With manmade fibre (MMF) having 70 per cent share in global fibre consumption, it has become important for India to focus on manmade textiles along with cotton textiles to achieve the growth target of $300 billion market by 2025, said CITI. Moreover, the growth of cotton is limited owing to insufficient agricultural land availability and price volatility. Expressing concern over rising imports of manmade textiles post implementation of GST, CITI chairman Sanjay K Jain has suggested that the government of India must enter into Free Trade Agreements with major markets like the EU, US, Canada and Britain for the export of MMF garments and fabrics out of India. Such benefits are available to Bangladesh, Vietnam and others. Growth seen in these countries is a result of such bilateral agreements. These countries do not even have fibre manufacturing and have concentrated on the downstream industries alone. Further, he has also requested the government to reduce GST on MMF from 18 to 12 per cent and GST on MMF raw material. Also, anti-dumping duty on PTA in the recently initiated sunset review may be discontinued. The import duty on MMF based spun yarn and fabrics should also be increased as huge surge of imports have been seen in this category post GST which is impacting spun yarn and fabric manufacturers in a big way. "The inverted duty structure in the case of MMF textiles has lead to GST paid on capital goods, services & certain inputs being added to cost in the hands of the MMF textile buyer. These taxes are not considered for calculation of refund of input tax credits. This has made MMF textiles costlier to the extent of such un-refunded taxes. This will restrict further expansion in MMF textile value chain. The Refund of Input Credits due to inverted duty is a tedious task and the smaller players are unable to avail it and even those are getting refund are facing liquidity stress. These issues are also responsible for import of MMF yarn and fabric becoming viable and preferred," explained Jain. "The downstream industries in the MMF textile value chain – spinning and weaving, which is the largest employment generator in the entire value chain is facing acute stress due to high prices of domestic staple fibre relative to what our competitors get in other countries. This affects the export competitiveness of the domestic downstream MMF textile industry and also makes the industry venerable to imports of value added MMF products," pointed out Rakesh Mehra, convenor, CITI’s sub-committee on manmade fibre & yarn. Hence, India must concentrate on increasing exports of value-added products along the value chain. Countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam have made substantial gains in their exports of apparel without really augmenting capacities in manufacturing fibre and yarn, Jain said. The import of manmade staple fibre in 2017-18 stood at 149 mn. kg which is less than 15 per cent of the total manmade staple fibre consumption in India. Hence, Mehra has suggested that the government may abstain from enhancing custom duties and levying anti-dumping duties on staple fibres. This will allow the downstream industries along the value chain to grow.
Source: Fibre2fashion
Globally, fibre consumption is dominated by man-made fibres (MMF), having 70% share in the total fibre consumption, while natural fibres constitute only 30% . It is high time India must focus on man-made textiles, along with cotton ones, to achieve the desired target of $300-billion market by 2025, said the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI). Globally, fibre consumption is dominated by man-made fibres (MMF), having 70% share in the total fibre consumption, while natural fibres constitute only 30%.Contrary to the global trend, fibre consumption in India is skewed towards natural fibres, especially cotton. The growth of cotton is limited owing to low agricultural land availability and price volatility. Hence, it had become important for India to focus on man-made textiles along with cotton ones, said Sanjay Jain, chairman, CITI, on Monday. Jain also expressed concerns over rising imports of man-made textiles after the implementation of the good and services tax (GST). In the post-GST regime import of yarn, fabrics and garments has increased substantially by 60%, 12% and 29%, respectively. The government should increase the import duty on MMF-based spun yarn and fabrics as huge surge of imports has been seen in this category post-GST which is impacting spun yarn and fabric manufacturers in a big way. Rakesh Mehra, convenor, sub-committee on MMF and yarn, CITI, said the downstream industries in the MMF textile value chain – spinning and weaving — which is also the largest employment generator in the entire value chain, are facing acute stress due to high prices of domestic staple fibre. He said this affected export competitiveness of the domestic downstream MMF textile industry and also made the sector venerable to imports of value-added MMF products. Mehra also said anti-dumping duties in the beginning of the textile manufacturing chain hurt the downstream sector. Currently, anti-dumping duty on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is `4-6 per kg and `12 per kg on viscose staple fibre (VSF). India has a huge and efficient capacity in manufacturing polyester staple fibre and VSF. Moreover, import of man-made staple fibre in 2017-18 stood at 149 million kg which is less than 15% of the total man-made staple fibre consumption in India. Hence, it has been suggested that the government may abstain from enhancing custom duties and levying anti-dumping duties on staple fibres. This would allow the downstream industries along the value chain to grow, he added. According to Jain, the inverted duty structure in the case of MMF textiles has led to the GST being put on capital goods, services and certain inputs being added to cost in the hands of the MMF textile buyer. These taxes are not considered for the calculation of refund of input tax credits. This has made MMF textiles costlier. This will curb further expansion in MMF textile value chain. The refund of input credits due to this is a tedious task and the smaller players are unable to avail it and those who are getting refund are facing liquidity stress. These issues were responsible for the import of MMF yarn and fabric becoming viable and preferred, he added. Based on the analysis of China’s export of MMF textiles and clothing, the share of value-added products such as fabric, apparel and home textiles is 85%, against 65% in India. Fibre and yarn constitute 7% of their total exports whereas the corresponding number in our case is 22%. Thus, it is only logical to conclude that India must concentrate on increasing exports of value-added products along the value chain.
