A report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) reveals, China’s garment exports continue to decline as the country moves away from garment and shoe production. Production diversification to other countries will accelerate post pandemic and spread to other regions like Africa in a significant way, according to a research report.

However, Chinese textiles will continue to be an important factor for the industry in coming years, says a report by Emnetra. China accounted for 40 per cent of world textile exports in 2019 and continues its upward trend, which began about 20 years ago. China remains a major source of apparel and footwear, accounting for 33 per cent of global exports in 2019, but exports have declined from 37 per cent in 2015.

Bangladesh and Vietnam have benefited most from the shift from China. The total share of apparel and footwear exports to the world in both countries was 37 per cent of China’s share in 2019. In contrast, apparel and footwear exports from other countries such as Sri Lanka and India are either constant or even declining as a global export share of these products.

As global economies return to normal, Pakistan is experiencing a major surge in export orders. As per a BOL report, with $15.4 billion Pakistan’s textile exports reached its highest levels in FY21. Exports in the second half of FY 2021 exceeded that in the first half by 7 per cent. Compared to FY 2019, the second half exports increased by 19.10 per cent against 11.8 per cent in the first half, indicating a robust outlook for the sector in the near-term with order book stretching to 6 million to 9 million.

Hamza Kamal, Investment Analyst, AKD Securities says, strict measures to clamp down the virus spread in competitive economies, yielded some share to the local manufacturers improving Pakistan’s share in the US apparel imports to 2.7 per cent in 5MCY21 from 2.1/1.7 per cent in the same period last year/CY19. Shift in demand fundamentals have turned the table in favor of the spinning players while low cotton output pulled up domestic cotton prices by 54.40 per cent Y-o-Y in FY21 and consequently yarn prices.

The spinning sector posted earnings of Rs2.8 billion in the third quarter of FY 2021, compared with the loss of Rs 60.30 million in the corresponding period of FY 2020, and the profit-after-tax of Rs 269.10 million in the third quarter of FY 2019 with impetus coming from revenue growth of 23.7/21.5 per cent over FY20/19 and expanding the gross margins (in the third quarter of FY 2021, GMs stood at 16.7 per cent, compared to 11.3/8.3 per cent in the corresponding period of FY20/19.

A new research report by the International Labor Organization (ILO), post pandemic recovery in the Asian garment will be dominated by three possible scenarios; repeat, regain and renegotiate. As per the report ‘The post-COVID-19 garment industry in Asia’, the ‘repeat’ scenario will have unequal impact on the workers, particularly women. While some workers will benefit from consolidation and automation, others will be left unemployed or in low-quality jobs. Decent work deficits will persist in large swathes of the industry.

The ‘regain’ scenario will accelerate pre-crisis trends and the further bifurcate the industry, with both positive and negative connotations for decent work. The ‘renegotiate’ scenario will include introduction of wide-ranging and deliberate reforms that reimagine the business model, with social and environmental sustainability assuming an integrated and integral role at its core.

Global garment trade faced a sharp decline in the first half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis. Imports from some of the main global consumer markets for garments declined sharply. Garment exports of some garment-producing countries plunged by as much as 70 per cent, says the report Brands are also consolidating their global supplier bases by concentrating on fewer countries, it adds.

As per Iran’s Afsaneh Mehrabi, Director General-Weaving and Garment Industries Department, the country’s garment exports grew 98 per cent to reach over $113 million during the previous Iranian calendar year 1399 that ended March 20, 2021. Mehrabi said production of garments and textile products in the previous Iranian calendar year increased 25 per cent compared to previous year. She also said production of the said commodities had increased by 20 per cent in the Iranian calendar year 1398 (ended on March 19, 2020) compared to its previous year.

The Iranian government decided to ban the import of such products to support domestic producers and provide them with an opportunity to improve the quality of products and turn more competitive in global markets, a news agency reported.

According to the chairman of Tehran’s Union of Garments Manufacturers and Sellers, domestic units are supplying 70-80 per cent of the requirement for clothing inside the country.

Aditya Birla Group’s flagship company Grasim Industries has bagged the Economic Times’ (ET) Promising Plants 2021’ in India for its Nagda SFD plant. The Economic Times Promising Plants 2021 is an ET Edge initiative put together with The Machinist magazine and the ET Polymers Magazine to recognize, highlight and felicitate plants/factories which have not only scaled excellence but are serving as a source of inspiration to its peers and other industries in the country; and most of all, working towards the vision of ‘Make in India.’

The Nagda plant was awarded for its firm commitment towards environmental and social issues in the community long with excellence in water management, a pledge toward zero-liquid discharge, commitment towards sustainability and towards the socio-economic development of Nagda through the building of hospitals/schools and other developmental infrastructure.

