A legally binding agreement spans safety and improved working conditions in Pakistan’s factories.

It covers the textile and garment supply chains of brands sourcing in Pakistan. The accord will cover fabric and textile mills in Pakistan and also home textiles and accessories. The umbrella of health and safety includes excessive working hours which can impact workers’ health causing increased fatigue which in turn could cause a potential accident in the workplace. Other issues such as sexual harassment, gender-based violence and harassment are also covered by the Pakistan Accord.

However brands and retailers are tightening their budgets due to the state of the global economy and are less willing to invest funds to ensure their supply chains are safe.Many brands do not have direct relationships with fabric mills and so there is a need to analyse how that would work in terms of the leverage that the brands have as well as the application of protocols and procedures under the Accord.

The varying political landscape has made expanding the Accord a long and challenging process. In Pakistan the power lies within the provinces and not centrally with a national government, which means discussions are required with each provincial government, who hold the political power in their own respective province. So it is necessary to work with many different organisations.

The Pakistan Accord, also referred to as the Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, is set to go into action in the spring of this year.

Next expects profits to fall in 2023-2024. This forecast reflects uncertainty over whether consumers would keep spending during a recession and as the group's costs rise.

Next is a British clothing retailer. Next trades from about 500 stores and online and is often considered a gauge of how British consumers are faring. It is the first major UK apparel retailer to report on Christmas trading.

The UK consumer outlook for 2023 is poor, given inflation is running at ten per cent and consumer confidence is close to record lows. Taxes and mortgage rates are increasing, government support on household energy bills is set to be scaled back and the risk of higher unemployment in a recession is growing.Retailers are also facing cost inflation in the goods they buy as well as higher labour and energy costs. Almost half of UK consumers are negative about the country’s economic perspective and as a result plan to cut clothing spend.

Consumers are changing retail stores in a general move to increase purchases from discounters. While spending on groceries increased in the last three months, spending across almost all other categories (bar pet food and supplies and gasoline) is expected to fall. Consumers plan to spend less on footwear and clothing.

Morocco’s textile export sector depends heavily on imported material. Reliance on imported goods for textile production exposes the sector to supply chain disruptions and high prices in the international market which prevents the sector from taking advantage of the free trade deals and their strict rules of origin standards.

So the country needs to invest in reinforcing the upstream capacities of textile in order to bolster local sourcing rate of the sector and hence strengthen its competitiveness. For all that, Morocco’s textile exports have outperformed pre-pandemic levels. For decades, Morocco has been in the top ten list of suppliers of the European market and takes the second position as the largest textile exporter in the Mediterranean region.The sector has some 1600 companies, employing 200,000 people, making it one of the largest job providing sectors in the country.

The Moroccan textile and apparel industry is engaged in a process of sustainable development which integrates environmental, economic and social aspects throughout the value chain. Morocco is becoming a growingly attractive destination for global textile companies. Several brands from the European Union, the UK and the US have been sealing deals with Moroccan companies in the textile industry. The world’s leading textile groups are migrating from traditional Asian manufacturers to closer markets offering favorable conditions, such as Morocco.

Malaysia’s apparel exports to Europe are likely to increase in 2022, after registering a downward trend in the previous years.

It exported apparel worth $180.083 million to Europe in the first nine months of 2022 and the figure is expected to cross $225 million for the entire 2022. Malaysia had shipped apparel worth $193.685 million in 2021 to the continent. Exports to Europe witnessed a downward trend since 2017 when they were noted at $278.209 million. The exports peaked at $22.823 million in May 2022 and bottomed out at $15.886 million in September 2022.

In terms of value, the trousers and shorts category was the largest within apparel with 13 per cent of the total apparel exports. Jerseys, T-shirts, innerwear, coats, shirts, sportswear, ensembles, dresses, and nightwear were among the top ten apparel products exported from Malaysia to Europe. Accessories exports to Europe in 2021 were 17 per cent of the total exports of Malaysia.

The country’s textile and apparel industry is targeting the higher end of the global value chain with diversified production of higher value-added products. The industry has also implemented the latest automation and technology in its manufacturing and distribution, while actively seeking business collaboration with foreign companies and undertaking new R&D activities to further strengthen its competitiveness in the global market.

India will promote academic institutes and start-ups in technical textiles. The institutes will be both public and private. The guidelines for promoting start-ups in technical textiles are under formulation and are expected to release soon.

The aim basically is moving toward increasing India’s market share in the technical textile industry. The areas covered under funding include laboratory equipment and training of lab personnel, specialised training. Laboratory infrastructure funding support will depend on the eligible department, courses and criterion.

A grant for internship support in technical textiles has also been announced for students pursuing B Tech or undergraduates from various departments/specialisations. There will be a maximum of 50 interns per academic year, grant for whom will be up to Rs 20,000 per student per month (for a period of two months).

The ecosystem in technical textiles will be meant not only for the textile field but also for other disciplines of engineering like civil, mechanical, electronics, agriculture institutes, medical colleges and fashion institutes. Encouragement will be given for developing technical textiles machinery, tools, equipment and instruments.

Driven by a set of highly educated and skilled professionals, India is expected to take a huge leap in cutting-edge research, production and innovative applications related to technical textiles.