Source: Financial Express
The Indian textiles ministry recently honoured 12 weavers and artisans for their outstanding work in handloom and handicrafts at a function in New Delhi, where 15 agreements were signed to facilitate foreign trade of such items. An exhibition showcasing achievements of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the textilesector was also organised. The ministry released a booklet on ease of doing business in ten languages at the National Conclave on Creating Synergy for MSMEs in Textiles Sector, according to an official release. During a 100-day outreach programme across the country, textiles ministry officials worked in coordination with state and district administrations. Exhibitions were also held in specific districts to promote sales of such products.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
New Delhi hopes to make the most of Crown Prince Mohammed Salman’s visit Saudi Arabia will look at major areas for investments in India, sign pacts with agencies such as Invest India and participate in the country’s infrastructure fund during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit on Tuesday a day after he pledged investments worth an estimated $20 billion to Pakistan. Five MoUs are expected to be signed during the Crown Prince’s visit to New Delhi in areas such as investments, tourism, housing, information and broadcasting, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. “The investments that Saudi Arabia will make in India will be very different in scope from what it will do in Pakistan. In India, it would be participating in the country’s growth story while in Pakistan it would be helping in trying to keep a debt-ridden nation’s economy from sinking,” a government official told BusinessLine. While Salman’s closeness with Pakistan demonstrated during his Islamabad visit may not have made India happy, New Delhi has decided to focus on making the most of the Crown Prince’s visit to India by forging stronger ties with Saudi Arabia, its fourth largest trade partner. Saudi Arabia also accounts for about 20 per cent of India’s oil and gas imports.
Areas of cooperation
The two sides will discuss cooperation in several other areas such as energy, including renewable energy, fertilizers, ICT, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, electronic items, agriculture, aviation and cold storages will also be discussed. “A team from the NITI Aayog recently went to Saudi Arabia to look at potential areas for cooperation. The two sides identified a number of sectors for possible cooperation and these would be discussed during the royal visit,” the official said. Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trade partner for India with bilateral trade last fiscal at $27.4 billion and also accounts for about 20 per cent of India’s oil and gas imports. Moreover, India has been identified as one of the eight strategic partners with whom Saudi Arabia intends to deepen partnership in areas of political, security, trade and investment and culture. “As part of this engagement, we are finalising the setting up of ‘strategic partnership council’ between the two countries at the ministerial level. We are confident that this will give greater thrust to our strategic partnership and take forward our discussions in a focussed and action-oriented manner. This engagement has already begun between concerned authorities of both the countries in select sectors of mutual interest especially in trade, investment and economic issues,” said TS Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) at a briefing. Salman is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind during his visit.
Source: The Hindu Business Line
The 15th Finance Commission which met the representatives of Trade and Industries bodies has noted that the tertiary sector comprising IT and ITES sectors have been the key drivers of Gross State Value Added (GSVA). GSVA is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in the sector of an economy and the Telangana’s share is over 10% of country’s IT exports. The share of secondary sector in GSVA in Telangana is the lowest among southern States. The meeting on Monday discussed the State’s need to provide impetus to the development of manufacturing sector to reduce over dependence on IT/ITES to reduce risk to growth. The meeting also discussed that out of 33 districts, only four districts -- Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Sangareddy -- have a per capital income that is above State’s average. These districts were the onces where the industry and service sector activities are concentrated -- leaving large areas of under development in the State. The State did well in GST implementation and the number of dealers post-GST increased by 37.4% and the GST revenue registered 20% growth. The State did not receive any GST compensation except for initial months, the meeting was informed.
