Coloreel has raised $8.14 million in a private placement to existing and new shareholders to support the company’s market expansion and growth and to initiate expansion into new application areas such as sewing.

As per Sourcing Journal, Coloreel’s new technology for digital dyeing of textile thread on-demand gives embroidery manufacturers and fashion designers a number of significant competitive advantages. The technology maximizes the users’ creative potential, while minimizing the environmental impact–higher embroidery quality, no thread waste, no wastewater, creative color changes and freedom in the use of colors, the company noted.

Coloreel has chosen to initially enter into close collaborations with some of the top brands and leading embroidery manufacturers. The embroidery market includes about 8 million installed embroidery heads worldwide. Each of these embroidery heads can be equipped with Coloreel’s technology, the company said.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Coloreel, with the help of existing distributors, said it has delivered its ground-breaking technology to 11 countries in Europe, the United States and Asia. It has also started business with the world’s largest distributor of embroidery machines, U.S,-based Hirsch Solutions, which has already installed the technology with several end-customers in the U.S.

China’s cotton yarn imports are expected to rise by 22.4 per cent on a yearly basis in June 2021 and 8.9 per cent on monthly basis. As per a CCF Group report, yarn imports in May increased by 64.6 per cent on yearly basis while they declined by 26.9 per cent on the monthly basis. They amounted to 918,000 tonne cumulatively in the January- April period increasing by 34.4 per cent year on year.

China’s cotton yarn imports from Vietnam increased in June 2021 while those from Pakistan dipped. Uzbekistani cotton yarn accounted for more and more proportion in China market, Cotton yarn imports from Vietnam stood at 76,000 tonne in June, those from Pakistan amounted to 16.5,000 tonne and imports from India amounted to 30,000 tonne.

The arrivals of imported cotton yarn in May declined largely compared with that in Apr, while those in Jun are expected to increase. However, due to slack season, the sales were relatively slow. Only those in short supply were s old smoothly with price rising. Low count cotton yarn saw adequate supply and the prices mainly kept stable. Overall stocks of imported cotton yarn to over 120,000 tonne by June-end.

Cambodian trade unions have collaborated with Clean Clothes Campaign to urge manufacturers and brands to urgently address the issue of wage theft in Asian garment factories. In response, several brands have played down their individual responsibility to ensure proper payment to all workers in their supply chain, often hiding behind international multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the ILO ‘Call to Action’, which have thus far failed to ensure wage payments throughout the pandemic.

The factory assessment shows notable factory-level differences in wage payments during the recent lockdown. The majority of manufacturers only paid workers their regular wage for the days when factories were in operation, providing only a small payment, or no payment at all, for the lockdown period. Only 12 manufacturers ensured that workers’ earnings did not fall below minimum wage when the factories were closed. This reveals the initial successes of trade union struggles to safeguard wages and demonstrates that individual companies can choose to take action to mitigate the financial impact of the crisis on workers.

Cambodian garment workers producing goods for international fashion and sportswear brands, such as Adidas, VF, Target, Nike and Gap, were deprived of an estimated US$ 109 million in wages during the April and May 2021 national lockdown, according to calculations by Cambodian trade unions and the Clean Clothes Campaign. This figure is a projection based on a comprehensive assessment of 114 factories conducted by trade union federations. Combined with outstanding wages and severance pay from the first 13 months of the pandemic, the total amount owed to garment workers in Cambodia is estimated to be a total of $ 393 million.

Adidas is linked to the largest wage theft in the factory sample: the losses inflicted on 30,190 workers across eight Adidas supplier factories since the beginning of the pandemic adds up to $11.7 million, or $387 per worker. Other brands linked to the largest amounts of wage theft in the sample are VF Corporation ($7.7 million), Target ($7.6 million), Nike ($7.5 million), and Gap ($6.7 million).

Global trims supplier YKK has signed a licensing agreement with sustainable textile innovation company Green Theme Technologies (GTT) to use its water-free and non-toxic Empel water protection technology on zippers for the first time.

As per Sourcing Journal, Empel achieves water repellency by using dry curing which coats each fiber individually to increase durability and performance. The solution is considered to be a game-changing technology for high-performance zippers, and one of the best-performing dry fabric finishes in the world.

YKK’s partnership with GTT reflects the company’s commitments to reducing water and chemical usage through innovative technologies. Last October, the company announced YKK Sustainability Vision 2050 a five-prong strategy that addresses climate change, material resources, water resources, chemical management and human rights as well as 10 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative details the ways in which YKK will achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and pass along its sustainable benefits to the thousands of apparel manufacturers that use the company’s fasteners.

A Uzbek delegation led by Bahhtiyor Karimov, Vice Governor, Kitab district signed an agreement with Iranian company Payam Gostar Tejarat Farda for export of textiles from Uzbekistan to Iran for $5 million. The delegation also met the representatives of the North Industrial Marine Coating Co in Mozandaran, Tehran to discuss production of paints and varnishes in Kitab district. The two parties also signed an agreement on the visit of the Iranian delegation to Kashkadarya region in August for implementation of the given joint project.

The Uzbek delegation also participated in the roundtable organized by the Tehran Association of Textile Exporters and Producers with the purpose of further expansion of commercial and economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Iran.

The Uzbek delegation also visited AMS Industrial Group and held talks on prospects of construction of the plant for crushing stones, sand and gravel production in Kitab district. The talks were also held with Golrooyan Engineering Co. on production of plastic tanks for water.

