With higher precautionary measures in place, CHIC Shanghai scheduled from August 25 to 27, 2021 is now being postponed to October 9 to 11, 2021. Almost 500 brands will be present their range at the Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. “As the most important meeting place for the fashion industry in China, the safety of all exhibitors and visitors of CHIC is our top priority. For this reason, we have decided to postpone the next edition of CHIC in Shanghai to October in order to support the measures to combat the pandemic and enable all stakeholders to participate safely and efficiently,” said Chen Dapeng, President of China National Garment Association and CHIC - China International Fashion Fair.

The fair has been taking place physically again from July 2020, in compliance with strict safety and hygiene regulations. Various digital platforms are being set up in parallel. Among the brands lined up for the upcoming fair are: JINTIANSHI (menswear), VINI Bespoke (menswear), Zaijiu (womenswear), Jiebeidi (womenswear), COFNA (childrenswear), Laura Vita (shoes), Hattershub (headwear), MANNYLONQ (CHIC-Young Blood) and Dragon Heart (CHIC-Young Blood) and exciting up-and-coming designers such as KIMUSSO, Yujiantian and Wuma.

The fair expects 60,000 visitors. In the works are seminars and workshops on topics such as recognition and new opportunities of new retail in AI Fashion; 2021 Maker of Silk Road & Innovation of Design Infinity -- The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition of China Textile & Apparel SME.

The Chinese market continues to grow with, retail sales of consumer goods increasing by 23 per cent in the first half of the year, and Q@ growth of 13.9 per cent. The trend towards “premiumization” in the fashion market is being fuelled by China's growing middle class, which will make up 65 per cent of households by 2027. High-quality niche brands are particularly popular with young, fashion-conscious consumers.

Meanwhile CHIC has developed special solutions for digital participation via the CHIC digital platforms, as well as a range of innovative hybrid options that combine digital communication and product presentation. Individual business needs are matched via CHIC ́s digital tools and social media networks, efficient business talks are being coordinated using CHIC’s broad network in the industry.

CHIC Shanghai presents the entire selection of fashion segments in clearly structured, curated exhibition areas, from women's fashion, men's fashion, children's clothing, shoes, bags and accessories to designer collections. After CHIC Shanghai in October, the next edition of CHIC will take place from November 3- 5, 2021 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen.

ManojPatodia, Chairman, Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) believes, Prime Minister NarendraModi’s emphasis on four points to increase exports – increase in manufacturing, reduction in transport and logistics cost, government walking shoulder to shoulder with the exporters and expansion of international markets for domestic goods – will help achieve the goals of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Patodia also states that PM’s“personal intervention will ensure that all the Indian Missions abroad will actively participate along with the Export Promotion Councils in ensuring that the target set for each importing country is achieved by promoting India’s products with the overseas buyers.

As pointed out by some of the ambassadors of Indian Missions abroad, the acute shortage of containers and the need for greater focus on logistics development were emerging as major challenges. Patodia urged the Government to step in urgently to address the issue of container shortages faced by the exporters which is turning out to be very serious day by day.

The chairman also appealed to the government to include textiles in the priority list while negotiating FTAs with UK, Canada, Australia and the EU

Chinese cotton industry is moving ahead with plans to form a fairer and more transparent international industry standard-setting platform to replace the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), a Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization, as the latter failed to facilitate the positive and sound development of the global cotton supply chain.

The BCI, which had been the leader in the global cotton industry, has been under heavy fire both in China and abroad for its baseless "force labor" claims against cotton from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and is losing membership and leadership in the global industry.

In the latest development, US brand Levi Strauss was standing down from the BCI's leadership amid debate over the group's response to "alleged human rights abuses" in Xinjiang's cotton industry, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The US firm's reported move came after the BCI and H&M sparked widespread anger in China over their baseless claims against Xinjiang cotton. Meanwhile, several other large international fashion brands, including FILA and MUJI, expressed their strong support for Xinjiang cotton in defiance of BCI's claim.

Chinese industry experts said Levi's move is in line with expectation since the BCI's illusion over Xinjiang cotton not only damaged its own industry reputation but also bring about risks of uncertainty to the global textile supply chain, in which Xinjiang cotton holds a significant share.

The weakened BCI has created an opportunity for the Chinese industry to establish a new coalition for quality evaluation, say experts.

Denim education program Transformers ED is focusing on the Pakistan denim industry in its next schedule. Being held from September 14-16, the denim education program will provide three days of comprehensive information on the denim supply chain geared toward students in the region who are entering the fashion industry. The event will be organized in collaboration with two of Pakistan’s vertically integrated denim companies, Crescent Bahuman and Diamond Denim by Sapphire Group.

The English-speaking program is taking place online, reports Sourcing Journal. It features presentations and panels focused on denim production, what makes a responsible denim supply chain, logistics for successful textile recycling and circular business models, and creative branding and denim trends. The program has a new theme every day starting with ‘Technology Day,’ which homes in on the first step in the supply chain from fibers to dyeing. Topics include natural, man-made cellulosic, and synthetic fibers and chemical management in fabric production.

‘Sustainability and Responsibility Day’ covers the latest textile recycling developments, Cradle to Cradle approaches, social responsibility and a special presentation from the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) and the Conscious Fashion Campaign on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ‘Design and Trends Day’ features tips for conducting research and finding the best sources of inspiration, and the evolution of denim trends.