Source: The Hindu
Despite the sharp 26% hike in minimum support price for cotton in the ongoing season hitting the textile industry to some extent, traders and government agencies have recommended a further 10-15% increase in support price for 2019-20 (Oct-Sep), to ensure farmers don't shift to other crops. In a meeting convened by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices at the beginning of this month, the Maharashtra unit of the agency recommended a 15% increase in the intervention price, according to Chairman Pasha Patel. "Our sample survey from 279 cotton-growing areas in the state found at least 15% increase in cost of production," Patel told Cogencis on the sidelines of an event to launch cotton futures on BSE. In Maharashtra, cotton and soybean are the only two competing crops during the kharif season. If the recent slump in cotton prices continues, despite the fall in output, there is a possibility of shift in acreage to the more lucrative soybean, which is trading at least 12-15% above its support price. This can be prevented by raising the minimum support price of cotton, Patel said. The Cotton Association of India has recommended a 10% increase in support price for 2019-20. However, the association has also urged a strong linkage of price with quality, and called for stricter implementation of quality parameters during intervention programmes. "We have recommended connecting the MSP to quality and a mechanism to incentivise better-quality cotton suitably," said Manish Daga of Cottonguru, who represented the Cotton Association of India at the meeting. Indian cotton has lost its bargaining power in the international market in the last few years, and more often than not, it is sold at a discount because of poor quality of the crop due to contamination or adulteration or both, said a member of the association. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, under the farm ministry, also agrees with the industry's view of an increase in support price and the need for stricter adherence to quality norms during procurement operations, said an official at the Central Institute of Cotton Research. State-owned Cotton Corp of India is likely to have recommended even a bigger hike, a trade source said. Cotton sowing normally starts late April in irrigated areas of north India, while in rain-fed regions of the country, it starts in June.
Source: Cogenics
India will soon announce World Trade Organisation (WTO)-compliant measures to boost export of apparels and textiles that will help exporters compete with Bangladesh and Vietnam, which get zero-duty access to the European Union, said textiles secretary Raghvendra Singh. Discussions have been held with the departments of commerce and revenue regarding that, he said. The textiles ministry is working on the recommendations of the committees set up to examine the WTO compatibility of the schemes, a report in a top business daily quoted Singh as saying. He, however, did not clarify on how long the popular Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS), one of the five schemes challenged by the United States at the WTO, will continue. The US wants India to do away with the scheme as the country had crossed the average per capita income level of $1,000 some time back and was no longer eligible to give export sops. Singh also indicated that the Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) scheme could be expanded to increase the level of benefits to exporters. (DS)
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Argentina on Monday invited Indian business to invest in the Latin American nation in a move to boost the current low level of bilateral trade with India and take the relationship to a higher level. Following Macri's talks with Modi on Monday, the two sides signed 10 MoUs for greater cooperation in a range of areas including in information and communications technology, nuclear energy and agriculture. Addressing the India-Argentina Business Forum here organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President Mauricio Macri said Indian enterprise is "most welcome" in Argentina in a situation of "endless potential" for economic cooperation between both nations. Macri, who arrived on his first official visit to India on Sunday, held delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier on Monday. "I invite you to participate in this process of integration between our two countries...to invest, partner and participate in the unprecedented pace of development that is taking place in Argentina," Macri said, addressing the business forum. Declaring that Argentina wants to learn from India's experience in "innovation and sustainable development," the President said his delegation includes representatives from Argentina's MSME sector, as well as business representing all the 11 provinces in the country. "There are many complementarities between both countries, for instance, that between India's EV (electric vehicles) programme target for 2030 and Argentina's lithium programme," he said. Lithium is important for solar power projects and a key element of lithium-ion batteries for EVs, while, following Modi's meeting with Macri in Argentina last year, an Indian consortium has been to the South American country to explore mining of lithium and copper. Macri pointed to potential areas of cooperation as being agro-industry, non-conventional energy sources, renewables and the knowledge economy, among others. Argentina, which supports India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), will hold its first nuclear talks with India in Mumbai later this week through the mechanism of a joint nuclear group. While the current bilateral trade stands at a modest $3 billion, Macri's visit, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, is part of efforts to upgrade the relationship to the "strategic level".Addressing the gathering earlier, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said that India is looking to expand the current preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Argentina to a "higher level." He also praised Argentina's efforts in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the context of a "new wave of protectionism."
