monday evening, while the Ministry also plans to hold such events in other parts of the country.
Weaving in History
The 13 Padma Shri and Sant Kabir Awardees, who were honoured at Artisan Speak. Even as the weavers didn’t speak at the event, their presence in the front row of the fashion gala spoke for itself. The ceremony gave way to a fashion showcase by some of India’s top designers known for working with traditional textiles and craft — Anita Dongre, Anju Modi, Gaurang Shah, Rahul Mishra, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Rohit Bal. One saw a melange of chikankari, gotta-patti and kanjeevaram, being juxtaposed against the rich history of the venue. Mishra presented a chikankari-heavy collection of saris, long jackets and dresses in muted shades of white, teal, beige and baby pink, while Shah presented kanjeevaram saris in bold hues in the trademark gold weave. Dongre struck to her forte and presented a velvet-heavy collection embellished with her signature gotta-patti, whereas Bal brought in an Elizabethan flair to the evening with his voluminous gowns that had fitted vicaresque collars and sleeves, in shades of white. Singh played on the overwhelming levels of pollution in Delhi by pairing face masks with white ensembles and gold sneakers. Modi, too, presented an ornate and heavily embellished collection. Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) president Sunil Sethi, organisers of the show, said: “This was an evening of firsts — the first time that such an event was held in the surreal setting of Red Fort the first time that we paid tribute to India’s top master weavers and crafts persons and, most certainly, the first time that these artisans came together on a common platform with fashion designers and other creative individuals who have contributed so much to the textile industry.” Sethi also bagged the Special Recognition Award for promoting handicraft and textiles, and for his pursuit of the Made in India ideology. Meanwhile, the Outstanding Achievement Award was conferred upon textile designer and conservationist Madhu Jain, who has introduced India to bamboo fibre, an eco-friendly alternative textile, and also developed the world’s first bamboo-silk Ikat textile.
Source: Indian Express
MUMBAI — A sudden surge in crude prices can upset the nation’s key macro-stability parameters as it can sharply spike the current account deficit (CAD) inflation and the fiscal numbers whittling the benefits of higher growth warns an RBI study. Since the country is heavily dependent on oil imports to the tune of over 80 per cent for meeting its domestic demand it remains susceptible to global crude price shocks. Besides CAD rise in crude prices can also impact inflation and fiscal deficit says the report. The international crude prices increased by around 12 per cent between April and September 2018. The mid-year spike in crude prices happened mainly due to spurt in demand on the back of global growth revival and partly due to geopolitical risks that led to supply-side shocks. However since mid- November 2018 the crude prices have declined significantly but they remain volatile. “An increase in crude price worsens the CAD and this adverse impact cannot be significantly contained through a higher growth. So a crude price shock will be followed by high CAD to GDP ratio ” says the latest issue of the Mint Street Memos titled ‘The Impact of Crude Price Shock on CAD Inflation and Fiscal Deficit’ pencilled by in-house economists at the central bank. The finding shows that in the worst case scenario when crude prices hit USD 85/barrel the deficit on account of oil balloons to USD 106.4 billion which is 3.61 per cent of the GDP. “Every USD 10/barrel increase in crude prices leads to an additional USD 12.5 billion deficit which is roughly 43 bps of the country’s GDP. So every USD 10/barrel increase in crude price will shoot up the CAD/ GDP ratio by 43 bps ” it says. The study says crude price shock will increase inflation if the price increase is passed on directly to the final consumers. “Under the most conservative estimate we quantify that a USD 10/barrel increase in crude price at the price of USD 65/barrel will lead to a 49 basis points increase in headline inflation. A similar increase at USD 55/barrel gives around a 58 bps increase in headline inflation” it says. Further if the government decides on a zero pass-through to the final consumers a USD 10/barrel spike in crude prices could increase the fiscal deficit by 43 bps. This zero pass-through scenario allows us to put an upper band on the amount of fiscal slippage it adds. The actual inflation and fiscal deficit will finally depend on the level of government intervention (changes in tax and subsidy) in the domestic oil market the study concludes.
