Pakistan’s textile and garment exports grew by 19 per cent in the 11 months of current fiscal year (11MFY21) compared to the same period a year ago, as per the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. A report from Pakistan Today Profit says, total exports of textile and clothing increased 8.85 per cent to $13.748 billion between July and May this year against $11.567 billion over the corresponding period in FY20.

On a monthly basis, exports increased 41.14 per cent year-on-year to $1.06 billion in May 2021. Exports of ready-made garments increased 14.35 per cent to $2.706 billion in 11MFY21 against $2.367 billion over the corresponding months of last year. Knitwear exports increased by 32.70 per cent to $3.414 billion against $2.572 billion over the corresponding months of last year. Exports of bed wear increased by 24.60 per cent to $2.472 billion.

In the value-added sector, exports of leather garments increased by 9.92 per cent, while those of leather gloves increased by19.08per cent. In the non-value added sector, exports of cotton cloth grew by 0.97per cent in 11MFY21 from a year ago. However, exports of cotton yarn declined by 1.60 per cent and those of raw cotton declined by 96.51per cent.

Vietnam’s revenue from garment and textile exports increased 21.2 per cent year on year to about $15.2 billion during the first five months of 2021, reveal from Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). During January-May 2021, Vietnam’s fiber and yarn exports soared 60.1 per cent year-on-year to $2.1 billion while fabric exports increased 26.4 per cent to $947 million As per Vietnam Plus, the country’s garment and textile imports increased by 33.4 per cent to $10.2 billion during the period.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade attributed growth to positive signals from the country’s major export markets as well as domestic businesses’ effective utilization of opportunities from free trade agreements (FTAs) which have been signed and put in place. The US remained the largest importer of Vietnam’s garments and textiles with imports increasing 24.4 per cent to $6.02 billion and accounting for 49.2 per cent of the sector’s total revenue.

Japan was the second largest importer with imports worth $1.31 billion followed by the European Union with $1.21 billion worth of imports and the Republic of Korea with $1.07 billion imports.

Supplier of home textiles to European retailers, Zaber and Zubair Fabric aims to improve its bottom lines by going greener. The company installed two plants in 2010 to recover 95 per cent caustic soda from water to rinse fabrics made into goods like sheets and pillow covers, saving 6.5 million litre of caustic soda annually as well as sulphuric acid.

The plants also generate hot water as a by-product, which is used in machines to process fabrics at high temperatures, economizing on water and electricity. The plants have helped the factory save $3.8 million a year through buying fewer chemicals, treating less waste water and lowering energy bills. Zaber and Zubair Fabrics has installed rooftop solar panels to generate about 400 kw power. It plans to add more solar capacity in the coming years.

According to a 2020 study by Global Fashion Agenda and McKinsey & Company, the apparel industry produces 4 per cent of the world’s planet-warming emissions, equal to the combined annual total of France, Germany and Britain. The UN Environment Program in 2019 also estimated fashion industry’s share of global carbon emissions at 10 per cent

Though Bangladesh’s overall emissions are tiny compared with industrialized countries, its garment sector is the world’s second-largest exporter of clothes and employs about 4 million people.

Last year, the Green Climate Fund, the main UN-backed climate finance channel for developing countries, approved a $250-million loan program for projects to make garment factories in Bangladesh more energy efficient.

The Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT), a program led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) practices, has also helped 338 Bangladeshi factories cut their greenhouse gas emissions by more than half a million tonne a year. The program recommendations have helped factories each save thousands of dollars annually, curb emissions and save water.

Pav Sina, President, Collective Union of Movement of Workers says, the government’s aggressive vaccination campaign will help the Cambodian garment and textile sector return to full operation starting early next year/ Sina hoped after successful vaccination drive in Phnom Penh, the government will accelerate vaccination program to workers in the provinces.

At present, the vaccination drive is focused in the capital, which has resulted in the garment and textile sector being badly impacted by the pandemic, Sina said. The government began its vaccination program for the garment and textile sector in April. Until May it had vaccinated over 200,000 garment workers in Red Zones in Phnom Penh. Sina said almost all workers in Phnom Penh have been vaccinated while those in the provinces are waiting for the inoculation campaign to commence.

The Milan Men’s Fashion Week showcased Spring/Summer 2022 collections by brands including Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Etro. The event hosted 47 fashion shows from July 18-22, 2021. Most of these shows were held on the digital platform. The event kicked off with Ermenegildo Zegna’s virtual display featuring models wandering through labyrinths of greenery before returning to an urban concrete landscape. It was followed by showcases from Fendi and Prada in the following days.

After months of stop-start measures, coronavirus restrictions in most of Italy have now been lifted thanks to falling infection rates, although masks are still compulsory in public and social distancing must be respected. This year, the Italian fashion market is expected to rise by 17 per cent to €80 billion, says Carlo Capasa, President, Italian Chamber of Fashion. He expects Italy’s fashion exports to rise by 13 percent and the industry to regain its pre-pandemic growth levels in 2022.

Last year, Italy’s fashion industry revenues fell by 26 percent, as stores shuttered and well-heeled tourists stayed home.

