Turkey is ready to host the textile technology exhibition ITM 2024 from June 4 to 8, 2024. This global event will bring together hundreds of manufacturers from around the world, attracting global investors and facilitating numerous trade delegations.

ITM 2024 will serve as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in various textile sectors, covering everything from weaving to knitting, yarn to digital printing, and finishing to denim. The exhibition will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to explore eco-friendly technologies and cutting-edge solutions in digitalization, promoting a sustainable future for the industry.

The anticipated visitors to the exhibition include company owners, managers, employees, and sector representatives. They will engage with experts to gain insights into state-of-the-art technologies for their factories, fostering opportunities for new product development and strategic investments.

The 2022 edition of ITM witnessed the participation of 1,280 companies and attracted 64,500 professional visitors from 102 countries.

The Bihar government is enticing entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to invest in the state's textile sector at the upcoming 'Bihar Business Connect 2023' Global Investors' Summit. Taking place in Patna from December 13-14, 2023, the summit aims to present diverse investment opportunities across sectors such as leather, IT/ITeS and ESDM, food processing and hospitality, and tourism.

In a bid to attract investors, Bihar is offering an expansive 28 lakh sq. mt. of built-up area in these sectors. The government is also proposing a grant of Rs 25,000 per laborer for skill development, coupled with contributing Rs 3,000-5,000 to employers' contributions in EPFO for new textile and leather units. Subsidies in power charges are also on the table.

Bihar government is also extending invitations to investors from Japan, Taiwan, the UAE, and the US for the summit. To bolster this outreach, the state government has organized roadshows in major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Tirupur, and Chandigarh, as well as internationally in the USA, UAE, Japan, and Bangladesh.

Bihar's GDP is set for a robust growth of 8.9 percent, reaching Rs 8.59 lakh crore in the fiscal year 2023-24.

In a groundbreaking experiment with an impressive success rate of 95.7 per cent, the Sewformer project has achieved the recreation of garments from a single image. This initiative involves a two-stage AI system designed to deconstruct clothing, unraveling the origins of its diverse components and patterns. The system is currently deployed on a dataset comprising one million images featuring various garments.

Researchers highlight this innovative system empowers developers to generate digital versions of clothing using state-of-the-art technology. Users gain the ability to replicate real-world clothing seamlessly within the metaverse. Furthermore, developers can capture an image of someone in a specific outfit, reproduce the design, and then leverage it to create new and innovative styles. A comprehensive study detailing this experiment has already been uploaded to the preprint server arXiv.

India’s Commerce Ministry is planning to introduce amendments to the rules of origin (ROO) and product-specific rules (PSR) within the framework of the India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). As per reports, the Ministry's objective is to modify the ROO and PSRs in a way that favors Indian industries, concurrently addressing non-tariff measures. Despite signing the agreement in 2011 with the aim of providing duty-free or low-duty market access for most goods, the CEPA has disproportionately benefited Japan, witnessing nearly doubled exports to India while India's exports have remained stagnant.

To address the challenges faced by India's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in meeting Japan's stringent non-tariff measures, particularly concerning technical standards, the CEPA is undergoing a thorough review. Japan too will concentrate on reassessing rules of origin. The Indian government intends to work closely with domestic industries to implement these changes to ROOs and PSRs, ultimately aiming to enhance market access in Japan.

India is poised to significantly boost exports of man-made fibers (MMF) by 75 per cent to $11.4 billion in 2030, up from $6.5 billion in 2021-22, with initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and free trade agreements with the UAE and Australia. A Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) report indicates this growth will primarily be fueled by increasing demand for synthetic fiber products, including curtains, drapes, interior blinds, curtain or bed valances, tents, and tarpaulins.

Globally, MMF dominates textile fiber consumption, with 72 per cent share. This share is steadily rising due to a decline in the consumption of cotton and other natural fibers. Currently, MMF products constitute approximately 55 percent of the global textile trade.

To capitalize on this growth potential, the MMF industry plans to explore new markets such as Vietnam, Japan, China, and Poland, in addition to existing markets like the US, Turkey, the UK, and Brazil. The industry aims to expand the production of filament-based woven and knitted fabrics and process more man-made yarn-based fabrics.

Bradesh Dodhia, Chairman of SRTEPC states, MMF textiles, requiring less water compared to cotton textiles, are not only more cost-effective but also align better with sustainability goals.

Multiple African nations are actively pursuing an extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond its current expiration in 2025. Enacted in 2000 to promote increased trade and investment between the US and sub-Saharan Africa, AGOA has proven instrumental in enhancing trade and investment relationships between the US and several African countries, as highlighted by David Luke, an expert in African trade policy and negotiation.