India and the UK have agreed to start negotiations later this year on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement besides kicking off a series of trade working groups from September. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Liz Truss, UK’s International Trade Secretary have decided to enhance India-UK trade partnership and take forward negotiations for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. Truss spoke with Goyal to discuss the scope and ambition for a UK-India free trade agreement following the close of the Department for International Trade’s public consultation last month.

These discussions will help both sides better understand each other’s position on potential chapter areas in any trade deal, including tariffs, standards, IP and data regulation. They also discussed the newly-established Enhanced Trade Partnership, and confirmed their commitment to timely implementation of the market access package.

Truss reaffirmed her ambition to negotiate a trade agreement that delivers results for the British people and businesses, including those in digital and data, tech and food and drink. Both ministers agreed that continuing to engage with the business community was vital throughout the forthcoming negotiations.

Japanese fast fashion brand Uniqlo has become the latest to join the Bangladesh Accord on Fire Building Safety. As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the landmark agreement on garment worker safety was signed in 2013 following the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over 1,100 garment workers.

The Accord was originally scheduled to expire in May, but public pressure from activists, brands and organizations led to three-month extension to the agreement Several brands like Asos, G-Star, Espirit, S Oliver have committed to renew or expand the Accord beyond the three-month period, indicates Remake’s live tracker.

These brands including Zara and its parent company Inditex, have communicated email statements of intent. However, Ayesha Barenblat, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Remake, has also urged American brands especially PVH and American Eagle Outfitters to join the agreement.

The Union Textile Ministry utilized 98 per cent of grants under the National Handloom Development Program (NHDP) in the last three years, informed Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Textiles. The ministry was granted Rs 353.05 crore as revised estimate under grant-in-aid, against which it incurred an expenditure of Rs 347.65 crore, he added. The ministry provided financial assistance to eligible handloom agencies and weavers for purchase of upgraded looms and accessories, design innovation and product diversification, infrastructure development, marketing of handloom products in domestic as well as overseas markets under various components of NHDP.

Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) loans were provided at concessional rates as well. Banks also sanctioned MUDRA loans on the basis of their internal credit appraisal parameters. There was a dip in the number of viable proposals from the state governments. The conditions emanating from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to disruptions in economic activities, leading to demand and supply shifts in the off take of raw-materials and finished goods.

The ministry also set up design resource centers in weavers’ service centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Ahmadabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati to build and create design-oriented excellence to facilitate weavers, exporters, manufacturers and designers access design repositories for sample / product improvisation and development.

The Handloom Export Promotion Council organized international fairs to promote marketing of handloom products in 2020-21. Besides, the ministry provided financial assistance for raw material, infrastructure projects such as dyeing / printing, reeling / spinning, marketing complex, design studies, value addition etc.

Jeffery Hogue, Sustainability Chief, Levi’s Strauss’ has exited the board of the Better Cotton Initiative, cutting short a four-year term that was scheduled to end next year. As per Sourcing Journal, Hogue is currently focused on building the denim giant‘s sustainability team and preparing the release of its first sustainability report and ESG disclosure.

Levi‘s maintains its status as a member of the cotton sustainability program, which features boldface names such as Adidas, Burberry, H&M, Ralph Lauren and Ikea on its roster, the spokesperson added. Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch, alleged Levi’s was vacating its spot because BCI has softened its stance on Chinese government’s use of Uyghur Muslims forced labor to produce cotton in Xinjiang.

BCI’s engagement on the issue has continued to confound industry watchers. On one hand, the organization has pulled out of all field level activities in Xinjiang while on the other hand, it has scrubbed all public references to why it was doing so; thus becoming a target of opprobrium from both China, and anti-slavery campaigners.

From January to May this year, India’s textile exports to the US increased by 66.69 per cent to $2.28 billion, reports OTEXA, a trade body of the US Department of Commerce. As per Textile Focus, US’ textile imports, during the same period, increased by 39 per cent to $12.47 billion. India’s share in these imports remained at 18.32 per cent. On the other hand, China’s share increased to 34.65 per cent to value $4.32 billion.

The share of India’s textile exports increased over 3 per cent. Made-ups accounted for a larger portion of total shipment from India to the US, valued at $1.92 billion and increasing by 64.54 percent year on year. Yarn exports increased by 88.37 per cent to $55.16 million, while fabric exports totaled $302.92 million.

A collective of 33 unions and labor rights groups from Cambodia have demanded the world’s biggest brands -- including Adidas, H&M, Levis, Nike, Puma, Target, Gap, C&A and VF Corp -- help recover wages worth millions of dollars, lost amid the pandemic. A study of 114 factories by the Clean Clothes Campaign shows, Cambodia lost $117 million in wages during the lockdown in April and May. More than 700,000 garment workers were owed $393 million in outstanding wages and severance since the start of the pandemic.

One reason for such a large amount of unpaid wages includes failure of factories to pay severance as stipulated in the country's labor law. The Labor Ministry last year advised factories closing because of economic hardship that they do not have to pay damages or make prior notice payments. Global brands, many of whom have seen their earnings sharply improve this year, say they have attempted to limit the impact of pandemic on garment workers. Adidas has committed to fair wages and has helped key suppliers secure bank finance to weather the pandemic.

Puma has sought to avoid order cancellations as much as possible. The brand cancelled only 0.2 per cent of its orders in Cambodia. The number of factories it works with did not decrease during the pandemic.