Source: Tecoya Trend
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
PSF |
1256.36 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
VSF |
1950.77 |
USD/Ton |
-0.89% |
1/7/2019 |
ASF |
2345.29 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Polyester POY |
1179.20 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Nylon FDY |
2649.56 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
40D Spandex |
4760.47 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Nylon POY |
5488.37 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Acrylic Top 3D |
1455.80 |
USD/Ton |
0.50% |
1/7/2019 |
Polyester FDY |
2489.42 |
USD/Ton |
-0.58% |
1/7/2019 |
Nylon DTY |
2489.42 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Viscose Long Filament |
1390.29 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Polyester DTY |
2926.16 |
USD/Ton |
-0.50% |
1/7/2019 |
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2664.11 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
32S Polyester Yarn |
1958.05 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
45S T/C Yarn |
2853.37 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
40S Rayon Yarn |
2489.42 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2969.83 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
45S Polyester Yarn |
2474.86 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2110.91 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
10S Denim Fabric |
1.34 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
32S Twill Fabric |
0.81 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
40S Combed Poplin |
1.09 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.64 |
USD/Meter |
-0.23% |
1/7/2019 |
45S T/C Fabric |
0.69 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
1/7/2019 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.14558 USD dtd. 07/1/2019). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
Pakistan is working to rationalize the tariff structure and customs duties for the next three to four years in the next mini-budget to be presented in January 2019 to facilitate industrialisation and make those industry-friendly, according to Abdul Razak Dawood, advisor to the prime minister on commerce, textile, industry & production and investment. Addressing the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in Islamabad recently, Dawood said the new policy would be driven by industrialisation and not by revenue. The policy would support strategic industries and strengthen import substitution industries, he said. The aim is to raise exports up to $50-$150 billion by facilitating export-oriented industries, he said. Among the free trade agreements (FTAs) and preferential trade agreements (PTAs) signed with five countries, except for the FTA with Sri Lanka, all other agreements were not favourable for Pakistan, he said. Hence, the government is working to revise those FTAs and the second phase of the FTA with China would be completed by June 2019, he added. (DS)
Source: Fibre2fashion
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), effective since December 30, may push Vietnam to reform its economic institutions and improve the business climate to optimise opportunities. CPTPP will offer Vietnam better access to the nine large Asia-Pacific markets, thus helping diversification of markets, experts feel. As more than 90 per cent of import tariffs in CPTPP member markets have been lifted immediately after the deal took effect, it has opened up opportunities for Vietnamese goods to enter new markets, according to a Vietnamese newspaper report. When tariffs are cut, Vietnam can increase the export of its key products such as textile-garment and footwear without competition from other countries, said Ngo Tuan Anh, economist at the National Economics University. Garment-textile generated the biggest export earnings of more than $3.1 billion in 2017 for Vietnam with CPTPP member economies. However, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Vu Tien Loc said several free trade agreements (FTAs) have brought only modest benefits for the country. Vietnam needs to revise many regulations on trade, customs, labour and intellectual property to properly enforce the CPTPP and exploit its benefits, said Ngo Chung Khanh, deputy director of the multilateral trade policy department under the ministry of industry and trade. The CPTPP was signed by 11 member states, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam in March 2018. (DS)
Source: Fibre2fashion
Bangladesh has the scope to invest a fresh Tk 50,000 crore in the primary textile sector (PTS) over the next five years as the demand for locally made fabrics has been rising in both the domestic and international markets. The government should supply energy and industrial land at a reasonable price so that the spinners and weavers feel encouraged to invest in the sector, said Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA). Currently, the local spinners can supply 85 percent of the raw materials to the export-oriented knitwear sector and 35 to 40 percent to the woven sector. “So, Bangladesh has the opening for fresh investment in woven fabrics production,” Khokon said at a press conference at the BTMA office in Dhaka yesterday to announce the 16th Dhaka International Textile and Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG) 2019. The newly-elected BTMA president is hopeful that local weavers can supply 60 percent of the requirement for woven fabrics in the next five years, which will also reduce the dependence on imports, especially from China and India. Bangladeshi garment makers use 12 billion metres of fabrics in a year for making the export-oriented garment items. Of the quantity, domestic weavers can supply 3 billion metres of fabrics, with the rest imported from India and China. The garment manufacturers have been spending billions of US dollars every year as the domestic textile millers cannot meet all the demand. “So, we have a very good scope for further investment in this sector. We have already demanded a separate economic zone from the government to set up new industries,” Khokon said, adding that total investment in the PTS at present is Tk 70,000 crore. In the last one year, a total of Tk 6,896 crore was invested by entrepreneurs to set up 19 spinning mills, 23 fabrics mills and two dyeing printing mills, he said. The main impediments for the sector are land and energy. He demanded that the government fix the prices of liquefied natural gas at an affordable level so that the industries do not face any challenge. The government has proposed to increase the LNG price to more than Tk 14 per unit, but the factory owners have been suggesting that the government fix a lower price. The local textile millers did not take the connections of LNG due to the higher prices fixed by the government, he said. “We are lobbying with the government to lower the LNG prices so that the industry owners can easily get connections.” Another problem of the sector is the illegal import of fabrics, especially from India, he said. The local millers are capable of meeting the demand for domestic users, he said, adding that unfortunately some unscrupulous traders are meeting this demanding by illegally importing from India. The listed textile mills have been unable to give dividends for years mainly due to higher bank interest rate, high energy prices and other operational costs. The BTMA chief said some of the old factories, which used to ensure supplies to the local market, were closed mainly due to financial problems. The law enforcement agencies used to conduct raids in different markets to seize illegally imported sarees and other fabrics but it has stopped for the last five years. He welcomed foreign investment in the PTS with a condition of prioritising the facilities for local investors. The fair will take place at International Convention City Bashundhara from January 9 to January 12. This time, 1,200 textile and garment machinery producing companies from 37 countries will showcase their wares in 1,650 booths spread across 11 halls, he said.