Source: Business Standard
Value of knitwear exports rose 107 per cent and woven garment exports by 161 ssper cent. After the government increased duties on textile products to check cheaper imports from China, apparel imports from Bangladesh has more than doubled. Industry suspects that Chinese products are making a backdoor entry into the country through Bangladesh. Despite a spate of labour unrest in Bangladesh, apparel exports from that country to India grew 143 per cent between July and December to $270 million from $166 million in the same month last year, as per the data from Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau. Value of knitwear exports rose 107 per cent and woven garment exports by 161 ssper cent. “Under the free trade agreement with us, imports from Bangladesh are not subject to any duty. We suspect that Chinese fabric is making a backdoor entry through Bangladesh as garments. We have asked the government to implement the rule of origin provision for imports from Bangladesh,” said Sanjay Jain, chairman of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry. The government had doubled the duties to 20 per cent for over 300 textile products, ranging from fibre to apparels, in August, mainly to check rising imports of cheaper products from China. Imports started increasing after the implementation of GST. The effective duty rates came down as the countervailing duty of 12 per cent was done away with post-GST. In FY18, India’s textile imports jumped 16 per cent to a record $7 billion and of this around $3 billion came from China. “Cheaper imports are a threat to the existence of MSMEs, which is the backbone of India’s textile industry,” said Jain. The industry had expected that the imports will come down by at least $1 billion this year due to the increased import duties. However, Bangladesh imports have now become a growing threat. Apparels from Bangladesh are up to 30 per cent cheaper than Indian products as the labour cost is significantly lower there. Further, Bangladesh can get cheaper fabric from China. As fabric accounts for 75 per cent of the cost of apparel, cheaper fabric too adds to the savings. Proximity is an added advantage when it comes to shipping products from Bangladesh to India. Bangladesh expects the imports to rise in the coming months as well.
Source: Asian Age
|
Item |
Price |
Unit |
Fluctuation |
Date |
|
PSF |
1312.16 |
USD/Ton |
-0.45% |
2/18/2019 |
|
VSF |
1986.70 |
USD/Ton |
-0.15% |
2/18/2019 |
|
ASF |
2377.84 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Polyester POY |
1251.65 |
USD/Ton |
-0.24% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Nylon FDY |
2760.12 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
40D Spandex |
4723.20 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Nylon POY |
5564.52 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Acrylic Top 3D |
1535.04 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Polyester FDY |
2583.00 |
USD/Ton |
0.57% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Nylon DTY |
2523.96 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Viscose Long Filament |
1461.24 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
Polyester DTY |
3011.04 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
30S Spun Rayon Yarn |
2715.84 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
32S Polyester Yarn |
1999.98 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
45S T/C Yarn |
2848.68 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
40S Rayon Yarn |
3011.04 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
T/R Yarn 65/35 32S |
2509.20 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
45S Polyester Yarn |
2140.20 |
USD/Ton |
-0.68% |
2/18/2019 |
|
T/C Yarn 65/35 32S |
2523.96 |
USD/Ton |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
10S Denim Fabric |
1.36 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
32S Twill Fabric |
0.83 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
40S Combed Poplin |
1.11 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
30S Rayon Fabric |
0.65 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
|
45S T/C Fabric |
0.70 |
USD/Meter |
0% |
2/18/2019 |
Source: Global Textiles
Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.14760 USD dtd. 18/02/2019). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com. SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.
