My Size Inc, the developer and creator of smartphone measurement applications, plans to launch QSize™, a mobile measurement solution for retailers to ensure quality control throughout the apparel manufacturing process. QSize requires the user to first scan the apparel’s barcode on his mobile device, and then is a graphic illustration of how to measure the garment. The user then measures the garment with a few easy movements of the mobile device, and the data is then accurately and automatically uploaded into the retailer’s back office system each and every time.

The current process for quality control within apparel manufacturing includes measurement of each garment by hand, followed by manual entry of such measurement into the manufacturer’s back office system, creating a significant possibility for human error. My Size’s QSize will enable a retailer to fully automate its quality control process by utilizing a mobile-based measurement and data logging system.

Arvind is pursuing more environmentally responsible alternatives to cotton, the leading material used to make jeans. One of these is Zero, a collection of denim produced with no cotton fibers. Each pair of Zero denim is woven with sustainable fibers, including Tencel Lyocell, kapok, wool and recycled polyester. Zero stands for zero per cent cotton and 100 per cent denim.

Arvind selected Tencel Lyocell for both its properties and its eco-friendliness. The ultimate goal is to use low impact fibers and create fabrics that can be easily recycled. The key objective when replacing cotton with other fibers is to reduce the environmental footprint of cotton. Sustainability affects all points of the supply chain. Denim’s environmental makeover is not based on a sole product or initiative, though. Arvind urges denim makers to take a more corporate social responsibility approach to their actions in order to address roadblocks and make necessary improvements from sourcing to finished product.

Cotton production consumes roughly 20,000 liters of water per kg and can have an adverse impact on earth. By providing consumers with the option to buy more eco-conscious denim, Arvind is taking its sustainability a step further and doing its part to fuel the circular economy.

JIAM 2020 Osaka - The Japan International Apparel Machinery & Textile Industry Trade Show has opened registrations for exhibitors. The 12th edition of the show, being organised by the Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association (JASMA), will be held from May 20 to 23, 2020, at Intex, Osaka, in Japan.

One of the world’s leading trade fairs specialising in the sewing equipment industry, the show will display latest technologies and innovative new products related to the entire sewing, apparel manufacturing, and textile processing industries. The theme of the exhibition will be ‘JIAM 2020, the forefront of the future technology and master craftsmanship collaboration.’ It will actively promote the latest innovative solutions catering to each and every need of the industry, by combining existing skillsets from drastic market changes in the past with the latest technology. All major sewing factories and apparel manufacturers are expected to visit the exhibition.

Messe Frankfurt Japan assist the exhibitors and visitors and support the venue operation and event planning, as well as inquiry handling. The company, with rich experience in managing, planning and operating international trade shows, will effectively promote JIAM 2020 by utilising their global network.

Grasim, one of India’s largest viscose staple fiber (VSF) producers, is expanding capacity by 2.4 times. The company plans to market VSF as the most sustainable fiber compared to polyester or cotton. Global demand for viscose staple fiber has been growing at a CAGR of six per cent compared with cotton’s one per cent and polyester staple fiber’s two per cent, making Grasim invest in the VSF business. In India, the demand growth for VSF at eight per cent is higher than global demand growth.

The demand for VSF as a percentage of total fiber is projected to grow to over six per cent by 2022 compared to 4.75 per cent in 2012. Grasim has ensured control over 80 per cent of the costs through backward integration, giving it an important competitive advantage over nonintegrated players. Its manufacturing input of caustic soda, power and steam and carbon disulfide is fully captive and the company has control over 60 per cent of the pulp requirements.

Grasim, a part of Aditya Birla, is the world’s fourth largest pulp producer. The company, after the successful introduction of its fabric brand Liva in 2015 in the Indian market, is planning to take the brand international. Grasim is planning to take Liva to Indonesia next, followed by Turkey. The company already has a design studio in New York and is tying up with international designers to promote Liva as the fabric of choice.

The UAE wants to be one of the major foreign investors in Bangladesh. Bangladesh concluded a General Trade Agreement with the UAE in 1984, and since then bilateral trade has been sustaining between them. At present, two-way trade stands firm at the billion dollar mark. The UAE was the first Gulf country to recognise Bangladesh and establish diplomatic relations.

The countries hope to take the trade volume to $5 billion in the next three to four years. They are committed to carrying forward the mission of strengthening historic ties and have a vision for the future that is durable and sustainable and conducive for the collective prosperity of the region. The United States and the European Union have been Bangladesh’s largest export markets. The UAE now wants Bangladesh exporters to focus on the Middle East and start using the UAE as a gateway.

