The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council

MARKET WATCH 18 APRIL, 2019

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Gujarat’s technical textile sector sees 10-fold increase in investments

Considered as the sunshine segment for the textile industry, technical textile has shown impressive growth over the past five years in Gujarat as investment jumped over 10 fold during the period. By the end of financial year 2013-14, there were only 17 technical textile units registered with the state industries department and investment in the area was hardly `156 crore. Within five years, the number of registered units has gone up to 181 and as on March 31, 2019, the total investment in the segment is pegged at `1,775 crore. “The investment in the segment must be more than the official figure. The state government has the data of only those units which have taken some benefits under the textile policy floated for the period 2012 to 2017. A specific credit-linked interest subsidy scheme offered under the policy to set up a technical textile unit encouraged entrepreneurs. Some of them were already having traditional textile units in the state,” said a senior officer in the state industries department. As per the data, maximum investment of around `475 crore came during the financial year 2016-17. In that year, as many as 51 new units were set up across Gujarat, especially in Ahmedabad and Surat regions – considered as major textile hubs in the country. During the recently-concluded fiscal 2018-19, 32 new technical textile units were set up in the state with an approximate investment of `370 crore.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

Textile firms export scrap, waste to earn export benefits

Surat: Guess what the textile traders are exporting to many countries. It’s scrap and textile waste. This has come to the light in the recent nationwide raids carried out by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on the textile firms in connection with the Rs 1,500 crore worth of fake billing scam under the duty drawback scheme in the last one week. Official sources said that raids were carried out at different ports across the country and 82 containers were apprehended by the DRI sleuths for checking. Majority of the containers were loaded with scrap and textile waste. A total of 60 textile firms located in Surat, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai are involved in the fake billing scam. Sources said that about 30 textile firms operating from the wholesale market at Ring Road are involved in the fake billing scam. Raids were conducted at the textile shops and that the DRI sleuths are believed to have seized documents and other material to establish the fake billing scam. An officer on condition of anonymity said, “While many textile firms took benefit under the duty drawback scheme by showing export on papers, others were exporting scrap and textile waste to earn 19% rebate on the export. This was revealed after a few containers were checked at the Tughlaqabad inland container depot where the DRI officials found scrap and waste loaded in the containers.” He added, “The DRI has asked the customs department to furnish details including the documents submitted for the export of the goods and the export bills. The department has imposed export and import ban on such companies involved in the scam” Sources said that the DRI has started the process of registering complaints against the 80 textile firms involved in the fake billing scam, out of which 12 firms are located in Surat.

Source: Times of India

Back to top

25 WTO members may come out with declaration on critical issues in May

The meeting of 25 WTO member countries on May 13-14 here is expected to come out with a declaration on critical issues including ‘special and differential treatment’ for developing nations and impasse over the appointment of members to the appellate body of dispute settlement, sources said. The other issues that could figure in the meeting include fishery subsidies and public stockholding in agriculture, they said. India has convened a meeting of 25 developing member nations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on May 13-14 here. The meet assumes significance as several countries are raising questions over the relevance of the Geneva-based global trade body. Many countries are also taking protectionist measures, impacting global trade. “The idea of the meeting is to discuss these matters in detail and ‘special and differential treatment’ (S&D) is the core issue which would be deliberated upon,” one of the sources said. As part of reforms at the WTO, the US wants the formulation of some guidelines that countries with high economic growth are prevented from taking benefits of S&D, which is meant for developing and poor nations. The S&D allows developing countries to enjoy certain benefits including taking longer time periods for implementing agreements and binding commitments, and measures to increase trading opportunities for them. Currently, any WTO member can designate itself as a developing country and avail these benefits. The US has submitted its suggestions to the WTO which states that self-declaration puts the WTO on a path to failed negotiations and it is also a path to institutional irrelevance. India is of the view that the matter needs to be negotiated comprehensively in the WTO and a consensus-based decision needs to be taken on S&D. Further, the work of the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism would be impacted as the US has put roadblocks in the appointment of new members to the appellate body, which hears appeals against the rulings of dispute panel. The dispute settlement mechanism is an important arm of the WTO to resolve trade disputes among member nations. On fishery subsidies, India wants an equitable and balanced outcome in the negotiations as the country provides support to its fishermen who depend on the sector for sustenance. On the other hand, rich nations want a significant reduction in fishery subsidies. India also wants a permanent solution to the public stockholding of food issue.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

