The Standardization Administration of China has issued a new national standard for clothing and home textile products. The national standard GB/T 40270-2021, Textiles-General technical requirements based on consumer experience was included in China’s No. 7 announcement of the approved national standards list in 2021.It will be effective from December 1, 2021.

The standard was formed on the basis of current production processes and overall technical level, with less consideration for the consumer experience. As per the standard, general safety technical requirements of textile products shall conform to the requirements of GB 18401 or GB 31701 (products for infants and children) and quality requirements of textile products shall conform to the requirements of related claimed product standard.

The standard aims to guide enterprises to pay close attention to consumer demand and develop standardized technology when designing and producing products, according to SGS Global Softlines, a global network with 10 laboratories in China.

From January 23 to 26, 2022, Ispo Munich will once again be held as a physical event at the MesseMünchen exhibition center and will launch several concept innovations.

As per The Spin Off report, the exhibition will focus on industry topics such as sustainability and digitalization as part of a conference stage, but also with exhibition areas. The focus here will be on conference/learning; the offerings in this segment are aimed at ISPO's classic B2B target group.

Under the name "Collaborators Zone", the new B2C2B Hall is also being created, a partially separated and segregated area of Ispo Munich, which will specifically serve to activate and integrate consumers. Consumer experts and (micro-)influencers from the Ispo Group's Collaborators Club–a further development of the Ispo Open Innovation platform–will meet brands and customers with a strong B2C orientation here.

Even though exhibitors will be able to present Special Editions for the first time or offer exclusive sales drops in this area, direct sales of products will not be possible.

A diverse group of denim brands will exhibit at the Liberty Fairs ‘first-ever West Coast trade show.

The first amongst these will be Japanese brand Hiroshi Kato which cuts and sews imported fabric in Los Angeles. The brand also offers washed jeans with four-way stretch Its Spring/Summer 2022 line will feature lighter washes and more bleach-out details, keying into an appetite for vintage styling and worn-in fits.

The unisex label Harri Penny will showcase its Spring 2022 line consisting of workwear-inspired ready-to-wear styles constructed mostly from denim. The designer has sought to create comfortable, practical silhouettes to give wearers the confidence to take on life post-pandemic.

The brainchild of Pakistan-based vertical denim manufacturer Artistic Milliners, Rising Sun’s line of men’s and women’s denim is cut and sewn at its Santa Ana, Calif. facility. The Heroes Motors denim label puts a new spin on old-school styling. The line’s denim is awash with distressing, paint splatters, shiny waxing, patchwork and other rugged and eye-catching design flourishes. The range is complemented by a range of denim jackets, vests, T-shirts and pullovers replete with vintage patches, embroidery and screen prints.

Edwin USA, the in-house denim line managed by sustainable L.A. denim manufacturer Saitex USA acts as a testing ground for the manufacturer’s newest production innovations, like fabrics crafted at its newly-opened Vietnam mill. Edwin USA also plays with inventive, cutting-edge styling inspired by heritage denim as well as contemporary trends.

Sourcing at Magic at Las Vegas will give fashion businesses, brands, and sourcing professionals the opportunity to connect and collaborate with an international community of global manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers.

As per Textile Today, the four day exhibition at Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada will be attended by Bangladeshi readymade garment (RMG) factories and exporters. The show will end on 11 August.

This Expo will bring in the participation of more than 800 companies. The buyers will come across the following range, furnishing accessories, athletic footwear, carry bags, bamboo fabric, beads and sequins, bedroom textiles, belts and bags, buckles, clips and hooks, blended fabric, carpets and rugs, children apparel, casual shirts, party wear, bridal dress, menswear, embroideries, denim fabric, fashionable footwear, lingerie, maternity dresses, leather goods, swimwear, hosiery wear, yarns, zippers.

According to Fernando Pimentel, President, Abit (Brazalian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) there was an increase of 36 per cent in Brazil’s textile production between January and May 2021, compared to the same period in 2020. Pimentel also highlighted the growth in clothing production, as well as in commerce and especially in jobs.

The executive also highlighted other important points about the current scenario and the impacts of changes in the world as of 2020: the more expressive recovery of the textile sector, which in 2020 can maintain its production with protection items, including masks, and the fact that the sector has not yet returned to the numbers before the pandemic, but the perspective is positive for it to grow again this year.

When it comes to clothing, the segment shows recovery from the worst moment of the pandemic, in April 2020, when the trade was closed. From the time, when there was an 81 per cent drop in sales revenues, they are expected to grow by 121 per cent during the same period in 2021, he added.

In 2021, textile production is expected to grow by 7.4 per cent, reaching 2 million tonne produced. As for revenue, a 9.2 per cent increase is expected in relation to 2020, reaching R$57.5 billion, Pimental added.

In the first four months of 2021, Sri Lanka’s textile and garment export revenues increased 28.7 per cent year-on-year to $ 1,699 million, show statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The country’s textile exports increased by 41.2 per cent to $ 98.9 million and clothing exports increased 27.3 per cent to $ 1,556 million.

As per the report ‘External Sector Performance-April 2021’ exports of other textile products increased 59 per cent to $44.5 million. Textile and garment exports accounted for 57.62 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka over the four months.

