Two Swiss textile machinery companies, Rieter and Uster have been singled out for exporting machines to China amid allegations of forced labor in the clothing supply chain including Uyghur and other minorities.

As per a report by the Textile Focus, Xinjiang purchased $6.4 million (CHF6 million) worth of machines from Switzerland in 2019. According to customs data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), the region imports the majority of its machinery from three nations, Germany ($26.8 million), Japan ($23.4 million), and Italy ($7.4 million). Switzerland, on the other hand, is a major exporter of knitting machine accessories like spindles, dobbies, and automatic stop motions, which are used in large spinning, weaving, and knitting machines. Over the previous three years, Switzerland has shipped $2 million worth of knitting machine accessories to the autonomous area.

To sell fabrics to Kenyan companies, Indian textile companies presented their bids to potential Kenyan apparel makers during the Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) Wool and Woolen show in New Delhi.

As per Textile Focus, Kenyan fashion designers and sourcing agents interacted with India’s wool and woolen products manufacturers and exporters during the three-day exhibition, held from March 25 to 27. Rialto Enterprises, Occasions and Days, Sao Satorial, and Combiat Agencies were some of the Kenyan fashion companies and importers who attended the event. Of these, Occasions and Days plans to collaborate with the Indian textile and apparel industry to provide a continuous supply of high-quality materials to Kenya’s textile industry, says Monica Kanari, CEO.

Kenya has been encouraging people to buy locally made clothing in order to create jobs and reduce the amount of foreign currency spent on secondhand clothing each year. Jump-starting the leather, textiles, and agro-processing sub-sectors were considered critical in achieving early gains in the government’s “Big Four” agenda’s manufacturing pillar.

As per the annual report of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT). the percentage of participating companies that meet the agreement’s requirements have increased from 63 to 80 percent. The production chains of participating companies are becoming increasingly transparent: the data of almost 6,000 unique production locations are now made public. The share of more sustainable raw materials increased from 28 to 38 percent. Several public calls for enhanced cooperation in the supply chain were made by the Agreement during the corona crisis.

The assessment of the AGT companies shows that 80 percent comply with the AGT-requirements regarding international Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), 7 percent almost comply and 13 percent does not comply. This is an improvement compared to 2019, in which 63 percent of companies met the obligations, 19 percent almost and 18 percent did not.

In 2020, the assessment interviews focused in particular on whether AGT companies complied with the principles drawn up regarding purchasing practices during the corona crisis. As time progressed, it turned out that a very large proportion of the companies acted in accordance with the principles. Companies have been repeatedly questioned and addressed by parties and the AGT secretariat about their actions during the corona pandemic. Companies that did not (fully) act in accordance with the corona guidelines received a lower score on the purchasing practice component and a negative remark in their annual assessment.

Trident was awarded with the Gold Trophy in Highest Global Exports category by The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (Texprocil) at the virtual Export Awards function. Conducted in the presence of Smriti Irani, Minister of Textiles & Women and Child Development as Chief Guest, the awards were presented to outstanding export performers in the cotton textile industry.

Trident Group was set up by first generation entrepreneur and Padma Shri Rajinder Gupta during the early years of the great Indian economic liberalization. The group began with a solitary unit making high-quality yarn. However, in due course, it catapulted to become the largest manufacturer of terry towels and one of the largest integrated home textile manufacturers in the world. Today, it has diversified beyond home textiles into paper, chemicals, energy, etc. The company has millions of customers across 100 countries

Established in 1954, Texprocil is a Government of India sponsored export promotion council. The council has been the international face of cotton textiles from India, facilitating exports worldwide.

Pakistan’s textile and garment exports grew by 19 per cent in the 11 months of current fiscal year (11MFY21) compared to the same period a year ago, as per the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. A report from Pakistan Today Profit says, total exports of textile and clothing increased 8.85 per cent to $13.748 billion between July and May this year against $11.567 billion over the corresponding period in FY20.

On a monthly basis, exports increased 41.14 per cent year-on-year to $1.06 billion in May 2021. Exports of ready-made garments increased 14.35 per cent to $2.706 billion in 11MFY21 against $2.367 billion over the corresponding months of last year. Knitwear exports increased by 32.70 per cent to $3.414 billion against $2.572 billion over the corresponding months of last year. Exports of bed wear increased by 24.60 per cent to $2.472 billion.

In the value-added sector, exports of leather garments increased by 9.92 per cent, while those of leather gloves increased by19.08per cent. In the non-value added sector, exports of cotton cloth grew by 0.97per cent in 11MFY21 from a year ago. However, exports of cotton yarn declined by 1.60 per cent and those of raw cotton declined by 96.51per cent.