The intensifying of COVID-19 situation may impact Vietnam’s textiles and garment sector, believe industry experts. The situation in HCMC, in particular, may drag the sector down in the remaining months of the year, they opine. Pham Xuan Hong, Head, HCMC Association of Garment, Textile, Embroidery and Knitting (AGTEX) says, growing infection amongst workers employed in textile and garment firms in HCMC may hamper work and delay order fulfillment. These workers are concentrated in certain place which increases their risks of getting infected, adds Le Tien Truong, Chairman, Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex). This many lead to a breakdown in the production chain is likely to be broken amid the outbreak.

Vinatex and AGTEK have urged the government to prioritize vaccination for garment and textile workers. Most garment and textile firms have said they are willing to cover all vaccination costs.

Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, Director, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), says Bangladesh is losing its competitiveness in apparel exports to US to rivals China and Vietnam. During the four months of 2021, US apparel imports from top five destinations including China, Cambodia and Vietnam increased 19.86 per cent to reach $4.66 billion.

As per OTEXA stats, US’ apparel imports from China grew 19.86 per cent during January-April 2021 to reach $4.66 billion. Imports from Cambodia and Vietnam also grew by 8.91 per cent and 8.56 per cent respectively year on year during the period. Vietnam exported apparels worth $4.55 billion to the US from January to April 2021 while Cambodia exported apparels worth $1.02 billion. On the other hand, Bangladesh exported apparels worth $ 1.99 billion during the period under review, a 3.71 per cent decline from $2.07 billion worth of apparels exported during the same period of 2020.

During the first four months of this year, Bangladesh shipped 796.22 million sq. mt. of apparel items, as against 748 million sq. mt. in the corresponding period last year. The country’s exports to the US valued $5.22 billion in 2020, against $5.92 billion in 2019. China is more competitive in terms of man-made or artificial fiber while buyers shifted to Vietnam as it could offer competitive prices of apparel items, says Faruque Hassan, President, BGMEA. Buyers are placing orders or sourcing from the destinations that are able to offer competitive or lower prices, he added.

On the other hand, Bangladesh has failed to retain the work orders followed by price hike by spinners, Hassan alleges.

As per a new study by the University of Copenhagen, the pandemic led to 25 per cent decline in the value of global fur trade to $20.1 billion in 2020. According to Business of Fashion, lockdowns and travel bans disrupted supply chains and retail sales of fur clothing and accessories last year, while a COVID-19 outbreak on mink farms in Denmark led to a mass cull, effectively ending the mink-fur farming industry for the world’s largest producer of the material.

While the pandemic eradicated 25 percent of global production and 30 to 35 percent of the global trade of raw mink skins, the Danish mink cull did not have any significant impact on retail sales last year, according to the study.

However, despite the ‘significant’ negative impact of the pandemic, the report predicted disruptions caused by COVID-19 will likely prove temporary and have little impact on longer-term industry trends.

The members of the Swiss Textile Machinery Group marked their presence at the recent ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition. As per Textile Today, held from June 12-16 in Shanghai, the event had 18 Swiss exhibitors, of whom 13 were Swiss Textile Machinery member companies. Around 99 per cent of the show’s visitors were from China.

The feedback from the event was extremely positive regarding the post-pandemic future market situation, said Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary-General, Swiss Textile Machinery. Norbert Klapper, CEO, Rieter Group, added, the textile machinery market is booming due to a catch-up effect. Orders for the first half of this year are already expected to be more than triple the level in the corresponding period of 2020, and customer feedback at the event was also positive.

The importance of the China market was also emphasized by Loepfe Brothers with its new products. Dr Ralph Menmicke, CEO, said, his company has seen a great pick-up of investments into spinning mills in 2021. Uster Technologies showcased three significant innovations that attracted interest from commercial and technical visitors.

As a part of the upcoming EU textile legislation, European Environmental Bureau (EEB) led coalition is demanding an end to ‘fast fashion’ in the textile industry, which it claims is one of the world’s largest polluters.

EEB’s proposed measures include minimum standards for how long clothes should last, a ban on the destruction of unsold and returned goods, rules to verify and substantiate green claims, and ambitious targets for an absolute reduction in the amount of natural resources used across the supply chain.

The group is also calling for urgent rules on hazardous chemicals in fashion, and for moves to combat environmental harm and end labour rights’ violations in supply chains.

The group cited European Environmental Agency figures estimating that 675 million tonne of raw materials are being used annually to fuel EU consumption of clothing, footwear, and household textiles. The global fast fashion market is expected to grow from $25 billion in 2020 to $40 billion in 2025, according to the group.

The EU consultation runs until 4 August and a legislative proposal for the strategy is expected by the end of the year.

An analysis by the Royal Society for Arts (RSA) of 10,000 fashion items sold online found the vast majority contained new plastics, with half made entirely from petrochemically-derived polymers such as polyester, acrylic, elastane and nylon.

In a report, Fashion’s Plastic Problem, the RSA said plastics required large amounts of energy, damaged the environment, and could take thousands of years to break down. It said this, combined with a ‘throwaway culture’, meant most items would end up in landfill.

The study, involving clothing from Asos, Boohoo, Missguided and PrettyLittleThing, estimated the average item was 61 per cent plastic and an average of just 3 per cent of clothes containing plastics used recycled polymers.