Dubai Exports has launched the 'Exporters Gateway,' a knowledge platform that provides vital economic and trade data for the UAE and Dubai as well as information on the most sought-after UAE products. The launch of the digital platform is part of the Gulfood 2019 exhibition, and one of a series of initiatives Dubai Exports seeks to implement as part of diversifying its services and exploring new channels that increase export capabilities of local companies and enable them to successfully compete in foreign markets. Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, said: "The Exporters Gateway aims to promote exports from the UAE while also enhancing export competitiveness and the quality of the exporter services we provide. The portal features a range of innovative technical solutions and digital content, which will complement our efforts to boost exports and the growth of our national enterprise in international markets." The portal will enable exporters to search for and identify opportunities across seven key sectors in more than 40 target markets globally. "Currently, the portal lists more than 60 products in which our local exporters have a competitive edge across the global markets targeted," said Al Awadi. The portal is particularly advantageous to exporters in overcoming major challenges in marketing their product, searching for partners, selecting the ideal partner, and estimating the export costs, said Abdul Rahman Al Omari, director of Exports Market Development in Dubai Exports, adding that exporters can hence easily navigate the export process and markets. "Dubai Exports seeks to help our local companies to grow and enhance their overseas trade, and accordingly we continue to deliver services and initiatives that keep them abreast of emerging trends in global consumer behaviour. The Exporters Gateway will increase business development opportunities for local companies and eliminate many obstacles that our manufacturers and exporters often face in their target markets."
Source: Khaleej Times
Textile millers' stacks of unsold yarns and fabrics are getting higher due to massive leakage of imported bonded goods to the local market and invasion of cheap Chinese and Indian substitutes, said a top BTMA official yesterday. Since the turn of the year, the local market has become flooded with cheap Chinese and Indian yarns, according to Mohammad Ali Khokon, president of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA). For instance, the widely consumed 30-carded cotton made yarn can now be bought for $2.90 to $2.95 a kg, down from $3.25 to $3.30 per kg in November last year. This has left the textile millers with 30 percent unsold inventory worth about Tk 15,000 crore. Subsequently, the BTMA president met with Salman F Rahman, prime minister's adviser on private industry and investment, on Sunday to request the government to take measures to stop the illegal imports. “A section of unscrupulous traders have been importing yarn illegally in connivance with some government officials,” Khokon said in a statement after the meeting with Rahman at his residence. For example, they open letters of credit for importing one truck of yarn through Benapole but they end up importing more due to lack of proper monitoring at the land port. If the illegal imports are not checked, the local factories' inventory will soar and they will feel discouraged to continue production, he said. The local spinners, which can meet 85 percent of the demand from the knitwear sector and 35 percent from the woven sector, have already slashed production by 40 percent because of the recent development. Another problem afflicting the textile millers is that a section of unscrupulous traders have been selling goods imported under bonded facility. The government allowed import of duty-free goods under bonded facility only for export-oriented garment factories. “The importers are not interested in commercial import as they would have to pay nearly 37 percent duty.” If the two issues are not addressed, the primary textile sector, which has Tk 70,000 crore tied up, will regress, he added.
Source: The Daily Star
Fashion producers should be charged a penny per garment to fund better clothing collection and recycling in a bid to end the era of throwaway fashion, a cross-party group of MPs has suggested. The Environmental Audit Committee urged ministers to make retailers take responsibility for the waste they create and reward companies that take positive action. In a report, they recommended "clear economic incentives" to encourage retailers to "do the right thing", and suggested the government reform taxation to reward companies that design products with lower environmental impacts and penalise those that do not. They proposed extending the tax on virgin plastics, due to come into force in 2022, to synthetic textile products to encourage the use of recycled fibres. And they called on ministers to explore how they can support hiring, swapping or subscription clothes services. The committee said an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles could raise £35 million for better clothing collection and sorting, which in turn could create new "green" jobs. Their report, entitled Fixing Fashion: Clothing Consumption and Sustainability, also recommended retailers with a turnover of more than £36 million be made to comply with environmental targets, as the voluntary approach to improving sustainability is "failing".And they noted that consumption of new clothing in the UK is estimated to be higher than any other European country - at 26.7kg per person. MPs on the committee also urged the government to change the law to require companies to perform due diligence checks across their supply chains to ensure their products are made without child or forced labour. They pointed to labour exploitation in the UK, and said the "Made in the UK" label should mean workers are paid at least the minimum wage. In a summary to the report, MPs wrote: "Forced labour is used to pick cotton in two of the world's biggest cotton producing countries, Turkmenistanand Uzbekistan. Labour exploitation is also taking place in the UK. 'Made in the UK' should mean workers are paid at least the minimum wage. "But we were told it is an open secret that some garment factories in places like Leicester are not paying the minimum wage. This must stop. But if the risk of being caught is low, then the incentive to cut corners is high." Labour's Mary Creagh, chairwoman of the committee, said: "Fashion shouldn't cost the earth. Our insatiable appetite for clothes comes with a huge social and environmental price tag: carbon emissions, water use, chemical and plastic pollution are all destroying our environment. "In the UK we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe. 'Fast fashion' means we overconsume and underuse clothes. As a result, we get rid of over a million tonnes of clothes, with £140 million worth going to landfill, every year.” She added: "Fashion retailers must take responsibility for the clothes they produce. That means asking producers to consider and pay for the end of life process for their products through a new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. "The government must act to end the era of throwaway fashion by incentivising companies that offer sustainable designs and repair services. "Children should be taught the joy of making and mending clothes in school as an antidote to anxiety and the mental health crisis in teenagers. Consumers must play their part by buying less, mending, renting and sharing more."
