The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) can raise Cambodia’s exports between nine percent and 18 percent annually. So says the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia.

Progressive market-based reforms in Cambodia in both manufacturing and services have been successful in lifting the country closer to the next stage of growth. But the country has to maintain progressive market-based reforms in the post-pandemic recovery for deeper regional integration with the framework provided by RCEP.

The structural transformation of the Cambodian economy is critical to shift and position its manufacturing activities to higher value-added activities in the global production value-chain (GVC). Currently, the manufacturing sector is not diversified and concentrated on garment and textiles but the overall manufacturing activities are showing signs of shifting to higher value-added activities such as parts and components and transport. Shifting the labour-intensive activities from Phnom Penh to other competitive regions in Cambodia that can absorb such industries will increase the competitiveness of each province based on their respective comparative advantages. China, Korea, and Japan offer a larger opportunity for Cambodia’s exports. There is also a need to increase the competitiveness and linkages of Special Economic Zones to GVC activities to attract multinational activities in these industries.

A conference on Protech (Protective Textiles) was held in New Delhi, November 16, 2022.

There were panel discussions in the conclave covering the prospect of indigenisation of protective textile products in India, experience and expectations of consumers towards the adoption of protective textiles and market promotion and export opportunities of protective textiles in India.

Around 450 participants attended the conclave including officials and representatives from the central government, Indian forces, researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals related to technical textiles especially Protech. Protective textiles are not only used in fire scenarios, but have wider use in many hazardous prone activities related to energy transmission, radiation energy, among others.

There exists a huge potential for protective textiles in India given the increasing exposure to hazards and the presence of five crore people in the organized and an almost equal number in the unorganized sector. A mandate for the use of technical textiles by the user industry would significantly drive the growth of technical textiles in India.

Protective textiles are a segment of technical textiles. The conclave provided a platform for buyers and sellers to interact and come up with an action plan to benefit from the ongoing demand for protective textiles. The event provided an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their developments and innovations.

Pitti Bimbo will be held in Italy, January 18 to 20, 2023. The children’s wear event will showcase 250 exhibitors, 70 per cent of them from outside Italy.

The event has grown in size and will include various special projects alongside its traditional sections. It will focus once again on sustainability, and on junior street style as an emerging trend.

Many buyers, also from outside Italy, are set to attend, from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Belgium, Germany, the US, Austria, the UK, France, South Korea, Switzerland, Andorra and the Netherlands.

Rossignol will launch its junior lifestyle 2023-2024 collection, a combination of elegance and high-tech materials. Nanan will showcase its new apparel collection and launch a furniture line. And 100 percent Bimbo will offer an overview of the collections that express the multiple incarnations of children’swear, showcasing major labels and the industry’s iconic brands. The Kids’ Lab will focus on avant-garde children's fashion and lifestyle products, home to the most original, surprising collections, and sophisticated looks by pioneering new brands.Apartment is dedicated to high-end experimental labels, with refined lines and innovative materials. The Nest is a section for small emerging brands and their ground-breaking collections. I Want To Be Green is dedicated to the ethical, sustainable solutions to which fashion, and children’swear specifically, is increasingly committed.

Monforts offers an extensive range of finishing technologies. Econtrol is a pad-dry process employed in Monforts continuous dyeing. With reactive dyes for 100 per cent cotton, or the Econtrol T-CA solution of combined reactive and disperse dyes, in particular, the improvement in both dyed fabric quality and dye fixation is considerable, and with significant savings in energy and time due to the combined bleaching and padder fixation.

Monforts machines are known for their robustness and long service life, but the retrofitting of specific modules with new control and drive technology – going far beyond the basic replacement of spare parts – can also have a significant impact on the performance of an existing line. This is especially the case in achieving further energy savings.The company’s universal Energy Tower, for example – a flexible, free-standing air/air heat exchanger for recovering the heat from the exhaust air flow of thermal processes – can result in an up to 30 per cent reduction in the energy consumed by a line, depending on the controlled exhaust air volume and operating temperature.

The Monforts Eco Booster, which is completely integrated into the chamber design of the latest Montexstenter, is another retrofitting option. This single state-of-the-art heat recovery system with automatic cleaning can be added to existing ranges of up to eight chambers to achieve significant energy savings.

India’s cumulative exports of textiles and apparel during October 2022 fell 34 per cent as compared to October 2021. Textile exports fell 41 per cent year on year in October 2022. Apparel exports declined by 21 per cent. During April 2022 to October 2022, textile exports fell by 20 per cent. However, apparel exports grew by six per cent during the same period.Cumulative exports of textiles and apparel during the first seven months of the current fiscal were down ten per cent.

The share of textiles and apparel in India’s total merchandise exports declined to seven per cent in October 2022 as compared to nine per cent in October 2021.Imports of cotton raw and waste increased by 351 per cent in October 2022 from the same period of last year. Inbound shipment of textile yarn, fabric and made-ups grew four per cent in the same period. During April 2022 to October 2022, imports of cotton raw and waste increased by 273 per cent over the same period of last year.

High inflation across the developed world has reduced consumers’ purchasing capacity, which is the main cause of slowdown in textiles and apparel exports. Developing countries including India are facing serious challenges in textiles exports.