Source: The Daily Star
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Jan. 7, 2019) A California Lutheran University faculty member’s art exhibit exploring the textile industry and labor activism is coming to the Thousand Oaks campus after opening in Vietnam.“Garment Girl” by adjunct art faculty member Jennifer Vanderpool will be in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture from Jan. 18 through Feb. 28. Vanderpool will present a lecture at 4 p.m. Jan. 31 in William Rolland Art Center 213, and she will lead a walk-though of the exhibit at 4 p.m. Feb. 12. The exhibit interlaces Vanderpool’s own matrilineal family stories of struggle with current labor activism, evoking questions about the global textile industry and the unseen toil of garment workers in sweatshops. Her immigrant grandmother reminisced about working as a cook in a sweatshop in the Allegheny Mountains, and her mother told her stories about sewing shirt collars to pay her college tuition. “Garment Girl” features photographic prints, textiles and videos of Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles sweatshops and female textile laborers in Hanoi, Vietnam, telling their stories. Vanderpool also conducted interviews with scholars and activists in both locations. The exhibit opened in May at Heritage Space in Hanoi. A native of the Mahoning Valley in Northeast Ohio, Vanderpool works across mediums to reveal relationships between physical landscapes and the forces that shape them, knitting together narratives about forgotten institutions, people and communities. A community arts activist, Vanderpool has examined environmental issues and the floriculture industry in past installations. Her exhibits have been displayed in Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Ukraine and throughout the United States. Vanderpool has received exhibition funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs,Kunstrådet: Danish Arts Council, Kulturrådet: Swedish Arts Council, and Malmö Stad. She received National Endowment for the Arts grants for her community art outreach in Isla Vista and her curatorial work exploring the interconnections between radical art practices and social activism.She has an independent interdisciplinary doctorate in art critical practices from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Admission to the exhibit and events is free. Kwan Fong Gallery is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It is located in Soiland Humanities Center at 120 Memorial Parkway.
Source: Callutheran
We are part of what is called the "fast fashion" industry, where consumers buy cheap, low-quality clothing, wear them a few times, and then pass them on so they can wear the next new thing. As a result, more clothing is being produced and passed on. Just less than 50 per cent of second-hand clothing ends up finding a new home. The majority ends up in landfills and in incinerators. After your used shirt is donated to the goodwill bin, it is picked up and taken to a distributor. For Kamloops, the distributor is in Coquitlam. The distributor sorts the clothing and puts the stuff worth passing on into bales and sends it to countries like Kenya, Pakistan and Malaysia. The remainder goes to the landfill. After reaching its destination, the shirt is either resold at a market or recycled to make products like fleece. If it is low quality and doesn’t sell or it is of mixed materials (and therefore cannot be recycled), it is sent to landfills or burned. Recently, this global trade has been declining in volume and value. Many countries do not want our used clothes anymore, opting to grow and establish their own industries. Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Burundi intend to stop importing used clothes by this year. In North America, we produce 12 million tonnes of textile waste per year. This trade has become yet another environmental hazard.
What is the solution?
In my opinion, we need to stop consuming so much, but that is obvious and unrealistic. So, is the idea our country will stop importing cheap crap? I think we go back to purchasing higher quality, longer lasting clothing from local suppliers who source local. One shop in Kamloops that does this is Arwen’s Instinct Adornment, and I am sure there must be similar small businesses. We then take care of our clothing and wear it more often. But the cost will be higher. This does not work well for families trying to raise children on a tight budget. One idea I found through my research is to create new technology to recycle blended fabrics into new fabrics and yarns. Another idea is to turn the incinerated clothing into heat for houses in less developed countries. I know there are some foundations in Canada that take the funds from our used clothing and donate it to worthy causes. I like going on kijiji and finding families in need who are in search of free clothing for their children. I take what my daughter has outgrown and drop it off on their doorstep. This way, there is no cost involved. And of course, good coats, socks and quality footwear are always needed at our local shelters.
Source: Kamloops matters
The Presidential Steering Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Impact and Readiness Assessment will present its recommendations to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari this month. The committee held discussions over 12 weeks with industry groups and stakeholders, including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). AfCFTA is a pan-African free trade area that will create a single market for goods and services. It also aims to liberalise and facilitate the movement of investment and business people across the continent. On March 21 last year, 44 of the 55 African nations signed the AfCFTA agreement in Kigali, Rwanda. By December 2018, 49 countries had signed the agreement and 13 had ratified it. The agreement will become binding and implementation can start once 22 states ratify it. Explaining the reasons for the delay in signing of AfCFTA agreement, presidential assistant on media and publicity Garba Shehu said as opinion is divided in the country on the merits and demerits of joining the AfCFTA, the committee has commissioned a study to shed more light on the public debate on the issue in the aftermath of a recent report published by MAN. The MAN report noted that if Nigeria ratifies the agreement, import surges will range from 27.6 per cent for textile, apparel and footwear sub-sectors. The MAN study also shows differing output, employment and investment effects across manufacturing sub-sectors and the need for huge investments in chemical and pharmaceutical products and textile, apparel and footwear sectors. Therefore, another study was commissioned late last year to address the gaps in the MAN study, Shehu added. (DS)
Source : Fibre2fashion