Iconic Australian underwear brand Mojo has teamed up with Australian surf wear label Mambo to launch the first of its kind label ‘Australiana’. The design team pushed the boundaries of design to launch an eight piece underwear collection for men.

Renowned for its fresh, colorful and sometimes mildly offensive designs, the collection honors Australia’s cultural icons in the brand’s trade mark style including: Pandanus Dingo, Dingo Crawl, Angry Banskia, Cattle Dog, Kangaroo Paw, Boards and Flames, Hot Rod Dingo, Sandman, Have a Crack, Mambo Optimism and Coats of Arms.

The collection features an elasticized band available in an assortment of styles including the brief, cattle brief, trunk, cattle trunk (sizes S- XXL). Mambo has once again found its Mojo with Mojo Downunder. Audacious Australiana is available online and at a range of stockists nationwide.

Two major surveys by leading event organizer Messe Frankfurt shows, around 97 per cent of companies plan to continue participating in physical trade fairs post pandemic. The surveys polled 59,000 companies in autumn 2020 and spring 2021, reports Apparel Insider.

Though companies approved of the additional digital benefits offered by hybrid trade fair formats during the pandemic, the overwhelming finding of the surveys indicated, people prefer in-person trade fairs.

Wolfgang Marzin, President and CEO, Messe Frankfurt, said, only 3 per cent of respondents wanted to see events move entirely online. In fact, 67 per cent customers would like events to take place solely in person, with another 30 percent expressing a preference for hybrid formats. In total, 97 per cent of customers remain convinced that in-person events are an essential component of trade fairs.

Over 59,000 companies took part in the survey which included a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research.

Welspun is adding to its capacity in towels, sheets and rugs.

The towel capacity will increase by seven per cent. Sheets will increase by 20 per cent and rugs by 80 per cent. In this quarter, textile is expected to have a ten per cent contribution to growth, flooring 50 per cent and advanced textile 25 per cent. Welspun India generates free cash flows quarter-on-quarter and with a healthy bottom line looks at funding its own projects through internal accruals. For one Welspun will do more integration.

Welspun India has its own industrial park, which is located near its factory. That helps Welspun in having just in time inventory for its trims, packaging and other things and also reduces the carbon footprint. Globally Welspun’s warehouses have a complete integration in the US. Currently, the group has three warehouses from where work like pick and pack, B2C and the pallet-in pallet out is performed. Welspun has warehouses in the UK, the Middle East, Germany and India.

Fundamentally, the company does predictive analysis for the customers and works as partners to them. With a 360-degree approach, Welspun works from farm to shelf. It has partnerships with brands like Martha Stewart, Scott Brother, Scott Living. Welspun sees itself as a home solution provider and just not a textile manufacturer.

The L Brands-owned lingerie company Victoria’s Secret has launched a new gym wear collection called ‘On Point.’

Featuring leggings, sports bras, and other active wear, the collection offers three ranges, The first range ‘Sweat’ offers clothes for intense workouts like spinning, running and boxing; The second ‘Live’range offers lighter fabrics made for everyday errands while the third range ‘Flow’ offers clothes for activities like yoga.

The brand has roped in plus-size model PalomaElsesser among others, like New York City Ballet’s Corps de Ballet dancer India Bradley to model for the collection. It continues to revamp after announcing the spinoff of Angels store earlier this year.

Theathleisure and leggings category continues to expand with increased investments by consumers. Activewear buyers are currently spending 11 per cent more per purchase compared to non-activewear buyers, according to data from the NPD Group.

In Q1 FY2021-22 that ended June 30, 2021, Sutlej Textiles and Industries posted a net loss of Rs 20.39 crore as against a net loss of Rs 27.77 crore during Q4 FY2020-21 that ended March 31, 2021.

The company reported total income of Rs.590.51 crore during the FY2021-22 ended June 30, 2021 as compared to Rs.687.88 crore during Q4 FY2020-21 that ended March 31, 2021.

The company reported EPS of Rs.1.24 for the period ended June 30, 2021 as compared to Rs.1.70 for the period ended March 31, 2021. Sutlej Textiles and Industries posted net profit of Rs.20.39 crore for the period ended June 30, 2021 as against net loss of Rs 38.23 crore for the period ended June 30, 2020.

The company reported total income of Rs.590.51 crore during the period ended June 30, 2021 as compared to Rs.197.30 crore during the period ended June 30, 2020.

The company reported EPS of Rs.1.24 for the period ended June 30, 2021 as compared to Rs.(2.33) for the period ended June 30, 2020.