Vietnam’s revenue from garment and textile exports increased 21.2 per cent year on year to about $15.2 billion during the first five months of 2021, reveal from Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). During January-May 2021, Vietnam’s fiber and yarn exports soared 60.1 per cent year-on-year to $2.1 billion while fabric exports increased 26.4 per cent to $947 million As per Vietnam Plus, the country’s garment and textile imports increased by 33.4 per cent to $10.2 billion during the period.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade attributed growth to positive signals from the country’s major export markets as well as domestic businesses’ effective utilization of opportunities from free trade agreements (FTAs) which have been signed and put in place. The US remained the largest importer of Vietnam’s garments and textiles with imports increasing 24.4 per cent to $6.02 billion and accounting for 49.2 per cent of the sector’s total revenue.

Japan was the second largest importer with imports worth $1.31 billion followed by the European Union with $1.21 billion worth of imports and the Republic of Korea with $1.07 billion imports.

Supplier of home textiles to European retailers, Zaber and Zubair Fabric aims to improve its bottom lines by going greener. The company installed two plants in 2010 to recover 95 per cent caustic soda from water to rinse fabrics made into goods like sheets and pillow covers, saving 6.5 million litre of caustic soda annually as well as sulphuric acid.

The plants also generate hot water as a by-product, which is used in machines to process fabrics at high temperatures, economizing on water and electricity. The plants have helped the factory save $3.8 million a year through buying fewer chemicals, treating less waste water and lowering energy bills. Zaber and Zubair Fabrics has installed rooftop solar panels to generate about 400 kw power. It plans to add more solar capacity in the coming years.

According to a 2020 study by Global Fashion Agenda and McKinsey & Company, the apparel industry produces 4 per cent of the world’s planet-warming emissions, equal to the combined annual total of France, Germany and Britain. The UN Environment Program in 2019 also estimated fashion industry’s share of global carbon emissions at 10 per cent

Though Bangladesh’s overall emissions are tiny compared with industrialized countries, its garment sector is the world’s second-largest exporter of clothes and employs about 4 million people.

Last year, the Green Climate Fund, the main UN-backed climate finance channel for developing countries, approved a $250-million loan program for projects to make garment factories in Bangladesh more energy efficient.

The Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT), a program led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) practices, has also helped 338 Bangladeshi factories cut their greenhouse gas emissions by more than half a million tonne a year. The program recommendations have helped factories each save thousands of dollars annually, curb emissions and save water.

Pav Sina, President, Collective Union of Movement of Workers says, the government’s aggressive vaccination campaign will help the Cambodian garment and textile sector return to full operation starting early next year/ Sina hoped after successful vaccination drive in Phnom Penh, the government will accelerate vaccination program to workers in the provinces.

At present, the vaccination drive is focused in the capital, which has resulted in the garment and textile sector being badly impacted by the pandemic, Sina said. The government began its vaccination program for the garment and textile sector in April. Until May it had vaccinated over 200,000 garment workers in Red Zones in Phnom Penh. Sina said almost all workers in Phnom Penh have been vaccinated while those in the provinces are waiting for the inoculation campaign to commence.

The Milan Men’s Fashion Week showcased Spring/Summer 2022 collections by brands including Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Etro. The event hosted 47 fashion shows from July 18-22, 2021. Most of these shows were held on the digital platform. The event kicked off with Ermenegildo Zegna’s virtual display featuring models wandering through labyrinths of greenery before returning to an urban concrete landscape. It was followed by showcases from Fendi and Prada in the following days.

After months of stop-start measures, coronavirus restrictions in most of Italy have now been lifted thanks to falling infection rates, although masks are still compulsory in public and social distancing must be respected. This year, the Italian fashion market is expected to rise by 17 per cent to €80 billion, says Carlo Capasa, President, Italian Chamber of Fashion. He expects Italy’s fashion exports to rise by 13 percent and the industry to regain its pre-pandemic growth levels in 2022.

Last year, Italy’s fashion industry revenues fell by 26 percent, as stores shuttered and well-heeled tourists stayed home.

The intensifying of COVID-19 situation may impact Vietnam’s textiles and garment sector, believe industry experts. The situation in HCMC, in particular, may drag the sector down in the remaining months of the year, they opine. Pham Xuan Hong, Head, HCMC Association of Garment, Textile, Embroidery and Knitting (AGTEX) says, growing infection amongst workers employed in textile and garment firms in HCMC may hamper work and delay order fulfillment. These workers are concentrated in certain place which increases their risks of getting infected, adds Le Tien Truong, Chairman, Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex). This many lead to a breakdown in the production chain is likely to be broken amid the outbreak.

Vinatex and AGTEK have urged the government to prioritize vaccination for garment and textile workers. Most garment and textile firms have said they are willing to cover all vaccination costs.