Powerloom weavers to meet Rahul on April 20

Surat: Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bardoli assumes importance as he is likely to meet weavers community of Surat during his night halt in the city on April 20. The Federation of Gujarat Weavers Welfare Association (FOGWA) has scheduled a meeting with Gandhi on Saturday. The office-bearers of FOGWA will be meeting him at circuit house in the evening. The powerloom weavers will discuss three important issues including the pending credit under GST to the tune of Rs 600 crore, unemployment issues in the sector and formation of separate textile ministry in the Gujarat government. FOGWA office-bearers said that the industry is facing lot of difficulties since the implementation of GST. The central government is yet to release the accumulated input tax credit (ITC), which is to the tune of Rs 600 crore to the small and medium Powerloom weavers. As if this was not enough, the GST department has issued a notification stating that those wanting to claim ITC credit will have to pay 18% interest. President of FOGWA, Ashok Jirawala said, “Powerloom sector is the backbone of man-made fibre industry. There are seven lakh powerloom machines manufacturing four crore metre fabric per day. Since the implementation of GST, many Powerloom units have shut shops and hundreds of workers have been rendered jobless. Despite several representations, the central government is yet to provide tax credit to the weavers.” Jirawala added, “The powerloom weavers have made up their minds this time to support the party that which promises to resolve the issues of the textile sector. In the present circumstances, the industry is passing through a tough phase and concrete measures have to be taken to rescue the industry.” Ashish Gujarati, leader of powerloom sector said, “During 2017 assembly election, the weavers were promised by the ruling party that their issues will be resolved through the intervention of the government at the centre. But nothing happened and we are still waiting for the Centre’s help. This time, we want concrete steps in favour of the industry. We hope that Congress chief will resolve our issues.”

Source: Times of India

Back to top

High growth achieved by India not possible without job creation, says Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant Wednesday said India has been growing at more than 7 per cent rate and this could not have been achieved without adequate job creation. Speaking on the sidelines of a PHD Chambers of Commerce event, Kant said that when non-NDA ruled states like Karnataka and West Bengal are claiming that jobs are being created, then it was not possible that at all India level, employment is not being generated. “How is it possible that we are having 7.5 per cent growth and jobs are not being created? It is not possible. “… If West Bengal and Karnataka are saying that jobs have been created in their respective states, then how it is possible that at the national level there is no employment generation,” he pointed out. Recently, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also stoutly defended the growth data saying an economy cannot be growing at 7-8 per cent without creating jobs. He had also stated that no major social agitation indicates it hasn’t been jobless growth. Kant’s statement comes against the backdrop of a report by Azim Premji University suggesting that employment opportunities declined and 5 million men lost their jobs between 2016 and 2018. The decline in job opportunities coincided with demonetisation in November 2016, although no direct causal relationship can be established based only on these trends, the State of Working India-2019 (SWI) report said. According to a leaked National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO’s) periodic labour force survey (PLFS) report, India’s unemployment rate had hit a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18.Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had recently expressed doubts over Indian economy growing at 7 per cent when not enough jobs were being created and had said the current cloud over the GDP numbers must be cleared by appointing an impartial body to look at the data. Kant said that India needs to accelerate its growth rate from 7 per cent to 10 per cent. He said India in the next three years will be amongst the top 25 countries in the ease of doing business ranking of the World Bank. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Goods and Services Tax (GST) and RERA were major reforms undertaken by the Modi government, Kant said, adding that “real impact of these reforms will start reflecting in next two years.” The Niti Aayog CEO also pitched for opening up of mining and coal sectors for boost job creation.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

How to boost exports: Suggestion to Modi govt as full fiscal trade deficit hits record high

