Cotton Egypt Association (CEA), the non-profit which supports the Egyptian Cotton brand, has launched an initiative to root out counterfeiters in the textile industry and will name and shame the manufacturers found to be falsely advertising stock under the brand name.

CEA is committed to ensuring the authenticity of its luxury cotton and to do so wants to eradicate cases of counterfeiting, an issue that is rife in the textiles industry. It will clamp down on the wide-scale problem with threats of naming and shaming those firms who fail the rigorous accreditation scheme via a Black List on its website.

The non-profit plans to use secret shoppers both in-store and online to identify products which purport to use Egyptian Cotton, this will then be handed over to CEA and its partner, testing and verification body Bureau Veritas, which will conduct testing to validate the authenticity of a product.

Those found to be in possession of dubious stock, like a Pakistani towel manufacturer which has recently had its licence suspended off the back of being found out, will be named and shamed as to deter companies from engaging in such practices, it also raises awareness to customers and consumers that a company isn’t to be trusted.

A high-level breakout session led by ZDHC Foundation, at the forthcoming Planet Textile Summit on at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, will provide advice and practical examples of how to eliminate the discharge of hazardous chemicals from textile production.

The ZDHC session at Planet Textiles 2019 at ITMA – along with the CEO session on chemical management – will be a perfect platform to roll out these new initiatives for the industry and also, to get immediate feedback.

The session will give the industry a practical, yet broad overview of how working closely with the ZDHC can help to tackle this problem and how textile suppliers and brands can meet tougher consumer and regulatory expectations.

The discussion will include the next steps forward by the ZDHC. This will include discussion on whether real-world progress can be made by the industry before the end of the 2020 Detox deadline to ensure that the world’s largest environmental pressure group does not come piling back into the industry.

The Bangladesh readymade garments industry has received the highest cash incentive of 5 per cent in the budget for fiscal 2019-20. While four RMG sectors get a 4 per cent cash incentive for exports to non-traditional markets, a generalised 1 per cent has been proposed for all.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has proposed an export incentive of 1 percent in the next fiscal to the rest of the sectors of ready-made garments. Now, exports to traditional markets will fetch a cash incentive of 1 per cent, and to non-traditional markets will earn an incentive of 5 per cent.

The existing tax rates for the readymade garments sector will remain the same. Currently RMG in Bangladesh are taxed at 12 per cent. The rate is 10 per cent in case of a green building certification , while for the textile sector it is 15 per cent.

The tax rates have been unchanged as these sectors have boosted the exports considerably besides generating lot of employment in the country.

The government has withdrawn the ban on export of certain categories of raw jute, including uncut Bangla tossa rejection (BTR) and Bangla white rejection (BWR). The textiles and jute ministry issued a circular in this regard on May 29 this year under the section 13 of the Jute Ordinance 2017.

On January 18 last year, the government had imposed a ban on the export of uncut BTR and BWR varieties of jute for an indefinite period in response to the requests by the local industries for ensuring quality jute. However, the Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) demanded a withdrawal of this ban. Traders, farmers and workers also expressed concern as they faced a lot of financial losses due to the ban.

According to Export Promotion Bureau, the export of jute and jute goods declined by 19.99 percent year-on-year to $773.57 million during the July-May period of the current fiscal year. The sector’s earnings declined mainly due to higher use of jute goods like sacks in the domestic market and the anti-dumping duty slapped on it by India.

The China Cotton Association (CCA) will request the US government to waive off the import duties on uncombed cotton from the United States. The Ministry of Finance posted a list of goods, including cotton that has not been carded or combed, at the end of May that could be eligible for waivers on tariffs that China imposed in July on U.S. goods as part of the China-U.S. trade war.

China is a major importer of cotton from the U.S. and tariffs of 25 per cent implemented on imports last year have significantly reduced that trade. In the first half of the 2018/19 marketing year, China imported only 11 per cent of its cotton from the United States, a decline from the 45 per cent imported in the same period in the previous marketing year.

"Mayer & Cie will launch the OVJA 1.1 EETT jacquard machine at ITMA Barcelona 2019. The machine has been developed especially for the manufacture of shoe uppers for sports and leisure footwear. The OVJA 1.1 EETT is available with double electronics and double transfer technology, which is reflected in an extra variety of patterns and, in particular, in innovative hole structures."

Mayer & Cie will launch the OVJA 1.1 EETT jacquard machine at ITMA Barcelona 2019. The machine has been developed especially for the manufacture of shoe uppers for sports and leisure footwear.