From January to April 2021, Sri Lanka’s textile and textile imports also increased by 22.1 per cent to $ 938.6 million, and clothing and accessories imports decreased 12.2 per cent to $ 74.9 million. In April 2021, Sri Lanka’s textile and clothing export revenues increased by 461.2 per cent to $ 366 million, compared to $ 65.2 million in exports for the same month in 2020. Expenditure on on textiles and textile products surged by 55.5 per cent year-on-year. Import of clothing and accessories increased 57.8 per cent to $ 19.2 million to $ 228.4 million.

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) has upheld the passing of the infrastructure bill by the US Senate. The council believes this will provide funds worth billions of orders to revitalize the nation’s roads, bridges and railways and help reconstitute a domestic supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE).

The bill also includes a version of the Make PPE in America Act, legislation co-sponsored by Senator Rob Portman and Senator Gary Peters. It ensures all PPE purchased by the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs are Berry Amendment-compliant; guarantees long-term contracts to US manufacturers; and creates a tiered preference for PPE made in the Western Hemisphere by its free trade partners using US components, after domestic manufacturing capacity has been maximized.

Last year, NCTO members retooled their production chains in response the nation’s need for PPE and other medical products. It will continue to urge the government to purchase Berry-compliant products containing 100 per cent domestic content for PPE to help bolster the full US production chain in the future, says Kim Glas, President and CEO.

Garware Technical Fibers net profit in Q1 FY2021-22 declined 39.99 per cent to Rs 31.93 crore from Rs 53.21 crore in Q4 FY2020-21. The company’s total income during the quarter declined by 26.96 per cent to 249.15 crore as compared to Rs.341.10 crore during Q4 FY2020-21 that ended March 31, 2021.

On a Year-on-Year basis, the company’s net profit increased by 80.6 per cent to Rs 31.93 crore from Rs 17.68 crore in Q1 FY2020-21. The company’s income grew by 52.01 per cent to 249.15 crore from Rs.163.90 crore in Q1FY2020-21.

The company’s EPS grew by 91.71 per cent to Rs.15.49 during the first quarter of FY2021-22 as compared to Rs.8.08 for the first quarter of FY2020-21.

Bangladesh plans to form a committee of representatives from four apex organizations of the textile and apparel sector to fix the maximum price of yarn in coordination with the international market. As per Dhaka Tribune, the country will not increase yarn prices before the committee is formed. At a meeting in Bangladesh, Mohammad Hatem, Vice President, BKMEA, revealed, arbitration committee will resolve all disputes amicably in the future. The meeting was attended by Farque Hassan, Managing Director and Tanvir Ahmed, Director, BGMEA.

Textile mill owners pointed out the rise of cotton prices in the international market had led to the hike of yarn price in the local market. However, their view was not accepted by apparel industry owners’ organization who said garment exports were hampered by rising price of yarn and purchase orders could not be taken, the country's spinning sector, along with apparels, would incur huge losses.

Hassan demanded 30-count yarn price be brought down immediately — keeping it consistent with the international market — to save the industry and keep the industry’s competitiveness and help it survive in this crucial time.

The worldwide ban on Xinjiang cotton has stoked patriotic fervor of Chinese consumers who are increasingly opting for domestic fashion brands over international labels. Chinese consumers are openly expressing their support to Xinjiang cotton, sending shares of textile and apparel companies traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen zooming higher, says Shanghai-based information provider Wind Info.

Patriotism fuels domestic sales

Patriotism is playing a big role in facilitating sales of domestic brands, especially those supporting domestic cotton, says Tang Xiaotang, a clothing and fashion industry analyst. Sportswear brands are experiencing an exponential rise in demand fuelled by consumers’ rising interest in healthy and casual wear. As per an English Eastday report, rise in demand for domestic brands has sent prices of their limited-edition sneakers soaring on online platforms.

The price rise may hit consumers' confidence in local brands and cripple their brands upgrade, say experts. Homegrown brands need to entice local consumers with a wide product variety, high quality and reasonable prices, say experts. Kong Xiangzhi, Professor, School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of Renmin, University of China says, the recent surge in domestic shopping may not necessarily translate into a higher share for domestic brands as consumers will continue to choose quality, style and cultural innovations. To gain more pricing power in the market, China needs to expand its domestic industrial chain and make it risk-resistant, adds Yang.

New standards for developing high-quality cotton

China is releasing its own version of Better Cotton Initiative standards. This helps it to promote a comprehensive set of principles for offering high-quality cotton products. The cotton program helps build China’s own national standards to develop higher quality cotton and digitize the entire industry, affirms Luo Yan, Secretary-General, Xinjiang Digital Cotton Research Center.

According to Luo, the proposed cotton program will improve the efficiency of cotton production in China through digitalization, low carbonization and high quality of cotton farming. For this, BCI aims to suspend its cooperation with licensed farmers in Xinjiang during the 2020-21 cotton season over allegations of forced labor in the region.

The world's second-largest cotton producer after India, China grows most of its cotton in Xinjiang, shows, data from China Grain Reserves Group. In 2020, the country exported textile and apparel products worth $291.22 billion, as per data from the General Administration of Customs. Most of these products were exported to Europe, the US and Southeast Asia.

Chinese brands to move up the chain

In future, China’s sportswear and apparel brands are expected to move up the industrial chain and expand in both local and overseas markets, avers Xie Xiaowen, Research Fellow, E-Commerce Research Center, Internet Economy Institute. Improving R&D and production skills will help these brands boost marketing operations, he adds.