Bangladesh major exports to the UAE are readymade garments, woven and knitwear, vegetables, frozen fish, jute yarn and twine, home textiles and textile fabrics, fruit juices, tea in packets, spices, stainless steel ware, melamine tableware, electronics, cables and jute products, among others. Some vegetable products, plastic articles, cotton and cotton yarn, fabrics, iron, steel and its products, electrical machinery and equipment are also re-exported from the UAE to Bangladesh.

Driven by its massively growing textile and home furnishings sector, India is touted to emerge as one of the most promising market for blended fibers in the forthcoming years. In fact, the textile sector is one of India’s largest export contributor with around 13 per cent of the overall exports in India credited to the textiles sector. The central government of India also plans to launch a new textile policy that aims to accomplish a benchmark of US$ 300 billion worth of textile exports by 2024-2025. In consequence, this would have a marked impact on the regional blended fibers market share.

In the last year, blended business vertical has witnessed a couple of rather pivotal incidences that would have a commendable influence on India blended fibers industry trends in the years to come. Research activities unearthing age-old, conventional as well as newer innovations in fiber technology, blended fibers market outlook is likely to witness a dynamic transformation in the years ahead. Furthermore, the trend of bringing forth the environment-friendly factor in textile production is also likely to generate a plethora of opportunities for companies, which would substantially strengthen the competitive landscape of blended fibers industry.

US President Donald Trump has said Canadians were smuggling shoes from the US into Canada due to massive tariffs but according to experts this statement is incredibly misleading. He emphasized any products made in North America, with the exception of a few, are not subject to any tariffs at all when being brought over the border. In the case where the item purchased was not manufactured in North America, not declaring the purchase stems more frequently from uncertainty about what needs to be declared and a reluctance to go through the hassle of doing so at the border.

Matt Priest, president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America stated that the president is misinformed and Canadians have no real reason to smuggle in shoes because their government is already helping lower their costs through trade deals. Tensions with Canada and other trade partners have surged as Trump seeks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement while imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, prompting retaliatory levie.

The comments were made while addressing the National Federation of Business in Washington. This comment marks the latest in a long line of insults aimed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and at Canada in general.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) have approved two Bt cotton hybrids (JKCH1050 and JKCH1947). This decision comes after two rounds of limited field trials, examination of the field trial results, and prior deliberations. Biotech cotton is the country’s first crop to be reviewed and approved for planting.

Recently the director of MEFCC’s Biotech Directorate said the government has confirmed that the cotton is safe for the environment, ecosystem, and human health. Planting is likely to start next year since the seed is unlikely to be obtainable in time for the current growing season.

The Ethiopian government has been following the approval of Bt cotton for many years in hopes of taming the cotton yields to meet the increasing demands of the country’s growing textile and apparel sector. Ethiopian researchers are also working closely with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on an onset bacterial wilt project, to develop resistant varieties through modern agricultural biotechnology.

To encourage and boost the textile industry in Tamil Nadu, the state government will organise an international textile fair at Codissia Trade Fair Complex, Coimbatore this year. This was announced by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The government would spend Rs 2 crore in organising this event. Tiruppur Exporters’ Association (TEA) president Raja M Shanmugham stated that Tamil Nadu is a major player in the country’s textile value chain, so organizing the international textile fair would largely help in promotion of the industry, including exports.

He further added the fair will help in increasing exports as the textile industry in Tamil Nadu is exporting about Rs 45,000 crore worth of goods annually. The textile industry will get an opportunity to showcase quality products and penetrate new markets and also get new buyers.

China Cotton Association, is all set to boost cotton imports by issuing additional import quotas to mills, a move seen by the market as another step toward meeting the demands of top exporters. The association, which lobbies the government on behalf of cotton farmers and processors, said the soon-to-be-released additional quotas were one of the measures the government was taking to help ease recent market volatility. It is also workable to maintain a steady cotton supply by issuing additional import quota.

China’s domestic cotton futures have rallied nearly 18 per cent since early April, fueled in part by worries over crop damage from heavy rains, as well as by heavy speculation. Given a sharp increase in 2017 production, CCA estimate 2017/18 cotton production at 6.05 mil tons, up 22.5 per cent. Due to previous stagnancy in cotton sales, new crop supplies are still abundant in the market channel. China’s commercial cotton stock is estimated at 2.87 mil tons, an increase of one mil tons from a year ago.

As reserve stock declines, relevant department has made initial plans at the beginning of the year to increase cotton import once demand strengthens or severe price movement occurs. Given the current situation, CCA learned from relative department that government will issue additional quota for textile mills in the near term.

The China National Cotton Reserves Corporation, which manages China’s state cotton stockpiles, has stated earlier that it would restrict purchasing at its daily auctions to textile manufacturers. Auction can be extended to the end of September as long as there is demand