Notably, countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Lesotho, Ghana, and Madagascar have experienced a substantial increase in textile and apparel exports under AGOA. For example, Kenya has witnessed a remarkable surge in AGOA-related apparel sales, rising from $55 million in 2001 to $603 million in 2022, constituting 67.6 percent of the country's total exports to the US.

Similarly, Ghana's exports to the US have grown from $206 million in 2000 to $2.76 billion in 2022, with 26 percent of this trade falling under AGOA. Ethiopia, too, has seen notable growth, with exports to the US increasing from $29 million to $525 million in 2020. Of this total, 45.3 percent falls under AGOA. The country's textile and garment exports have shown steady growth, reaching 69 percent from 2014 to 2023.

Vietnam-based fashion platform Inflow, is pioneering advancements in supply chain and manufacturing technologies, along with establishing its own research and development facilities. Securing $2 million in seed funding from notable investors such as AppWorks, 500 Global, January Capital, Spiral Ventures, and Saison Capital, Inflow aims to utilize a portion of this capital to diversify its product range. This expansion will empower brands to introduce new designs to the market within a 30-day timeframe, with a minimum order requirement of 50 pieces.

As a technology-driven sourcing and manufacturing platform, Inflow plays a crucial role in simplifying production processes and accelerating turnover time for brands. The platform leverages the production capabilities of Vietnam and Southeast Asia to address supply chain challenges in the fashion industry.

Boasting a transparent supply chain, Inflow has cultivated a production network consisting of 150 approved manufacturers and suppliers in Vietnam. In the past year, the company's revenues witnessed an extraordinary growth of over 15 times, establishing partnerships with over 80 brands across Southeast Asia.

Vietnam, with its export of garments amounting to $27.7 billion in 2023, has become a magnet for global brands. The country's appeal is further amplified by recent free trade agreements with major economic entities such as the United States, the European Union, and Japan.

China’s cumulative textile and apparel (T&A) exports declined 3.4 per cent Y-o-Y to 1.72 trillion from January to October this year. Textile exports declined 3.9 per cent Y-o-Y to CNY 787.93 billion while apparel exports declined by 3.1 per cent Y-o-Y to CNY 934.18 billion.  In October, T&A exports declined 8.6 per cent Y-o-Y and 12.5 per cent M-o-M to CNY 164.88 billion Textile exports declined by 6 per cent Y-o-Y to CNY 76.9 billion while apparel exports declined by 10.8 per cent Y-o-Y to CNY 87.98 billion.

In US$-denominated terms, China’s T&A exports declined by 9.2 per cent Y-o-Y to $245.71 billion from January-October 2023. Of these, textile exports declined 9.8 per cent Y-o-Y to $112.55 billion while apparel exports dropped by 8.7 per cent Y-o-Y to $133.16 billion during the period.  In October, China’s T&A exports dropped by 8.4 per cent Y-o-Y and 12.3 per cent M-o-M to $22.97 billion. Textile exports dipped 5.8 per cent Y-o-Y TO $10.71 billion while apparel exports declined by 10.6 per cent Y-o-Y to $12.26 billion.

The 10th edition of the international trade show Asia Apparel Expo will be held from February 19 to 21, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Featuring over 250 exhibitors, the show will showcase menswear, womenswear, children’s wear, knitwear, textiles, trimmings, and accessories from India and other Asian countries. It will cater to the demands for finished garments, private label development, and contract manufacturing. 

Besides India, exhibitors from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Thailand, and Ukraine will participate in the show. 

Organised by CornAsia with AHK Geran Industry and Commerce, the trade show will feature brands such as the China-based Qingdoo Bloomtex Garment Company, Polish company Tulp Sp, Zahra Apparel from Pakistan, YJ Apparel Limited Partnership from Thailand, and Modatex Group.

The Apparel Made-Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMHSSC) is embarking on a mission to elevate the proficiency of the Indian apparel industry through an extensive expansion of Centres of Excellence (COEs) nationwide. Responding to the escalating demand for advanced skill development, these upcoming COEs will strategically emerge across India in places like Delhi, Karur (Tamil Nadu), Guwahati (Assam), Kolkata (West Bengal), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mumbai, and Sangli (Maharashtra), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), and Trivandrum (Kerala).

These new additions, will complement existing COEs in Noida and Tiruppur, underscore AMH SSC's unwavering commitment to enriching skills and knowledge within the Indian apparel industry.

Roopak Vasishtha, CEO of AMHSSC highlights the pivotal role envisaged for these COEs in cultivating a qualified workforce, adept at meeting the industry's surging demand for excellence. A PwC report accentuates their significance in furnishing the industry with adept personnel. Vasishtha points to an ‘Invest India’ report, that states the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, with an allocated sum of Rs 10,684 crore, is poised to invigorate the production of Man-Made Fiber (MMF) Apparel, MMF Fabrics, and Technical Textile Products in India.