Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) expo will be held in the US, from October 1 to 4, 2019. This will exhibit industrial and specialty textiles. IFAI expo serves all aspects of the industry, and highlights segments targeted to specific markets including specialty fabrics, advanced textiles, smart fabrics, shade and weather protection, military, marine, geosynthetics, and fabrics structures, among other markets. Numerous education and networking opportunities await attendees on and off the show floor including focused, deep-dive classroom sessions; campfire sessions; and interactive networking designed to help attendees connect and thrive.

The show floor will feature a diverse array of exhibitors as well as equipment workshops and education demonstrations. The Advanced Textiles Conference will focus on aerospace, medical, safety and protective, smart fabrics and fabric advancements. IFAI will again recognize new and innovative products and services. The annual International Achievement Awards - judged by industry experts, editors, architects, educators and design professionals — will honor innovation, technical skill and design excellence. In addition, the four Student Design Competitions sponsored by four IFAI divisions will recognize student talent in advanced textiles, awning and canopy, fabric graphics, and fabric structures. Among other attractions are the creative costuming workshop, one of the world’s largest laundry facilities, and central shops, the engineering services location where skilled craftspeople build set pieces and attraction vehicles.

Lakshmi Machine Works’ total income was Rs 480.55 crores in the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 618.54 crores in the period ended March 31, 2019. Net profit was Rs 10.47 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 35.68 crores for the period ended March 31, 2019. EPS was Rs 9.80 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 33.40 for the period ended March 31, 2019.

Total income was Rs 480.55 crores during the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 668.71 crores during the period ended June 30, 2018. Net profit was Rs 10.47 crores for the period ended June 30, 2019, as against Rs 49.67 crores for the period ended June 30, 2018. EPS was Rs 9.80 for the period ended June 30, 2019, as compared to Rs 45.35 for the period ended June 30, 2018.

This machinery manufacturer has launched a slew of new products, including the new draw frame, higher capacity carding machines, longer ring frames, and new compact systems. The new Drawframe LDF3, Card LC636, Ringframe LR9/SX and the new Compact System SPINPACT have been well accepted in global markets.

India, China and Japan are major apparel export destinations for Bangladesh.The country’s garment exports to Japan are up 28.90 per cent year on year. The reasons for the continuous rise in garment exports to Japan are its China Plus One strategy adopted in 2008 and its zero-duty benefit to Bangladesh as a least developed country. Japan is keen to reduce its dependence on China. The China plus one policy promotes shifting of production from China to other nations such as Bangladesh. Currently, nearly 80 per cent of the demand for apparel by the Japanese is met by Chinese manufacturers. Similarly, garment exports to India are up 79.09 per cent year on year. Since 2011 Bangladesh has been enjoying duty-free benefits in India, which has prompted international retailers that have a presence in India to source directly from Bangladesh for their stores.

Garment exports from Bangladesh to China are up 29.33 per cent year on year. China, the largest garment supplier worldwide, has been turning into a major export destination for Bangladesh as it looks to shift to production of more sophisticated and heavy items. Furthermore, Bangladesh exporters enjoy duty-free access for 4,721 products including garments.

Asian markets are closer to Bangladesh geographically, which ensures shorter lead time – crucial in the era of fast fashion.

"The latest results of the 41st annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) shows, there was an increase 1.5 per cent and 13 per cent in global shipment of new short-staple spindles and open-end rotors to the world spinning industry in 2018. Similarly, shipment of draw-texturing spindles increased 50 per cent while deliveries of shuttle-less looms improved 39 per cent."

The latest results of the 41st annual International Textile Machinery Shipment Statistics (ITMSS) shows, there was an increase 1.5 per cent and 13 per cent in global shipment of new short-staple spindles and open-end rotors to the world spinning industry in 2018. Similarly, shipment of draw-texturing spindles increased 50 per cent while deliveries of shuttle-less looms improved 39 per cent. However, shipments of long-staple spindles, circular knitting machines, and electronic flat knitting machines decreased by 27 per cent, 4 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

The ITMSS report was released in June by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). The report covers six segments of textile machinery, namely spinning, draw-texturing, weaving, large diameter circular knitting, flat knitting and finishing. The 2018 survey has been compiled in cooperation with more than 200 textile machinery manufacturers representing a comprehensive measure of world production.

