Brexit was expected to change the European trade scenario. However, the impact it has had on textile and apparel trade between the EU and UK has been very dramatic causing significant losses for companies on both sides. The situation may worsen with full customs regime between UK and EU coming into into force from January 2022, warn trade analysts. To mitigate this impact, Euratex calls on the EU and the UK to collaborate with anomalies preventing smooth trade flow in the EU-UK Trade agreement.

EU textile trade suffers significant loss in 2021

As per a Euratex report, EU textile industry suffered significant losses last year as imports fell 44 per cent from January to September 2021, compared to the corresponding period in 2020. Exports also declined 22 per cent to €1.6 billion during the period. Exports by Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany witnessed significant dip while imports from Germany, Ireland and France also suffered.

Textiles and clothing trade declined by over €3.4 billion during the nine months. Despite this, EU continues be the leading exporter of textiles and clothing to the UK. The region has around 160,000 textile and clothing companies that employ 1.5 million people. Annual exports exceed €61 billion and it successfully commercializes high added value products across growing markets around the world.

Factors impacting EU-UK trade flow

A survey conducted by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) in May 2021 shows, of the 71 per cent of UK fashion brands, manufacturers and retailers that depend on EU imports, 92 per cent are experiencing increased freight rates. Custom clearance costs and bureaucracy involved in the process has also increased for 83 per cent respondents. Around 53 per cent garment manufacturers in the UK are facing order cancelations due to the faulty implementation of EU-UK agreement, while 41 per cent have been hit by double duties

Most surveyed companies revealed plans to increase product prices and pass the costs to consumers in the next 6-12 months.

Implementation of full customs controls from January 1 has worsened the situation as export and import rules have become stricter. The new rules entail exports to have a valid declaration certificate and should have received customs clearance. Exports from UK to the EU also needs to have supplier declarations and changed commodities codes.

Euratex therefore, urges the EU and UK to address issues in the trade agreement causing huge losses to textile manufacturers in both regions. Aiming to create a favorable trade environment in the EU for manufacturing and marketing textile and clothing products, Euratex is the voice of the European textile and clothing industry. It works with EU institutions and other European and international stakeholders to introduce an ambitious industrial policy that focuses on free and fair trade besides creating sustainable supply chains.

Clean Clothes Campaign members and partners have started a campaign to convince French supermarket chain Auchan (Alcampo in Spain) to sign the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. As a company that sourced from one of the factories in the collapsed Rana Plaza building in April 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh – the incident that led to the creation of the first Accord programme – and as a major international retailer, Auchan has a special responsibility to sign the new safety agreement.

The organizations have urged Auchan to continue its commitment to the only programme that addresses factory safety in garment supply chains transparently, in a legally binding manner, and with union participation. The organizations call upon Auchan and any other major company buying from Bangladesh, including Levi’s, IKEA, Walmart, Abercombie & Fitch, and Disney, to immediately sign the International Accord to keep garment workers safe in their workplace.

Italian company Cifra is focusing on both fronts of sustainability: process and product.

Thewell known warp knit manufacturing company based in Milan, has significantly reduced its CO2 emissions and still forecasts a further and growing reduction.

Cifra's strong commitment towards a sustainable production process is guaranteed by STeP by OEKO-TEX certification. The strict standard aims to verify and assess ethics, protection and the health of both environment and workers as well as product safety in all areas of the company.

Thanks to Cifra’s Warp Knit Seamless technology, operating directly from the yarn to the final garment, manufacturing waste is reduced by 30 per cent compared to traditional cut and sewn methods.

Still on the process front, on demand manufacturing plays a key role to reduce stocks and in case goods to be disposed of.

Cifra’s knitting system allows to rapidly shift to different shapes and patterns during the production process and customers can adjust order request to sales in real time.

Archroma a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Jeanologia, , a world leader in sustainable and efficient technology development, joined forces to launch an eco-advanced alternative to the denim fabric washing process, including in some cases the mercerization, one of the most water-intensive and pollutant processes of denim fabric finishing.

The production of denim requires a succession of several steps aimed at imparting the qualities we love in our favorite pair of jeans.

The breakthrough alternative to the fabric cleaning concept presented by Jeanologia and Archroma combines the use of the aniline-free Pure Indigo Icon dyeing system of Archroma, and the water-free** and chemical-free “G2 Dynamic“ finishing technology of Jeanologia.

The Archroma Pure Indigo Icon is based on an innovation launched by the company in May 2018: its aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo. Aniline is a key ingredient to make the indigo molecule. Unfortunately, during this process some aniline impurities are carried through into the indigo dyestuff. When the indigo is dyed on the fabric, a lot of the aniline impurity is locked into the pigment in the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. The new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free(1) indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration.

The Archroma/Jeanologia solution can also be used with additional Archroma coloration systems such as Indigo Reflection or Pure Undertones.

Karl Mayer has launched its TM 4-TS EL terry knitting machine with the new working width of 210″ and in a gauge of E 28 in China, and shortly afterwards the textile experts at the Chinese subsidiary developed a first new product on the newcomer. The work involved processing Solucell, a twisted cotton yarn with low twist and environmental benefits over conventional counterparts, into a snug zero-twist towel article. The innovative product is softer and more compact than previous terry fabrics, perfectly meeting the current market demand for high-quality offerings.

The new article is based on the proven double face design for terry fabrics. The basic design here consists of a pillar stitch-weft lapping combination implemented by the GB 2 and GB 3 ground guide bars, which provides stability in the longitudinal and transverse directions. GB 1 and GB 4 are responsible for the terry loops on both sides. In combination with the yarn selection, the loops form a uniformly voluminous, soft surface. GB 2 processes polyester. GB 1, GB 3 and GB 4 were threaded with a combination of cotton and Solucell. The cotton content of the finished product is just under 94%. The use of Solucell results in terry loops of pure cotton, with low twist and linear density. The yarn material is fluffier than the previously used highly twisted cotton yarns and enables an extremely soft, even surface as a quality predicate.