Indian garment exporters participated in the sourcing expo being held in Australia, November 15 to 17, 2022.

They are showcasing the best apparel designs and styles in line with the latest fashion trends in a wide range of traditional cotton and manmade fiber garments.

There is a significant Indian presence at the expo, including a large contingent represented by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Apparel Export Promotion Council, Handloom Export Promotion Council in apparel and textiles, and the Council for Leather Exports India in the co-located Footwear and Leather Show.

India’s new Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement with Australia has worked in its favour as Indian textile exports to Australia are excluded from duties.The free trade agreement would open huge business opportunities for Australian clothing brands to source from India considering the strengths of the domestic garment industry in terms of variety of raw material availability. Australia has traditionally been the top most trading partner for Indian garments with Indian exports occupying a share of about four per cent of total Australian garment imports. India offers the world a complete value chain solution from farm to fashion and has a competitive edge by shortened lead times to reach buyers.

India is one of the largest producers of cotton, silk and jute, technical textiles and viscose and produces all types of synthetic fibers, polyester, nylon and acrylic.

Luxury spending is growing faster than ever. So says Bain. Global sales of personal luxury goods, including leather accessories, apparel, footwear, jewellery and watches, are expected to grow by 22 per cent this year.

Consumption is back at pre-crisis levels. There is a new consumer base that is younger and some pockets of consumers that have been unlocked during Covid are growing. The record growth comes after the sharp 2021 recovery from the global pandemic lockdowns, creating a strong trajectory despite the spectre of recession next year blamed on higher raw material and energy prices.

The sector is not recession-proof but is more resilient than it was in the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Factors that have made the luxury industry more resilient include the enlarged customer base as well as stronger relationships between brands and consumers developed both through social media and an elevated focus on the in-store shopping experience in branded stores. Mature markets in the United States and Europe are the strongest performers, each growing by about a quarter.The disappearance of the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine led to Western sanctions has had almost no major impact. This market represented two per cent of sales before the war.

Fila’s performance was dented in the third quarter as margins shrank. Overall sales and profits remain on an upward trajectory but the Fila brand is operating against the backdrop of an intensely promotional market, especially in the US.Fila USA’s sales dropped 20 per cent while Fila Korea sales rose four per cent.

The sports and leisurewear operator benefited during the quarter from its well diversified business portfolio with resilient royalty income, but promotional sales and challenging circumstances in the US were an issue. US headwinds were strong due to weaker pricing power caused by excess inventory in the market and bigger discounts from competitors.

The company has updated its outlook with sales expected to rise between five per cent and ten per cent against a previous forecast between a fall of two per cent and a rise of two per cent. Expectations are unchanged for the Fila brand but Global Royalty revenue should be higher and Acushnet should continue to outperform.Yet the forecast for consolidated operating profit has been downgraded to a range of down five per cent to ten per cent from expectations that it could fall two per cent or perhaps even rise by up to two per cent.

The operating profit outlook will reflect one-off restructuring costs and that margin pressure due to promotional activities in the US.

The International Apparel Federation (IAF) is aiming at a fairer distribution of risks and rewards between buyers and producers.

IAF, a global network uniting brands, manufacturers and their associations, has identified the need to urgently rebuild trust and has begun emphasising on supply chain issues. IAF will focus on bringing manufacturers' voice more clearly into the global industry infrastructure that is being built to reduce apparel's global environmental footprint.

When western brands collapsed during the Covid pandemic, one of the first things they did was to cancel already completed orders.As buyers cancelled orders, suppliers were left in a lurch. So a fairer distribution of risks and rewards between buyers and producers will be one of the core focuses of the International Apparel Federation.

Even though intentions are often good, purchasing practices are more an offer by buyers. Financial flows fuelling the supply chain including a fairer distribution of risk and reward are a major part of this new contract and IAF is developing both guidance and concrete services to its members in this area.

For IAF circularity – the practice of encouraging reuse, recycling, or sustainability in consumption, manufacturing – is the most effective method to reduce the pressure on climate exerted by the apparel industry.

The cotton market continues its remarkable gyrations. Starting in mid-August, cotton futures declined substantially. The first Monday in November saw cotton futures little changed.

Then the market took off like a rocket. The explanation for this bounce is short covering. Hedge fund speculators had built an outright short position, the largest such position since April 2020.The early November price rally was driven by short speculators rushing to buy back their positions. The combination of bullish Chinese economic news, i.e. relaxing Covid restrictions, technical buy signals, and limit up market reactions (with even higher prices reflected in the options market) induced speculative shorts to buy back their positions. Any remaining discrepancy between undervalued cotton futures relative to cash cotton prices should be eliminated, and the result is that remaining speculative shorts may get squeezed as they try to exit their position.

It remains to be seen where the new equilibrium price level will be when the short covering and squeeze dynamics are passed. Back in April 2020, the hedge fund net short position came and went in about eight weeks, but the resulting price rally continued, fed by fundamental forces like pandemic recovery and supply concerns. The current demand situation appears uncertain. The 2022/2023 supply picture could get tighter, but it remains to be seen.