The OVJA 1.1 EETT is available with double electronics and double transfer technology, which is reflected in an extra variety of patterns and, in particular, in innovative hole structures.

The new OVJA 1.1 EETT, as the EE in its name indicates in the original German, features electronic individual needle selection in the rib dial and the cylinder, both using 3-way technology and thus making jacquard structures possible on both sides of the fabric.

The OVJA 1.1 EETT pairs its double electronics with bi-directional transfer and can thus knit virtually any conceivable pattern. It produces combinations of single and double jersey as well as spacer structures, while the range of hole structures is enormous due to the double transfer function.

The OVJA 1.1 EETT offers also in terms of gauges, yarn use and machine diameter. With diameters from 30 to 38 inches it knits E18 to E28 gauge fabrics and processes up to 1,200 denier yarns. The machine produces spacer fabrics of up to 5 millimetres thick in the grey goods category.

"Mayer & Cie. will showcase a mesh and body mapping specialist machine- electronic single jersey machine MJ 3.2 E at this year’s ITMA in Barcelona. Specially developed for sporting use, this machine is the cornerstone of the manufacturer’s trade fair concept and its slogan “Stay a Winner: With Mayer & Cie.” It is based on a 3-in-1 concept which enables it to knit a wide range of patterns while its 2-way technology ensures high productivity."

Mayer & Cie. will showcase a mesh and body mapping specialist machine- electronic single jersey machine MJ 3.2 E at this year’s ITMA in Barcelona. Specially developed for sporting use, this machine is the cornerstone of the manufacturer’s trade fair concept and its slogan “Stay a Winner: With Mayer & Cie.” It is based on a 3-in-1 concept which enables it to knit a wide range of patterns while its 2-way technology ensures high productivity.

Mesh structures require one-sided plating and the basic thread is invisible in the finished fabric. Body mapping, on the other hand, requires larger plain-coloured areas in the back or abdominal region. Furthermore, body mapping structures also require elastomeric plating.

The new MJ 3.2 E takes all these challenges into account. It offers reliable plating of both the basic and the plating thread. For both these, the machine processes elastomer yarn. The machine’s conventional sinker technology provides flexibility. Their presses off and plating are handled optimally with a wide variety of yarns and it yields a high fabric quality.

The MJ 3.2 E’s capabilities extend way beyond its body mapping and mesh specialities. The machine runs on 2-way technology and 3.2 feeders per inch to produce mesh and body mapping structures. It also runs on 2-way technology to achieve peak productivity for full jacquard, reaching a speed factor of up to 850. That corresponds to an up to 20 per cent higher output than that of the two established Mayer & Cie. electronic jacquard machines, the Relanit 1.6 E and the Relanit 2.4 E. Customers who focus on maximum flexibility and pattern variety can rely on the MJ 3.2 E with 1.6 feeders and 3-way technology.

Along with the new MJ 3.2 E and the two Relanit machines Mayer & Cie also offer other machines in it’s for making sportswear. The MV4-3.2 II and the S4-3.2 produce fine-gauge knitwear made of various synthetic fibres. Both knit fine gauges, the MV4-3.2 II even up to E60, and are suitable for making running shirts, for example.

The D4 2.2 II and the D4 3.2 II, both of them double jersey machines, are also popular models for the production of sportswear. Both produce right/right structures, fine touch and different 8-lock structures.

"Jeanologia, the Spanish company involved in developing sustainable and efficient technology, will present a new production model based on digitalisation and sustainability that reduces times and simplifies processes, reinventing the way of producing jeans."

Jeanologia, the Spanish company involved in developing sustainable and efficient technology, will present a new production model based on digitalisation and sustainability that reduces times and simplifies processes, reinventing the way of producing jeans.

The company will show a complete solution that achieves 100 per cent ecological production, speeding up time to market through the perfect integration of hardware and software. This new agile and efficient way of producing drastically reduces lead time from months to weeks or even days, adapting to the new market needs.

This innovative process also reduces to a minimum the use of water and chemicals, obtaining significative savings and eliminating discharge; helping companies to reduce their environmental footprint, lower costs and taking care of workers’ health.

The process starts with G2Dynamic, which completely redefines the fabric finishing without using water and chemicals and improves production enhancing the results during the following processes. Fabrics finished with G2Dynamic are laser boosters, which means that during the garment finishing faster and more efficient results are gained. It goes on to Laundry 5.Zero, the first garment finishing plant that guarantees zero pollution and obtains 85% saving in water.