Trade deficit in 2018-19 has widened to $176.42 billion against $162 billion in 2017-18, according to the recent data by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Although exports performed well despite major challenges such as protectionism, global slowdown, constraints on the domestic front, more is needed to further boost exports as trade deficit of India worsened in the fiscal 2018-19. “We demand for immediate support like augmenting flow of credit, higher tax deduction for Research & Development, outright exemption from Goods and Services Tax (GST), interest equalisation support to agriculture exports, benefits on sales to foreign tourists to further boost exports,” said Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Kumar Gupta, reported PTI. Although there has been an increase in exports, yet the trade deficit which refers to the difference between exports and imports for the full fiscal year 2018-19 has widened, show government data. Trade deficit in 2018-19 has widened to $176.42 billion against $162 billion in 2017-18, according to the recent data by Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The overall exports during April-March 2018-19 are estimated to be USD 535.45 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 7.97 per cent over the same period last year. Overall imports during April-March 2018-19 are estimated to be USD 631.29 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 8.48 per cent over the same period last year. While oil imports in April-March 2018-19 rose by 29.27 per cent to $140.47 billion, non-oil imports were up by 2.82 per cent to $366.97 billion during the same fiscal. Exports of India has risen on the back of improvement in organic & inorganic chemicals, engineering goods, textiles, pharmaceuticals and petroleum products. “Through secular growth over the last three financial years, following the major downturn in the face of the global slowdown, merchandise exports for 2018-19 are estimated at $331.02 billion, the highest ever, surpassing the earlier peak of $314.4 billion achieved in 2013-14. This has been achieved in a challenging global environment,” said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in a statement. However, still more is to be done to bridge the gap to improve the trade balance of India.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

Not enough money in market, despite RBI printing more currency; star strategist lists two reasons

As growth continues to slow and inflation stays below the target, interest rates may keep falling, but likely not fast enough to revive growth quickly. India has a money problem: it doesn’t have enough in the market, despite RBI printing more and currency in circulation rising in high double digits. Money creation has slowed down in recent times, possibly due to inefficiency in financial system and lack of coordination between monetary and fiscal policies, says equity strategist Neelkanth Mishra. This needs to be checked if India wants to remain one of the fastest growing countries in the world, Neelkanth Mishra, co-head of Asia Pacific Strategy and India Strategist for Credit Suisse, wrote in The Indian Express on Wednesday. Neelkanth Mishra expressed concerns regarding the shortage of money in India. “How can there be a shortage of money when the RBI is printing so much that currency in circulation is 17 per cent higher than at the same time last year?’’ he wrote. There may be two probable reasons. One reason behind the slowdown in money creation may be the ineffectiveness in the functioning of the financial system, which is reeling under high NPAs, and liquidity crisis in the NBFC sector. This has affected the system-wide credit growth, Mishra wrote. A second challenge creating shortage of money supply is lack of coordination between fiscal and monetary policies in India. Currently government bond yields, which form the benchmark for the interest rates on a lot of debt in India, are significantly higher than the rates set by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), he noted. The markets fear about fiscal slippage, due to i) combined deficit of the centre and state being among the highest in the world; ii) excessive borrowings by public sector enterprises, and: iii) implementation of 7th pay commission, wrote Neelkanth Mishra. Moreover, there has been a decline in the ratio of household financial savings to GDP, which further constraints the credit growth needed for money creation. The gradual policy cuts may not have any significant immediate impact on growth. “As growth continues to slow and inflation stays below the target, interest rates may keep falling, but likely not fast enough to revive growth quickly,” he wrote.