The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SAIC) has begun the arbitration proceedings between the US-based e-commerce behemoth Amazon and Kishore Biyani-promoted Future Group over the latter’s Rs 24,713 crore deal with billionaire Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Retail.

On July 12, a three-member tribunal comprising Singaporean barrister Michael Hwang, Albert van den Berg and Jan Paulsson heard Future Retail’s petition that the dispute was between one of its promoter entities and Amazon, and that it should not be made a party to it. This proceeding continued on July 13, while during the next two days, the bench will contemplate on the appeal to repeal the stay, people familiar with the development told the business daily.

In August 2020, Reliance Retail Ventures had mentioned that it would acquire the retail and wholesale business, and the logistics and warehousing business of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore.

The SIAC in October last year issued an emergency order, restraining Future Group and Reliance from proceeding with the deal as the American e-commerce titan Amazon claimed that the deal violated its 2019 investment agreement with Future Coupons that gave Amazon the right of first refusal in case of sale.

The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers' Union (SACTWU) voiced its deep concern about the serious damage that the recent looting in KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere has caused to workers and their families.

In Isithebe, a brand new clothing factory (Kingspark Manufacturers) which was set up only in September last year, has been completely destroyed. Machinery and raw materials have been looted. In the process, 600 much-needed jobs supporting 3000 family members in the poorest part of the country are now lost, in this instance alone.

In recent times the management and workers of Kingspark have been successfully participating in an innovative workplace productivity collaboration pilot project - to test and demonstrate the international best practice intervention by the International Labour Organization's Score program. However, the recent incident has negated all their hard work.

The economic turmoil precipitated by the military takeover in February is compelling Myanmar to close roughly 200 textile factories. According to Moe Sandar Myint, Leader, Myanmar’s Federation of General Workers, the move could put the country’s 700,000 textile workers in even more financial difficulties following a year of pandemic-related shutdowns.

As per a Textile Focus report, a number of brands, including Bestseller, C&A, H&M, Primark, and United Colors of Benetton, have already halted production in Myanmar following the military coup. Despite the fact that Bestseller, H&M, and Primark have restarted sourcing, factories are battling to stay open, and some have already shuttered. Economic sanctions, raw-material shortages, and the COVID-19 were cited as reasons for the closure of Heng Mao (Myanmar) Garment Co, a Chinese-owned garment manufacturer in Yangon’s Hlaingthaya Township.

According to the European Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, the coup has posed security, logistical, and banking issues to all firms. According to the organization, one-quarter of workers across all industries have lost their employment, and the situation is expected to worsen dramatically by the end of June.

Although the exhibition surface and number of exhibitors were halved compared to pre-pandemic levels, the number of exhibitors at Milano Unica increased by 27 per cent to 270 from last September’s show as companies believed in a market rebound and remained committed to supporting the sector and the trade show.

As per a Women’s Wear Daily report, the fair drew 3,100 visitors, a 29 percent gain compared to September. Fabio Tamburini, CEO, otonificio Albini, was particularly impressed by the general upbeat mood, which he attributed to the company’s ability to stand by its clients during the pandemic.

The Albini Group unveiled e fruits of its recently inked “strategic alliance” with Beste: A selvedge denim range for its Albiate 1830 brand, whose success at the fair, according to Tamburini, exceeded expectations.

Como-based silk specialist Canepa recently revealed that the Muzinich Group will acquire a majority interest in the company through its investment vehicles Capital Solution ELTIF Azimut and Muzinich & Co. SGR for an undisclosed sum, while Michele Canepa — who returned to the company in 2019, fully acquiring it and subsequently filed a restructuring plan with the Court of Como — will retain a minority interest. The acquisition is expected to mark a turning point for the troubled company, covering existing debts and setting in motion its relaunch, which Canepa has spearheaded in the past two years.

Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions have collaborated with the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) for the maiden hybrid edition of Gartex Texprocess India, which has now been rescheduled to December 2022.

The strategic partnership aims to reconnect the textile and apparel value chain for business at the first hybrid edition of Gartex Texprocess India and support the sector as it recovers from the effects of the pandemic by enabling reach to domestic and international buyers through the show’s new multimodal format.

The fair will now be held from December 03 – 05, 2021, instead of its originally planned schedule in August 2021. This move ensures better planning flexibility for exhibitors and will render a stronger B2B engagement experience through its physical and virtual platforms.

Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions will host a Digital Symposium series on crucial industry topics until the hybrid edition. The symposium will play a significant role in highlighting emerging trends and keeping business players engaged in the field of textile and garment manufacturing so they can prepare themselves according to the changing dynamics of the industry. Given that the landscape of textile and apparel manufacturing is changing with more focus and demand for “sustainable solutions” and circular economy, a wide set of industry topics will be addressed covering the changing trends across global fibre & yarn business, benefits of recycling in textile and retail segments, denim design, as well as insights depicting the way forward for garment wet processing manufacturers.

The physical show will be divided in major zones - Embroidery Zone, Garmenting and Apparel Machinery, Digitex Show, Denim Show, India Laundry Show and Fabrics & Trims Show. The virtual show on the other hand, will place emphasis on product showcases as well as exhibitor search. Both of these segments will be driven by an “AI matchmaking tool”, enabling visitors to connect with the exhibitors based on their individual product requirements.