Laundry 5.Zero efficiently combines the technologies: laser, G2 ozone, e- flow, Smart Boxes and H2Zero, the company’s first water recycling system; eliminating potassium permanganate, pumice stone, substances of concern and discharge from the textile finishing industry, as well as the manual processes of scraping and grinding.

ColorJet is the first Indian digital textile printing company to strike a platinum sponsorship deal at ITMA 2019. The brand will have a stand at Hall-3, Booth No-B102. This partnership is aligned with its aspiration of becoming a global digital textile printing brand and showcasing efficient Indian engineering product and technology.

ITMA is the world’s leading showcase for textile and garment technology, including textile printing. The exhibition provides the ideal platform for the industry to present a wide range of the latest technologies. ITMA 2015 featured 1,691 exhibitors from 46 countries, 95 supporting media from 19 countries and 123,000 buyers from 147 countries. Of these visitors, 21 per cent were from the printing and dyeing sectors.

"Leaders of the apparel and textile industry gathered at the second edition of Apparel Textile Sourcing Miami (ATSM), held from May 28 to 30, 2019 in Florida. The three-day event hosted domestic and international textile mills and apparel factory exhibitors from 15 countries, and over 3,000 visitors. Leading SME brands and boutiques, and VIP buyers including the Hard Rock, Disney, Viacom, Nordica, Perry Ellis, Tractor Supply, Becker Glove, Venus Swimwear, etc made their presence felt at the show."

Leaders of the apparel and textile industry gathered at the second edition of Apparel Textile Sourcing Miami (ATSM), held from May 28 to 30, 2019 in Florida. The three-day event hosted domestic and international textile mills and apparel factory exhibitors from 15 countries, and over 3,000 visitors. Leading SME brands and boutiques, and VIP buyers including the Hard Rock, Disney, Viacom, Nordica, Perry Ellis, Tractor Supply, Becker Glove, Venus Swimwear, etc made their presence felt at the show.

Industries leaders share insights on local market

Business and industry leaders shared their insights on the local market and international trade opportunities for Florida businesses, retailers, brands and designers. Some of the leading entrepreneurs who attended the show included Florida Alice Ancona, President, Chamber of Commerce; Joe Kulenovic, VP Trade and Development, Enterprise Florida Z; Michael Finney, President, Miami-Dade Beacon Council; Matthew Rocco, President,South Florida Manufacturers Association; Julia Hughes, President, United States Fashion Industry Association and high level dignitaries and trade representatives from the 15 countries, such as Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana Ambassador to the U.S; SM Rejuan Hossain, Additional Secretary, Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce Export Promotion Bureau; General Tessa Jacques, Director, Center for Investment Facilitation (CFI) Haiti.

The show unveiled myriad opportunities for alternative sources of supply for local businesses, brands, retailers and designers scrambling to navigate the unfolding economic reality. Gu Xinxin, Director, Changshu Garments Town – a key textile and garment city which sent a delegation of manufacturers to the event – reported that there are nearly 10,000 textile and garment producers in the city who export around 2.6 billion garments annually. Changsu works as a central facilitator for these exporters to the domestic and foreign markets.

Nearing opportunities and trade incentives in focus

Attendees also learned about nearshoring opportunities and trade incentives from countries like: Haiti, Guatemala, Colombia, and Peru. Other popular topics included supply change transformation, responsible sourcing, sustainable apparel and textile solutions, breakthrough manufacturing technologies – from lean manufacturing to robotics – and trending colors for the coming seasons by Pantone Color Institute.

Introduced for the first time, the Fashion Lab conference series attracted small businesses and upcoming designers. Industry experts and top fashion influencers offered advice on topics such as digital shopping channels, emerging technologies that change the way consumers interact with brands, e-commerce, experiential retail, changing consumer attitudes regarding environmental consciousness and corporate responsibility, the critical role of social media in the world of fashion, and how to create a Made in the USA fashion line.

A show-stopping ‘Best of Miami’ fashion runway on day two, showcased latest creations by some of the Magic City’s most renowned talent, including Renee Ruiz, Julian Chang, Luis Aponte, Viviana Gabeiras, Lucky in Love, Peace, Love, World, Bianca Coletti, Cubavera Mayda Cisneros and Maria D’Ocon. Making a debut on the runway were also innovative designs by some of Miami’s top rising young fashion stars, as well as leading international designers such as top Chinese fashion brands RAP, Wilen and Tiny Cuttle.