Source: Financial Express

Back to top

Standard Textile debuts SurgiTex

Standard Textile has a long history of servicing the healthcare industry. Standard Textile has announced the launch of SurgiTex surgical textile solutions, which will debut at the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo in Nashville, TN, from 6-10 April 2019. SurgiTex is a programme to help healthcare facilities realise the maximum benefits of reusable surgical products. Compared to disposable products, reusable linens are designed to offer energy, water, carbon footprint, waste, and instrument recovery savings, as well as improved comfort and protective properties. Research has shown that when comparing cost, comfort, and barrier protection, reusable items had a comparable or superior ranking to disposables, according to the manufacturer. According to published research, healthcare facilities are the second highest contributor of environmental waste in the United States. The healthcare industry produces more than 6,600 tons of waste each day, which adds up to over four billion pounds of waste annually. Operating rooms are estimated to generate between 20% and 33% of the total waste produced in hospitals. “One of the greatest challenges we face as healthcare providers in Perioperative Services is moving toward a more sustainable, environmentally responsible culture,” said Peg Fox, National Director of Surgical Services (MSN, BSN, RN) at Standard Textile. “We rely on evidence-based data and guidance from professional organizations like the Association of Perioperative Nursing to transition to more sustainable surgical practices.” “We are excited about the recent hiring of Peg Fox, who has an extensive perioperative background in large health systems in Chicago and in the greater Cincinnati marketplace, and who has utilized both reusable and disposable surgical products,” commented John Wintz, Group Vice President at Standard Textile. “Peg and her team are taking a very logical approach to assist healthcare facilities determine the cost effectiveness of reusable surgical textiles as part of a solution in making the OR arena more cost effective, safe, and sustainable.” Standard Textile has a long history of servicing the healthcare industry and has developed a reputation for its consultative approach to understanding a facility’s business objectives to create innovative solutions that result in quantifiable savings. A team of engineers, clinicians, and technical processing experts team together to collect data, analyse costs, and conduct trials. Implementation of SurgiTex consists of staff and clinical training and support as well as quarterly programme reviews and quantitative reporting. “The amount of waste generated in an operating room can be a daunting problem to solve, and I learned it cannot be solved alone,” said Ms Fox. “SurgiTex™ was conceptualized to help nurses, physicians, material management, and other partners reduce waste, decrease costs, and provide quality care in the safest environment for our patients and healthcare providers.”

Source: Innovation Textiles

Back to top

No shortage of cotton despite low yield: CITI

There will be no shortage of cotton during the ongoing marketing season 2018-19 (that ends on September 30) despite an all-time low yield, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has said. Based on the actual data collected from cotton growing areas, CITI has revised cotton crop estimate for the current season to 343 lakh bales of 170 kg each. “Drought in many cotton growing regions of Gujarat, a few regions of Maharashtra and a few areas in other cotton growing states has affected cotton yield,” CITI chairman Sanjay K Jain said in a media release. Explaining that there would be no shortage of cotton, Jain said, “Though we have a smaller crop size this year in comparison to last year, the cotton supply position is very comfortable with a big ending stock of 40 lakh bales. Thanks to a big opening stock, smaller exports and large imports, the production deficit is well covered. CCI has also started selling its stock, which will further increase liquidity in the cotton market.” “CITI is fully confident that India will have no shortage of cotton in 2018-19 despite an all-time low yield,” he added. For the next season, Jain said the highly remunerative prices during the current season and the normal monsoon projection for the months ahead would induce Indian farmers to prefer to grow more cotton.  

Source: Fibre2fashion

Global Textile Raw Material Price 17-04-2019

Item

Price

Unit

Fluctuation

Date

PSF

1326.70

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

VSF

1892.30

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

ASF

2512.14

USD/Ton

0.54%

4/17/2019

Polyester POY

1361.12

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Nylon FDY

2875.70

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

40D Spandex

4753.10

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Nylon POY

5632.20

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Acrylic Top 3D

1582.38

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Polyester FDY

2726.70

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Nylon DTY

2682.00

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Viscose Long Filament

1534.70

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

Polyester DTY

3158.80

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

30S Spun Rayon Yarn

2570.25

USD/Ton

0.58%

4/17/2019

32S Polyester Yarn

2033.85

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

45S T/C Yarn

2890.60

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

40S Rayon Yarn

2831.00

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

T/R Yarn 65/35 32S

2443.60

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

45S Polyester Yarn

2175.40

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

T/C Yarn 65/35 32S

2547.90

USD/Ton

0%

4/17/2019

10S Denim Fabric

1.37

USD/Meter

0%

4/17/2019

32S Twill Fabric

0.83

USD/Meter

0%

4/17/2019

40S Combed Poplin

1.11

USD/Meter

0%

4/17/2019

30S Rayon Fabric

0.64

USD/Meter

0.71%

4/17/2019

45S T/C Fabric

0.71

USD/Meter

0%

4/17/2019

Source: Global Textiles

Note: The above prices are Chinese Price (1 CNY = 0.14900 USD dtd. 17/04/2019). The prices given above are as quoted from Global Textiles.com.  SRTEPC is not responsible for the correctness of the same.