Circular Knitting Machinery: Shipment of large diameter circular knitting machines declined by 4 per cent to 26,300 units in 2018. Asia and Oceania emerged as the world’s leading investors in this category with 85 per cent. Amongst Asia, China emerged as the largest investor with 48 per cent of the worldwide deliveries to this region.

Flat Knitting Machinery: The shipment of electronic flat knitting machines decreased by 20 per cent to around 160,000 machines in 2018. Asia & Oceania emerged as the major exporters of this category with a share of 95 per cent of world shipments. Here too, China remained the world’s largest investor with a global share of 86 per cent of worldwide shipments despite a decrease in investments from 154,850 units to 122,550 units.

Spinning Machinery: Spinning machinery shipment increased for the second consecutive year, with the total number of shipped short-staple spindles increasing to 126,000 units, leveling off at 8.66 million. Around 92 per cent of these new short-staple spindles were shipped to Asia & Oceania with shipments to Korea, Turkey, Vietnam and Egypt increasing by of 834 per cent, 306 per cent, 290 per cent and 285 per cent respectively.

Texturing Machinery: Similarly, shipment of single heater draw-texturing spindles increased 48 per cent to 22,800 in 2018. China and Japan were the main investors in this segment with a share of 68% and 11% of global deliveries, respectively. The global shipments of double heater draw-texturing spindles by +50 per cent to about 490’000 spindles. Of this, Asia’s share increased to 93 per cent with China accounting for 68 per cent of global shipments.

Weaving Machinery: Shipment of shuttle-less looms increased 39 per cent to 133,500 units. Thereby, shipments of air-jet and water-jet looms increased by 21 per cent to 32,750 and +91 per cent to 69,240, respectively. Deliveries of rapier/projectile looms declined by 5 per cent to 31,560.

The main destination for shuttle-less looms in 2018 was Asia & Oceania with 93 per cent of all worldwide deliveries. The main investors included China and India in all three categories.

Finishing Machinery: In the fabrics continuous segment, shipments of Washing (stand-alone), Singeing Line, Relax Dryers/Tumblers, Stenters, and Sanforizers/Compacters increased by 58 per cent, 20 per cent, 9 per cent, 3 per cent, and 1 per cent, respectively. In the category ‘fabrics discontinuous’, shipments of Air-jet dyeing machines increased by 16% and deliveries of Overflow dyeing and Jigger dyeing/Beam dyeing machines fell by 7 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

Philippines’ apparel exports decreased 16 per cent last year. The entire garment industry, including shoes and travel goods, is estimated to employ 2,50,000 people. The industry is labor-intensive. Right now it’s agitated over a bill which seeks to overhaul the country’s incentive regime to investors. Small firms fear they would be the first to succumb under the bill. For a company with 1,500 workers and below, the impact is expected to be an immediate shutdown, within six months to a year, since their margins are small. For those producing mid-sized products, like jeans, the displacement of workers is expected to be 50 per cent in 12 months to18 months. These are medium-sized firms employing 3,000 to 5,000 per factory. For firms producing higher end products, like suits, the displacement threshold is expected to be 30 per cent to 32 per cent in 12 months to 18 months.

The US accounts for 60 per cent of the Philippines’ garment exports. The rest are sold to the EU and Asian countries. The country lost 70 per cent of its market over 15 years due to a number of reasons, primarily the removal of the quota system that led buyers to source from other countries offering the same products at half the price.

Export revenues of Vietnam’s textile and garment sector increased 8.61 per cent in the first six months of this year over the same period in 2018. Vietnam’s total export revenue to the US was up 12.84 per cent compared to the same period in 2018. The US is the biggest market for Vietnamese textiles and garments. It accounts for 46.9 per cent of Vietnam’s total export revenue of textiles and garments.

However the country’s textile and apparel firms are facing a shortage of orders. Their orders are just 70 per cent that of 2018. The main reason for the reduction in number of orders include higher and more demanding requirements from buyers, pressure on reducing prices and increasing trade barriers such as import tariffs and quality inspection, among others. The country’s textile and garment sector has grown less than nine per cent in the first half of this year, requiring the sector to expand by 11 per cent to12 per cent to fulfill the export turnover target for 2019.