For Cambodian exporters, the US apparel market remains a major destination. Garment exports to the US from Cambodia have been rising consistently and rapidly.

Jerseys, shirts and trousers and shorts together accounted for more than half of the export value to the US in first nine months of 2022. Of this, shipment of shirts and trousers was 31 percent, and shipment of jerseys was 21 percent. For American fashion companies and importers Asian suppliers, such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Cambodia, as well as members of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, offer the most competitive prices.

At present, Asia accounts for more than 70 percent of US apparel imports. For US fashion companies, eight out of the top ten most-utilised sourcing destinations are Asia-based, led by China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Cambodia.

However reducing the China exposure is one crucial driver of US fashion companies’ sourcing diversification strategy and around 33 percent of companies sourced less than ten percent of their apparel products from China in 2022. With the new inclination of US garment importers, the Cambodian garment industry may land more and more varied orders. Garment exports are the largest foreign exchange earner for Cambodia, accounting for almost 60 percent of the country’s total export value,

An increase in import tariffs has contributed to a rise in the cost of raw materials for textile companies in Pakistan.

High tariff rates lead to higher manufacturing costs. As a consequence, the prices of finished products increase, causing a decline in exports.Pakistan’s textile exports of textile products in the fiscal year 2021 hit a record high on an annual basis.

However, the exports dropped by 18 percent in November 2022 compared to the corresponding period last year. The textile industry is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and is the largest manufacturing sector employing almost 38 per cent of the workforce. Textiles have a lion’s share of Pakisan’s exports and a drop in exports is bound to impact the economy. In addition the industry’s production system needs to be upgraded. The manufacturing equipment is not sophisticated and this hampers the level of production.

The drop in textile exports is a cause for Pakistan to worry since in the end it will result in unemployment and increased pressure on foreign exchange reserves.An effective approach to lessen the negative effects of the declining textile exports is to raise the productivity of the manufacturing sector, and lower the cost of the finished products by investing in new technology for the textile industry. This will make the country’s products more competitive in the world market.

The garment industry in Pakistan may eventually close down. So says Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA).

Among the problems it lists are continued delays in sales tax refunds and restrictions on import of raw material by the garment industry. PRGMEA says if exporters cannot procure and purchase raw materials and other accessories to fulfill their future export orders this will ultimately cause the entire export trade to collapse. Though the central bank had officially removed restrictions on imports of raw materials, constraints still continue to haunt the garment industry, leading to a severe shortage of raw material. Several units have already slashed production. The sector is also facing a severe liquidity crunch due to delayed refunds. Exporters’ refunds payment orders were supposed to be issued in 24 hours while refunds were supposed to have been cleared within 72 hours but practically these commitments are not being fulfilled and the 72 hours have now extended to several months.

Meanwhile Pakistan’s cotton production for the year 2022-23 is estimated to fall by 43 per cent compared to the past year.The primary reason for this year’s situation is the devastating monsoon floods that damaged major cottongrowing regions. Pakistan is the fifth largest cotton producer globally but the country will need to import at least five million bales in the ongoing fiscal year to meet the demand from the textile sector.

Knitted fabrics manufacturers Carvico and Jersey Lomellina have been awarded for their eco fabrics.

The awards were given by the India-based BSL (Brands and Sourcing Leaders)association. This is a non-profit organization which aims to boost the growth of the apparel industry in India by helping start-ups source the best raw materials. Carvico and Jersey Lomellina, based in Italy,are global leaders in the production of performance fabrics for underwear, swimwear, apparel and interior design and their collections boasts numerous eco-sustainable fabrics created through complex production processes with a really low environmental impact. The companies do a thorough research and attention when selecting the raw materials so that the garments are high-tech, high-performance, and eco-friendly.

Apparel companies are offering innovative products.Sustainability is now an integral part everyday life with consumers’ growing awareness and their stance to opt for eco-friendly products. And to sustain existing customers and lure new ones, textile and apparel companies are creating ethical garments and offering innovative products. They are also making sure that the impact is percolated till the end of the value chain and their suppliers so that no unethical practices are imbibed and followed. Using only recycled or other sustainably sourced materials significantly reduces the use of natural resources and the negative impact on the climate.

Garmentech will be held in Bangladesh, January 11 to 14, 2023. This is the perfect marketing forum to reach out to the entire cross-section of decision-makers and technical personnel in garment technology and manufacturing in the readymade garment sector of the country.

Garmentech brings global technology players under one roof showcasing cutting edge sewing, finishing, embroidery machinery and spares and allied products, thus making it a preferred choice of readymade garment manufacturers to visit and source their needs.

Meanwhile the readymade garment and textile sector of Bangladesh will see a year of possibilities in 2023. Buyers from western countries, especially from the US, have started to shift their orders from China as part of reducing dependency on China for geopolitical reasons.This trend is expected to continue in the upcoming year. In this case, Bangladesh can be a good alternative for western buyers. Western countries may also move out orders from Vietnam and Bangladesh will have a chance to grab them too. Especially in the last few months Bangladesh has received orders from the United States at a higher rate compared to two major suppliers-- China and Vietnam. Bangladesh's garments exports to the US have seen 54 per cent growth at the beginning of the current year, 2023.