Back to top

China GDP growth steadies at 6.4% in first quarter

The two sides have exchanged tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, hurting manufacturers in China and farmers in the US. All eyes have been on Beijing’s infrastructure spending which expanded 4.4 percent in the first three months after plummeting to 3.8 percent growth last year amid a campaign against debt and financial risk. China’s economy beat forecasts as growth remained steady in the first quarter despite tepid global demand, a US trade war and a debt battle, official data showed Wednesday. The world’s second largest economy expanded by 6.4 percent in the January to March period, faster than the 6.3 percent forecast by economists in an AFP poll, according to official gross domestic product figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. The rate is well faster than most nations can dream of and it shows China’s economy has steadied after decelerating every quarter of last year. “The national economy enjoyed stable performance with growing positive factors, and stronger market expectation and confidence,” said NBS spokesman Mao Shengyong in prepared remarks. Top policymakers huddled in Beijing last month announced major plans to support the flagging economy, announcing massive tax cuts, fee reductions, and financing support. Beijing faces a delicate balancing act as it tries to support private businesses in need of credit, without further inflating its debt balloon. New credit flooded into the financial system last month, with the growth of bank loans and total outstanding credit accelerating, though analysts say it will take about six months to spark an economic turnaround. Premier Li Keqiang in March laid out a lower growth target for China this year of 6.0-6.5 percent. China’s steady unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in March from 5.3 percent in February. Beijing is counting on consumers and renewed investment to stabilise the economy. The latest data showed growth in retail sales for March rising 8.7 percent on-year after stagnating for three months near 15-year lows. But China’s imports fell in the first quarter, adding to worries about weak demand. All eyes have been on Beijing’s infrastructure spending which expanded 4.4 percent in the first three months after plummeting to 3.8 percent growth last year amid a campaign against debt and financial risk. The broader fixed-asset investment indicator rose 6.3 percent on-year for the first quarter, from 6.1 percent in January-February. Output growth at China’s factories and workshops in March shot up 8.5 percent on-year, from 5.3 percent in the first two months, well above forecasts. Another drag on the economy, the US-China trade war, appears to be approaching a resolution after nine rounds of high-level talks between American and Chinese officials. The two sides have exchanged tariffs on more than $360 billion in two-way trade, hurting manufacturers in China and farmers in the US. But no date has been set to bring together President Donald Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping for a deal signing.

Source: Fibre2fashion

Back to top

Egypt signs LE 10.5B contracts to supply equipment to spinning, weaving companies

CAIRO - 17 April 2019: Egypt's Minister of Public Enterprise Sector Hesham Tawfik said that contracts will be signed for the supply of new equipment to spinning and weaving companies next week at a cost of LE 10.5 billion. The minister added in a TV program that this is considered the first development of the machines, as most of them have been working since the 19th – early 20th century. Tawfik revealed that the development plan of the sector costs LE 21 billion, clarifying that new machines will arrive to Egypt during 2020, followed by another shipment 10 months later. He pointed out that the textile industry is expected to return to its full strength in two and a half years, stressing the reorganization of 23 companies in the sector, to provide three centers for export. In January, the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) concluded the contract for the establishment of the first textile city in the Free Zones System in Minya Governorate and sent it to the State Council for review. A Chinese company agreed to fund the new city, with an investment of $324 million. The city will be built on 306 feddans, a company will be established to manage the city and all parties will have equal shares in it. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Textile Museum, the only textile museum in the Middle East, celebrated its ninth anniversary in February . The Textile Museum in Muizz Street in Cairo displays fine collections of textile from the Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras.

