US imports of denim increased 28 per cent in October 2021 compared to a year earlier. As per Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA) data, imports from Mexico grew 43 per cent. Shipments from countries of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) rose 29 per cent, led by a 30 per cent from Nicaragua and a 22 per cent gain from Guatemala. Columbia contributed with a 30 per cent rise. Denim imports from Vietnam remained tepid with a four per cent rise. Top supplier Bangladesh rolled along with a 31 per cent increase in the month while China saw a 17 per cent gain. Imports from Pakistan jumped 51 per cent, Cambodia rose 18 per cent and Sri Lanka was up 43 per cent. Jeans imports from Turkey increased 61 per cent in October 2021. October increases were posted by Lesotho, Madagascar, India, Macau, Italy and Japan. Declines were seen from Jordan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

CAFTA and US co-production for textiles and apparel supports more than a million jobs and $12 billion in two-way trade. Onshoring and nearshoring are underway, with key CAFTA countries seeing exports up anywhere from 33 per cent to 56 per cent, outpacing even major Asian exporters, a sign that the trade agreement’s existing rules are effective .

Vietnam runs the risk of losing orders from global clothing brands if domestic textile and garment manufacturers do not incorporate changes in line with sustainable and greener production, better energy conservation and assume higher responsibility for the environment, a seminar co-hosted by the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and the WWF was informed. More than 250 global fashion brands have set standards and codes of conduct responsible to the environment applicable to their suppliers. As global brands now favor green businesses in Vietnam, polluting manufacturers may face the heat. Vietnamese garment businesses are therefore expected to comply with green production, which will help them do business more effectively, generate higher profit and sustain growth rates. Garment factories are supposed to save energy and water, use environment-friendly materials and fulfill their corporate social responsibility.

For the immediate future, the implementation of sustainable development criteria may be a challenge to domestic garment manufacturers as these criteria require huge investment and personnel. However, in the long run, the credibility and brand value of the business in question will be better. For now, most enterprises involved in the garment supply chain formed by global fashion brands have adopted the green requirements for production, such as assuming their corporate social responsibility, being friendly to the environment and cutting emissions.

China’s textile industry has been investing in Pakistan. Chinese investors are getting to know the comparative advantage of Pakistan’s textile sector. Both China and Pakistan enjoy their own competitive edge in the textile and garment sector, points out Vice President of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles (CCCT). Since the second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 2020, more Pakistani products have been able to enter the Chinese market. Tariffs on some 75 per cent of goods from both sides have been gradually reduced to zero since 2020, which has provided access to China for more high-quality products from Pakistan.

China is sharing advanced technology and experience in research, design, manufacturing, management, marketing and brand building with Pakistan. And Pakistan commands a cost-effective raw material supply and abundant human resources. So both sides are stepping up cooperation in trade, investment and resource integration and jointly exploring international markets. China is helping Pakistan's spinning mills become more cost efficient and competitive. Almost 80 per cent of the yarn and other textile products will be re-exported to China for value addition to sell the finished goods at better prices in the international market. When Chinese businessmen carry out their exports jointly with Pakistan, making use of the raw materials as well as Pakistan’s human resources, it adds to the earnings of Pakistan.

Japan's apparel makers are shifting production back to their country. Among the reasons are pressures from a weaker yen, rising overseas labor costs and shipment troubles caused by the pandemic.

The concept of nearshoring production close to consumer markets is gaining ground in the industry. Moves like this show how the supply chain disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic has given the apparel industry reason to rethink its production strategy, signaling a shift away from overseas hubs like China and Vietnam.

Manufacturing costs are higher in Japan compared with overseas locations. Yet companies believe that the benefits, including shorter delivery times, can offset extra expenses by cutting waste and lost opportunities. Japan’s textile industry started moving production offshore in the 1970s. But now some of the cost advantages of overseas production have waned. Monthly wages in China and Vietnam have roughly doubled since 2010. Apparel companies typically have an easier time relocating production than do automakers or other industrial companies because their equipment is smaller.

Japanese company, World Co whose products sell at department stores and shopping centers, will locate most of its high-end clothing production in Japan within three to five years, up from the current level of roughly 40 per cent. Similarly TSI Holdings, which distributes Jill Stuart women's fashion and Ping golf wear brands in Japan, is considering expanding output at its domestic plants in Yamagata and Miyazaki prefectures. Automation would be used to make jackets, coats and blouses, among other products

Brother’s GTX600 is the first direct to garment (DTG) printer designed especially for mass production. The printer can meet the dual challenges of high-quality design reproduction and industrial level activity. To keep the ink in a print ready state, the GTX600 has ink recirculation in four key areas. There are 16 ink channels jetting from staggered, industrial print heads with internal cooling fans, for continuous print operation. Also, the ink is constantly filtered and degassed to guarantee the best possible print quality up to 1200dpi. The built-in humidifier ensures that the machine always has perfect working conditions, even in difficult environments and big production halls.

Brother is a Japanese company engaged in the production of industrial sewing machines, printers and multi-functions-center machines, The GTX600 can be used with different platens for endless creative possibilities. The platens can be changed quickly to save time and their height is auto selectable which makes them adapted for any material that can possibly be printed on. The printing speed has been increased and the industrial maintenance station has been upgraded to enable continuous and fast print operations. The auto cleaning frequency is much less than any printer before, which increases the real print productivity drastically.