Vietnam attracted $700 million worth of foreign direct investments in 63 garment and textile projects in the first five months of this year, including 17 Chinese-invested projects, and 12 Korean-invested projects.

The 7th edition of TANTU seminar, to be held at the India International Center, New Delhi, on September 14, 2019, will focus on ‘Jeans Manufacturing.’ Over the years, the TANTU seminar has established itself as a focused product-based seminar discussing critical issues pertaining to manufacturing.

Ramsons, one of world’s most respected apparel finishing solutions provider, will be the title sponsor of the seminar while Tukatech, USA will be its Gold Partner. The other technology solution providers associated with the seminar include Aeoon Digital Printing Solutions, Rajasthan International, Kalpataru International and Pulcra Chemicals.

Experts from jeans manufacturing organisations and brands around the world will discuss key issues related to cutting, sewing, finishing, dry and wet finishing of Jeans. The seminar will have three panel discussions apart from presentation from technology solution providers. The experts in panel discussion will also focus on the technology and manufacturing processes such as pattern making, fit and construction techniques. On the other hand, technology suppliers will also present their innovative and latest offerings to augment the value of jeans.

Sri Lanka hopes to significantly boost its apparel exports to the United Kingdom. Apparel exports make up 46 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total exports to the UK. Last year, Sri Lanka’s apparel and textile exports to the UK accounted for 78 per cent of the country’s exports to that market. The UK market is seen as one with a large unutilised export potential.

Fast moving consumer goods, pharmaceutical and technology services are seen as potential areas for more collaboration and investment between the two countries. Sri Lanka also hopes to increase exports of vegetable products, plastic, rubber, transportation and machinery and electrical products to the UK. Sri Lanka is confident of offering ethically-manufactured, environmentally-responsible high quality products for the British market. Sri Lanka is seeking a preferential trade arrangement with the UK to continue to reap the benefits of GSP Plus, leading towards a free trade agreement in future. The country’s preferential access needs will continue regardless of Britain’s EU membership.

Bilateral trade between the two countries is largely in favor of Sri Lanka. The UK is the fifth largest FDI source for Sri Lanka. The UK plans to focus more on Commonwealth countries, including Sri Lanka, an area which has somewhat been neglected for several decades.

US companies are moving their supply chains from China to neighboring countries. This follows the 25 per cent duties the US has levied on Chinese imports. Companies in sectors such as technology, clothing and footwear are exporting more goods from emerging giants including Vietnam and Malaysia. Exports of computers and electronics from Vietnam to the United States have grown 71.6 per cent in the first five months of 2019. Even before the trade war, US companies had been reducing their dependence on China because of increasing production costs and elevated transport expenses compared with other Asian countries. The trade war has only sped up those moves.

At the same time, the shift has exposed murkiness of trade export rules. In attempting to avoid having to pay 25 per cent, companies are violating US rules against transhipments, the routing of China-made goods through other countries to evade tariffs. Also, shifting production outside of China to other Asian centers is not necessarily a panacea. Many of these countries lack the roads, airports and other vital infrastructure China has. Retailers are more likely to stop producing goods with very low profit margins than to incur additional costs by moving production out of China.

As per Vietnam Cotton and Spinning Association, developing the fabric and dyeing segments would be the key factor in the growth of garment and textile industry in Vietnam. Despite being the second biggest exporter of textile and readymade garments globally, Vietnam is yet to fully exploit its true potentials, thanks to its incompetent dyeing facilities and its increasing dependence on imported fabrics. As per available figures, In 2017, Vietnam imported 6.5 billion metre of fabric, or two-thirds of the industry`s total requirement.

Considering that 750,000 tons of Vietnam’s fibres (two-third) make way overseas at lower prices every year, the increasing fabric imports sound rather contradictory. Industry insiders blame the poor development of the dyeing segment for the same. Industry insiders further added that local companies lack proper awareness about dyeing process alongside technology, human resources and skills required to develop this sector.