Source: Egypt Today

Back to top

Azerbaijan: Local textile products strive to new CIS markets

The growth observed in the textile industry of Azerbaijan also increases the country's export potential in non-oil sector. Azerbaijan’s Gilan Textile Park LLC intends to export textile products to the new markets in the CIS countries, chairperson of the Azerbaijan Textile Products Manufacturers and Exporters' Association Mehriban Akhundova told Trend. "The negotiations on the export of the company's textile products are underway with Russian partners," she said. "Besides Russia, we also intend to supply textile products, namely, terry products, bathrobes, blankets and others to Belarus," Akhundova said. "In the future, we plan to supply our textile products to other CIS countries." She stressed that Gilan Textile Park’s products are environmentally friendly and meet all international quality standards. Taking into account the production potential, Gilan Textile Park is considered one of the biggest processing enterprises not only in Azerbaijan, but the entire region. Gilan Textile Park, which uses cotton grown in Azerbaijan as a raw material for the production of various products, renders great support to the development of local industry and agriculture. The weaving, dyeing and sewing factories operate on the basis of the Gilan Textile Park, which launched its activities in Azerbaijan’s Sumgait city in 2012. The National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy issued a preferential loan worth 15 million manats ($8.8 million) for the construction of three factories in the textile park worth 46 million manats ($27 million). Recently, the Gilan Textile Park announced that the company will export its first batch of yarn to Portugal. It is also expected that Latvian textile manufacturers will cooperate with Gilan Textile Park to create joint production in Azerbaijan for further export to the CIS countries. Textile industry of Azerbaijan has deep roots and centuries-old history. The socio-economic policy pursued in Azerbaijan in recent years, as well as the implementation of programs aimed at the development of agriculture and industry, led to the implementation of large-scale projects in this area. The launch of textile enterprises is of particular importance in reducing dependence on imports in the light industry, increasing export potential, creating national textile brands, training of qualified personnel and opening new jobs, allowing the development of the textile industry in the country. The Association of Textile Producers and Exporters was established to support the development of this sector in Azerbaijan. The initiative on the establishment of this association was put forward by entrepreneurs involved in the textile sector. In general, such associations serve to improve relations between the state and the private sector. The development of cotton growing in Azerbaijan gives impetus to the development of the textile industry. The further development of textile industry has great potential in Azerbaijan, since in early 2017, the State Program for 2017-2022 was approved with an aim of strengthening measures directed at developing cotton-growing in the country. The purpose is to develop cotton growing, increase export potential, ensure employment of the rural population.

Source: Azer News

Back to top

New study shows people used natural dyes to color their clothing thousands of years ago

Even thousands of years ago people wore clothing with colourful patterns made from plant and animal-based dyes. Chemists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have created new analytical methods to examine textiles from China and Peru that are several thousand years old. In the scientific journal Scientific Reports they describe their new method that is able to reconstruct the spatial distribution of dyes, and hence the patterns, in textile samples. Chemists Dr Annemarie Kramell and Professor René Csuk from MLU examined two ancient textile samples. One comes from the ancient Chinese city of Niya and was probably once part of a shirt. It is over 2,000 years old. The other sample comes from Peru and dates back to 1100 to 1400 AD. It was produced by the Ichma people who lived in Peru at that time. Today, there is often little evidence of the colourfulness of such ancient clothing. "Time has not treated them well. What was once colourful is now mostly dirty, grey and brown," says René Csuk. Over time, the natural dyes have decomposed as a result of the effects of light, air and water, explains the chemist. In the past, only natural dyes were used. "The roots of a genus of plants called Rubia, for example, were used to create the red colours, and ground walnut shells produced the brown tones," says Annemarie Kramell. Even back then, people mixed individual materials to create different shades. The researchers have developed a new analytical method that allows them to detect which materials were used for which colours. With the aid of modern imaging mass spectrometry, they have succeeded in depicting the dye compositions of historical textile samples as isotopic distributions. Previously, the dyes had to be removed from the textiles. However, that previous method also destroyed the pattern. This new approach enables the chemists from MLU to analyse the dyes directly from the surface of the textile samples. To do this, the piece of material under investigation is first embedded in another material. "The piece is placed in a matrix made up of a material called Technovit7100. Slices are produced from this material that are only a few micrometres thick. These are then transferred to special slides," explains Csuk. Similar methods are used, for example, in medical research to examine human tissue. The advantage is that this method can be used to study very complex samples on a micrometre scale. "This enables us to distinguish between two interwoven threads that held originally different colours," says Csuk. As part of the new study, researchers were able to detect indigo dyes in the samples. However, the method can also be applied to many other dye classes and provides insights into the process of textile production in past cultures, the two scientists conclude. The research was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the project "Silk road fashion: Clothing as a means of communication in the 1st millennium BC, Eastern Central Asia." The Hans Knöll Institute in Jena and Dr Gerd Hause from MLU's Biocentre were also involved in the project.

