The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), through its Safety in Denim Finishing Working Group, collaborated with industry professionals and outside consultants to release a new set of guidelines and best practices for denim finishing facilities in December that it hopes will create a better industry for both workers and the brands they represent.

The guide is specifically designed for denim finishing facilities, giving facility managers—most of which are independent and contracted out by brands. It includes safety protocols for common techniques in denim finishing, like bleaching or creating wear marks, that a more general understanding of workplace safety might not properly cover.

Those tapping into the denim safety guideline will find several indicators for success, the least of which is an increased level of production and return on investment for brands that should come as a result of fewer production accidents and employee illnesses. Not to mention, brands have the added benefit of attracting better workers and better press.

Workers in Chinese textile factories are exposed to high levels of air pollution. At one facility, levels of particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) averaged 85 micrograms per cubic meter, or roughly seven times the safe limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. An increase in PM2.5 by ten micrograms per cubic meter sustained over 25 days reduces daily output by one per cent, harming firms and workers.

High levels of particles are visible and affect an individual’s well-being in a multitude of ways. Besides entering via the lungs and into the bloodstream, there could also be a psychological element. Working in a highly polluted setting for long periods of time affects mood or the disposition to work.

China’s polluted skies have been a problem for years now, with the country’s mean annual PM2.5 exposure spiking from 48 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 to 56 in 2016. Laborers in China can be working under far worse daily conditions while maintaining levels of productivity that look comparable to clean air days.

India is among the top suppliers of textile and apparel products to Indonesia. Cotton textiles are the largest category, with a share of 65 per cent in India’s textile and apparel exports to Indonesia. This is followed by manmade textiles and apparel having a share of 20 per cent and seven per cent respectively.

There was a decrease in India’s exports in 2015 due to mounting competition from other countries like China, Korea, the US, etc. However, since the last three years India’s exports to Indonesia are again increasing. India’s exports to Indonesia have increased at a CAGR of seven per cent over the last five years. However, the share has remained two or three per cent during the same period of time.

With a share of about 42 per cent, China is the leading textile and apparel supplier to Indonesia, but it is now focusing more on the domestic market as manufacturing costs in China are increasing. This India an opportunity to grab China’s share and increase its exports to Indonesia.

Cotton was the largest exported commodity to Indonesia from India, but Indonesia is now shifting its focus from cotton-based to manmade textiles. India has the opportunity to increase its share of manmade textiles by focusing on exports of polyester filaments and viscose staple fiber.

The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association is confident that PM Imran Khan and his economic team will bail the country out of the economic crisis by paying special attention to the export-oriented industry. PRGMEA pointed out that the incumbent government has fulfilled all its commitments made to the exporters within very short span, particularly lowering gas tariff to $6.5/MMBTU and reducing electricity rates to Rs 7.50 cents/kWh to the exporting industry.

Sales Tax refund payment has been cleared against RPOs while payment processing of Deferred Sales Tax refunds, which were pending for the last 15 years, has also been started. PRGMEA also appreciated the government to allow advance payments for imports of basic industrial raw material. Appreciating the government on taking serious notice of the severe issue, it said the move has raised the business community's confidence and such business friendly policies will definitely result in boosting the trade and industry. The facility's withdrawal had severely affected the export-oriented industries of the country. The move also delayed export shipments besides scaling up the cost of production.

The country's budget deficit was Rs 230 billion before this government, after coming into power it has reduced it by Rs 130 billion. This government has fulfilled its commitment to the nation by taking the country out of inherited financial crisis and is successfully managing the pending external payments.

A textile and garment machinery exhibition (DTG) is on in Bangladesh from January 9 to 12, 2019. This is the largest textile machinery exhibition in Southeast Asia. Bangladesh has now emerged one of the potential markets for global textile and garment machinery manufacturers thanks to rising demands for locally made apparel items across the world.

Spinners, weavers and readymade garment makers have been investing billions of dollars in setting up new factories and expanding their existing capacity. Millers and exporters can buy machinery from the exhibition venue.

Some 1,200 textile and machinery manufacturing companies from 37 countries including Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, UAE, UK and the US are displaying their products at 1,650 booths.

Textile machinery manufacturers value Bangladesh as the center of the textile and clothing machinery business hub. Local spinning millers meet 80 per cent to 85 per cent of the knitwear sector’s requirements while woven millers can meet 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the demand for woven fabrics by readymade garment exporters. Textile and apparel buyers see Bangladesh as a major sourcing destination. DTG is now in its 15the and participation rose by about 25 per cent.