Source: The Independent
The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement could be in force by mid-2019, given the current pace of ratification, according to trade experts. Rwanda’s department of trade and industry recently held the 2nd ordinary session of the specialised technical committee of the African ministers of trade, industry and mineral resources to discuss the agreement. The meeting was themed ‘The Entry into Force of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its Implementation’. The objective was to consider draft continental strategies, including the African Union Commodity Strategy, Africa Union Small and Medium Enterprises Strategy and Trade Facilitation Strategy. The meeting also took note of the various technical reports and presentations in trade, customs, industry and minerals, according to reports by news agencies. Once established, AfCFTA will bring together 55 countries, availing a market of 1.2 billion people with a gross domestic product of about $3.5 trillion. It is also expected to drive the transition from low productivity and labour-intensive activities to higher productivity and skill-intensive industrial and service activities across the continent. The meeting was attended by member states, regional economic communities, experts from the Afreximbank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). AfCFTA, launched in March 2018 in Kigali, requires 22 ratifications for entry into force. The total number of ratifications now stands at 18, Rwanda’s commissioner for trade and industry Albert Muchanga said.
Source: Fibre2Fashion
Polyester, nylon and other synthetic fibres are a major contributor to the microplastics pollution in the environment, according to scientists who suggest that switching to biosynthetic varieties may help tackle the global menace. Unlike natural fibers like wool, cotton and silk, current synthetic fibres are petroleum-based products and are mostly not biodegradable. While natural fibres can be recycled and biodegrade, mixed fibres that contain natural and synthetic fibres are difficult or costly to recycle. "These materials, during production, processing and after use, break down into and release microfibers that can now be found in everything and everyone," said Melik Demirel, from Pennsylvania State University in the US. Islands of floating plastic trash in the oceans are a visible problem, but the pollution produced by textiles is invisible and ubiquitous. In the oceans, these microscopic plastic pieces become incorporated into plants and animals. Harvested fish carry these particles to market and, when people eat them, they consume microplastic particles as well. Researchers suggest four possible approaches to solving this problem. The first is to minimise the use of synthetic fibres and switch back to natural fibres such as wool, cotton, silk and linen, said Demirel. However, synthetic fibres are less expensive and natural fibres have other environmental costs, such as water and land-use issues. Since much of the microfibre load that ends up in water sources comes from laundering, he suggests aftermarket filters for washing-machine outflow hoses. Clothes dryers have filters that catch lint -- also microfibre waste -- but current, front-loading washing machines usually do not. "Capturing the microplastics at the source is the best filtering option," said Demirel. Bacteria that consume plastics do exist, but are currently at the academic research phase, which takes some time to gain industrial momentum. If bacteria were used on a large scale, they could aid in biodegradation of the fibres or break the fibres down to be reused. While these three options are possible, they do not solve the problem of the tons of synthetic fibres currently used in clothing around the world. Biosynthetic fibres, a fourth option, are both recyclable and biodegradable and could directly substitute for the synthetic fibres. They could also be blended with natural fibres to provide the durability of synthetic fibres but allow the blends to be recycled. Derived from natural proteins, biosynthetic fibers also can be manipulated to have desirable characteristics. Demirel, who developed a biosynthetic fibre composed of proteins similar to silk but inspired by those found in squid ring teeth, suggests that by altering the number of tandem repeats in the sequencing of the proteins, the polymers can be altered to meet a variety of properties. For example, material manufactured from biosynthetic squid ring-teeth proteins, called Squitex, is self-healing. Broken fibres or sections will reattach with water and a little pressure and enhance the mechanical properties of recycled cotton as a blend. Also, because the fibres are organic, they are completely biodegradable as well.
Source: Business Standard