The machine gauge used has further positive effects on the quality. Due to a configuration in E 28, the TM 4-TS EL produces fabrics with a high loop density, which ensures a full, compact handle. The terry loops are also firmly interlaced into the fabric ground. This allows the towels to be used for a long time without any loss of quality. A sample of the new zero-twist towel can be found in the Pattern section of this issue of “Kettenwirk-Praxis”

Thailand’s garments and textile exports surged 28.8 million baht ($866 million) in the first 11 months of 2021. According to the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, Thailand exported 64.8 billion baht ($1.95 billion) of garments and 188.6 billion baht ($5.67 billion) of textiles during the period against $866 million worth of garments and textile exports in the first five months of the 2020/21 financial year.

As per US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service of March 2021, Thailand’s garment and textile industries were decimated in 2020, with 3,000 factories forced to resort to sewing face masks and PPE suits to survive. However, renewed demand from other apparel-producing countries helped these factories return to full capacity. The demand for textile products from the country was driven by India, Vietnam and Indonesia with brands in Europe and the US also increasing their orders for products made from recycled fibers, organic cotton and environmentally-friendly materials.

These factories are currently facing a shortage of upto 50,000 workers and, are dependent on overtime work, which could lead to an influx of migrant workers back to Thailand in search of employment now that the industry has recovered.

India's leading compact cotton yarn manufacturer, SVP Global Ventures has been renamed as, SVP Global Textiles. The company is mainly engaged in manufacturing cotton yarn. It plans to be a fully integrated textile company with forwarding integration into fabric and garments. It has already ventured into technical textiles with an investment of Rs100 crore in setting up a green-field facility at Jhalawar, Rajasthan with a capacity of 4,375 MT per annum.

Established in 1898, by Shri Vallabh Pittie, SVP Group manufactures polyester, polyester and cotton blend, and 100 per cent cotton yarn across 3 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Jhalawar, Rajasthan; Ramnad , Coimbatore and Sohar Oman. The company has a 125-year legacy in textiles and aims to become a world-leading, fully integrated textile company in manufacturing yarn, fabric and garments.

The company is also setting up a 4,375 mt per annum Greenfield facility for technical textiles at Jhalawar, Rajasthan. The facility will manufacture protective uniforms and functional garments, medical textile, mobiltech, anti-odor and antibacterial knitted fabric for medical and cosmetic uses in apparel and expand gradually in other products.

The company plans to commence commercial production in 12 to 15 months and expects around Rs175cr revenue per year from the technical textiles.

Narendra Kumar Goenka, Founder and Managing Director, Texport Industries has been named as the new chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). Being associated with AEPC for over two decades, Goenka was the vice chairman of the apex body of Indian apparel exporters before taking charge as chairman, AEPC. He has assured of all efforts to bring positive change in the sector, find new markets for Indian apparels and boost growth in exports.

Assuming charge of the Council at its Executive Committee meeting, Goenka said, the current positive export trend is likely to accelerate in the last quarter of the year. This major turnaround will be possible due to highly efficient management by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian apparel exporters, he added. Goenka appreciated the proactive approach, leadership and constant support extended to the apparel industry by Minister for Textiles, Industry and Commerce Piyush Goyal and Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman.

He said AEPC looks forward to enhancing exports in both traditional and emerging export markets. He called for fast-tracking of FTAs to give India a level playing field in global markets. Goenka assured the Council that he will be in regular consultation with them while formulating plans and work in coordination with the government for the betterment of the apparel industry.

Television personality, dancer and fitness entrepreneur Amanda Kloots has been named footwear and apparel ambassador by global lifestyle and performance brand Sketchers. Kloots will feature in a multi-platform campaign supporting the brand’s footwear and apparel offering throughout North America. She is a a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, with over 17 years of stage, film and television experience. Most recently, she released her memoir, the New York Times bestseller 'Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero'. She also competed on the 30th season of 'Dancing with The Stars'.

Kloots joins Skechers team of renowned ambassadors including fellow fitness guru Brooke Burke and NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, as well as a slate of athletic icons such as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, former quarterback and broadcaster Tony Romo, former defensive end and broadcaster Howie Long, and more.

The company sells its collections in the US and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 4,170 company- and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. In Q3 FY2021Skechers reported sales of $1.55 billion, up 19.2 percent compared to $1.30 billion in the same period in the previous year. Its net earnings during the quarter increased to $103.1 million.

The 15th Annual General Meeting of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) announced the results of work done during the last term and elected a new chairman and executive committee members for the 2022-2023 term. As per Khmer Times, the meeting with factory owners and representatives of the special economic zones emphasized that all products from the textile industry manufacturing including the clothing, shoes and bags are very important to support the economy.

Ith Samheng, Labor Minster said, the apparel industry regained its growth last year with an increase in the first 10 months of the year. Labour Ministry performed assessments showing successful production in the past which encouraged the industry to continue development.

Sou Ieng, the outgoing GMAC chairman, recalled the joint effort in the past to overcome obstacles and urge the garment, footwear and bag industry to achieve the positive results it has so far. He said, the GMAC members cooperated with the ministry tp actively contribute to the development of the job sector and professional training. He also congratulated Sang for being elected as GMAC president for the new term.

Kong Sang, new Chairman, GMAC, said, he will work hard with the new executive committee members to lead the association’s mission toward further development and support the garment, shoe and handbag industry and to keep in touch with concerned parties of the government especially to encourage a better investment environment.