Kochi-based Kitex Garments, currently the third largest infant apparel manufacturer in the world, will raise production capacity over 3.5 times to produce 22 lakh pieces per day by 2025 from the current six lakh pieces of finished garments per day for 'just-borns' and babies up to two years.

The company will add capacity across the value chain by increasing knitting and processing capacity to 80 tons each and is expanding the sewing production capacity. It will also diversify into new product lines like socks for children, baby diapers and baby wet wipes, besides setting up a cotton spinning mill with a capacity of 80 tonnes per day as part of vertical integration. The ongoing expansion with an estimated Rs 910 crore will help the company reach revenues of Rs 2,165 crore by 2024-25 with an average growth of over 20 per cent every year from the Rs 559 crore revenues in 2017-18. While land identification is complete, machinery and supplier identification and building and infrastructure planning is going on.

M&S’ UK sales fell 2.2 per cent on a like-for-like basis and 2.7 per cent in total. International sales too fell, although the large size of drop was mainly due to the sale of its Hong Kong business to its franchise partner and the closure of stores in loss-making markets. Factoring those out, international revenue was down only 1.4 per cent. Reducing consumer confidence, mild weather, Black Friday, and widespread discounting by competitors made November a very challenging trading period for the company.

Improvements to its online proposition and operations helped it to mitigate lower footfall to stores resulting from, in part, the increasing pace of change in the store estate. Women’s wear online growth significantly outperformed, driven by areas including dresses and knitwear. Stock that went into its clearance sale was down around 25 per cent, as a result of a planned reduction in stock levels.

The company is still in the early stages of far-reaching changes in range, style, customer focus and channel mix. Its objective is to reshape its buy, deliver market leading value and focus on stylish and wearable wardrobe must-haves as it grows the business with family-aged customers seeking style, quality and value.

The Kingpins New York show, originally scheduled for June 8-9, 2019 will be rescheduled for June 12-13, 2019. Additionally, Kingpins Transformers, the seminar series focused on sustainable innovation, will be moved to June 11, 2019 to coincide with the trade show. New York Denim Days—the annual consumer-facing denim festival—will be held on its originally scheduled dates, June 08-09, 2019.

The new dates also give vendors an extra week between Denim Premiere Vision’s roving show concept which will relocated from London to Milan from May 28-29, 2019. The next edition of Kingpins will take place in Amsterdam April 10-11, 2019

Hemp may become a huge factor in the US textile market as more and more people are becoming interested in using it as a fiber. Like bamboo fiber, hemp is known for a porosity and strength that make it great for breathable outdoor wear.

Hemp fiber is hypoallergenic and thermo-regulating, besides being stronger and longer lasting than most other natural fibers. It also has the ability to filter harmful UV rays up to SPF 15 and can be manipulated during manufacturing to increase that range.

Beyond benefits to the wearer, the planet could benefit from the hemp market as well. Hemp needs little rainfall, is drought-resistant and restores nitrogen levels and neutralizes pH levels in soil. Hemp’s performance features are innate to the fiber and brought to the surface during production rather than added as a treatment or finish. Hemp provides these benefits without contributing to microplastic pollution that result from washing and abrasion of synthetic fabrics.

Hemp is already a favorite among designers who use sustainability as a selling point for their collections. Thanks to innovations in production, hemp can be used to create a variety of fabrications. If hemp is abundant by 2022, it will be a crucial factor in its popularity in the US apparel market.

The Gujarat government has announced a support scheme spanning the entire textile value chain. Named ‘Scheme for Assistance to Strengthen Specific Sectors in the Textile Value Chain’, it will be operative upto December 31, 2023. The scheme provides financial assistance through credit-linked interest subsidy of 6 per cent for MSME and 4-6 per cent for large enterprises with an upper ceiling of Rs 20 crore per annum. A separate scheme for subsidy in power tariff allows up to Rs3 per unit for weaving and Rs 2 per unit for other eligible segments.

The scheme for assistance in compliance of energy, water and environment conservation covers all existing units in operation for more than three years. The scheme provides 20 per cent assistance on the cost of machinery with a ceiling of Rs 30 lakh and 50 per cent assistance for audit fees with a limit of Rs 1 lakh.

For technology upgradation and modernisation in textile value chain, the scheme provides one-time financial assistance of up to 50 per cent of the cost with a limit of Rs 25 lakh.

The State government has also extended support for setting up textile parks with financial assistance of up to 25 per cent of capital expenditure on common facilities and infrastructure with a limit of Rs15 crore. The park will also get financial assistance to create hostel facilities within park with minimum 100 workers domiciled in Gujarat.