Inditex gross profit for the nine months rose by 40 per cent. The gross profit margin rose 101 bps to 59 per cent. The nine-month ebitda rose 63 per cent while ebit was up a huge 248 per cent. Pre-tax profit rose 277 per cent and net income was up 273 per cent. At current exchange rates, the currency impact on sales in the second half is expected to be around plus 0.5 per cent versus the second half of 2020 and minus 5.5 per cent versus 2019. The migration to the Inditex Open Platform (IOP) is close to 97 per cent complete and all its stores are open. Sales are returning to normal levels and online sales continue to grow.

The fashion giant’s strategic transformation toward a fully integrated digital and sustainable business model is accelerating. Net income and pre-tax profit both reached historic highs in the third quarter with a strong comparison against the pre-pandemic period in 2019. And sales growth in constant currency in the three months to the end of October continued to speed up with a ten per cent increase versus 2019. Store sales have been steadily improving all year and in the third quarter they exceeded 2019 levels despite the firm having 11 per cent fewer stores.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) presents export opportunities for Bangladesh. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has provided the impetus. And manufacturing protective equipment is not seen as difficult for a country which is a garment powerhouse. So a sector like this can diversify the export basket. It is also believed PPE can induce the country to produce more value-added products, says Abul Kasem Khan, Chairperson, Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD). Bangladesh is already making progress in the PPE sector. This is especially true in the case of 12 products, of which eight are included in the World Health Organisation’s list of PPE.

However, there are challenges. Bangladesh needs to develop the PPE industry in a strategic manner by setting up targets, extending the right incentives, ensuring public-private cooperation and following up closely on the progress and constraints. Key areas to focus on for developing the sector would be ensuring the right products, proper incentives, appropriate policies, knowledge and skills and proper use of technology and logistics. PPEs are highly regulated, with stringent quality requirements and require strong technical knowhow to produce. And this is a key challenge.

The domestic pharmaceutical industry meets 98 per cent of the domestic demand for medicine and exports drugs to 57 other countries, but it imports more than 95 per cent of its required medical devices. Foreign direct investment in the PPE industry would be needed.

Indonesia's exports of personal protective equipment (PPE) have decreased in the second year of the pandemic reveals Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data. Increased awareness about the spread of Covid cases due to the Omicron variant is not expected to have any effect. Exports of personal protective equipment are likely to decline in 2021 compared to 2020. Exports of meltbown cloth, surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, medical protective clothing, and surgical gowns that fall into the PPE category and their raw materials decreased from January to September 2021.

Although Indonesia’s PPE exports showed a decline, the contribution of PPE to the country’s total exports of textiles and textile products is very small. Export prospect of Indonesia's PPE products contrasts the projected export of Chinese personal protective products which is expected to grow if the spread of the Omicron variant expands and triggers a spike in cases. This projection is in line with the continued increase in China's exports and imports in November 2021.

After the disaster, the recovery, this new reality has caused unprecedented disruption and, in many cases, catastrophic ramifications for thousands of garment businesses across the world. Brands are emerging from the ordeal, trying to make a fresh beginning.

Egypt can be an exporter of medical fabrics. This includes medical clothing such as drapes, scrubs, and gowns, gloves, facial protection, sterilization wraps, protective apparel, and others. Egypt is supporting companies to reorient part of their production into medical apparel. The International Trade Centre's SME Competitiveness Outlook report acknowledged Egypt's s potential in becoming regional leadership in exports of synthetic nonwoven fabrics, an essential material for filtered mask production.

Year 2020, was a pivotal for medical apparel due to Covid. The pandemic had a significant impact on the sector and resulted in several changes, including, among others, a surge in demand for medical clothing from the public which was required to wear face protection and from hospitals. As a consequence the market for medical apparel grew by a staggering 46 per cent and consumption is expected to grow at around five per cent until 2027in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. These markets represent around 75 per cent of the global sector. Due to its proximity and duty-free access, Egypt has preferential access to most of them.

However, this sector’s growth in Egypt requires innovation, sensitization of the relevant authorities on the importance of protective apparel and the ability to produce them locally, as well as by creating an enabling business environment for the local industry to grasp identified opportunities.

Walmart plans to export $10 billion worth of goods out of India a year by 2027. This is expected to create a network of small and medium enterprises selling to the company’s global buyers and help in the Make-in-India program and accelerate India’s progress as a manufacturing destination that can export to the world.

In India, Walmart employs about 1,40,000 staff, mainly in its Flipkart unit. With the Flipkart acquisition, Walmart also inherited the digital payment company PhonePe, which currently does about 20 billion UPI transactions a year. PhonePe has digitized 25 million small merchants and kirana stores in India. Offline merchant transactions on its platform have shown 200 per cent growth since last year. PhonePe is probably India’s largest digital payments platform and leads the industry on all key metrics which include value and volume of transactions, registered users as well as merchant coverage. The Bangalore -based firm now has a merchant network across 15,700 towns and villages, constituting 99 per cent pin codes in the country. PhonePe now has over 335 million registered users. It is also accepted at over 22 million merchant outlets across India. Using PhonePe, users can send and receive money, recharge mobiles, DTH, pay at stores, make utility payments and also buy and invest in gold and silver.