Source: Science Daily

Back to top

Gerber expands MCT Digital Cutting System to Europe

The Gerber MCT Cutter will be making its European debut at Fespa beginning from May 14 in Germany. As the most versatile digital cutting solution in the market, the Gerber MCT Cutter has all the tools, including laser, to complete the most challenging jobs for a wide range of substrates, while increasing productivity and delivering high-quality results. Six months after having acquired MCT Digital, Gerber is expanding its MCT digital cutting system worldwide into the sign and graphics and packaging markets. The highly-integrated system of hardware and software has won a number of accolades in the North America market. “We are excited to bring such strong innovation in digital finishing to the European sign & graphics and packaging markets, and look to build on Gerber’s deep heritage of automated finishing and integrated production software,” said Gerber Technology’s Scott Schinlever, president and chief operating officer, Automation Solutions. The four-day expo will again be co-located with European Sign Expo for non-printed visual communication solutions. The most versatile cutting solution on the market, the Gerber MCT Cutter, is equipped with an industry-leading 100w laser for textiles and acrylics, as well as 11 interchangeable tools and the industry’s most integrated production and vision-guided software, TigerVision. “We went from doing everything by hand to having a giant digital worker who is very accurate and fast,” said Jonathan Merendlender, founder of Printed Ink (Huntingdon Valley, PA) who has been using a Gerber MCT Cutter since October 2018. “Aside from the obvious benefits of custom shapes, 3D lettering, and fabrication, the CNC router drastically cut down on labor and increased capacity almost instantly.”

Source: Fibre2fashion

Back to top

25,000 exhibitors will exhibit at Canton Fair 2019

The 125th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), being currently held at Guangzhou, China, is expected to bring more than 25,000 exhibitors across 51 product sections from home and abroad. Companies from countries along China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are showcasing their latest products in the fair which will go on till May 5. Covering an area of 1.18 million square metres, the fair is expected to see a 30 per cent rise in number of updated products, demonstrating original innovation and new opportunities to global businesses, according to organisers of the fair. “The Canton Fair is welcoming more companies with intellectual property protection, private brands and marketing capabilities that demonstrate high-tech and value-added products,” said Xu Bing, spokesperson of the Canton Fair and deputy director general of China Foreign Trade Centre in a press release by Canton Fair. To enable global buying and selling, the fair has made efforts in spurring innovation in promotion, using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and big data and launching global marketing with emphasis on social media and search engine. In the meanwhile, following the latest trade and policy trends, Canton Fair is hosting more than 20 forums as well as 50 product demonstrations and business matching seminars. The 2019 Canton Fair International Market Forum, with a focus on promoting China and Russia’s strategic partners on the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, will be promoting the consolidation of Sino-Russian economic and trade cooperation. The Global Cooperation Networking for International Pavilion will highlight the opportunities that Canton Fair brings to the Greater Bay Area as a trade platform, encouraging business participation and resource exchange between domestic and international companies. Canton Fair’s efforts to promote sustainable development also include poverty alleviation for domestic businesses. More than 700 companies from less-developed areas have been given free exhibition space and included in themed promotion events, introducing local specials to the international market and creating new market options to global buyers. (PC)

Source: Fibre2fashion

Back to top