Pakistan’s federal government has decided to lift the ban on the export of textile masks and sanitizers. This is a reflection of Pakistan’s successful policy to contain COVID-19 in a situation when the developed countries have succumbed to it. But will the government be able to satisfy the Supreme Court of Pakistan about its successful policy?

This was decided in a meeting of the National Command and Opera¬tion Centre (NCOC), working under the Nati¬onal Coordination Committee. He stated the decision will help boost the country’s exports by meeting the demand for these products within the international market.

The export of all types of surgical masks and sanitizers was banned at the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Though there was no export ban on washable cloth masks, mainly used as anti-dusk pollution masks, but customs authorities were not allowing such exports.

The adviser said that the commerce ministry will issue further clarification with reference to the export of the products. He reiterated that surgical masks and N-95 masks which are in short supply within the local market, will not be exported.

It is worth noting that Pakistan Young Pharmacist Association (PYPA) has recently submitted an application to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in which they alleged that 20 million face masks were smuggled out of Pakistan in connivance with government officials.

Nasa Garment Plc has become the first Ethiopian company from the Hawassa Industrial Park (HIP) to export its products to Canada.

Founded in 2019, the firm on April 8 exported to Canada a container with 21,000 units of apparel, including shirts, trousers, active wear and sweaters. Canada offers duty-free privileges to the East African country’s products.

The company is owned by Saron and Goitom Afework and can make 30,000 pieces of clothing a day with its 30 production lines. It employs 340 workers and it is expected to hire 2,100 more when it becomes fully operational. Nasa started production in January 2020 and will ship products to Canada every week, according to Ethiopian media reports.

The company plans to earn $1.5 million from exports this year and expects to earn $7 million dollars next year.

During the past eight months of this fiscal, the country’s textile and garment industry generated $129 million from exports, a 32 per cent increase over the same period last year. The volume also registered a 4,100 tonne increase from the preceding year.

Canadian athleisurewear maker Lululemon Athletica is the latest to announce the exit of its CFO, after a string of company’s announcement of the resignation of top-level executives.

Patrick Guido, who joined the company in 2018, after seven successful years at VF Corp, will be taking his leave on 8 May to pursue interests outside the apparel industry.

The role will now be fulfilled by senior Vice President Meghan Frank and Controller Alex Grieve who will jointly oversee the workings of the finance team till a suitable successor is found.

Lululemon had earlier announced that the executive-level management will be taking a pay cut of 20 per cent during this crisis as the company’s stores in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and all of Europe remain shut due to lockdowns.

Originally scheduled to take place June 02–03 in Manhattan, the New York edition of Kingpins, the trade event for denim enthusiasts, has been canceled. This follows the cancellations of its April 22–23 edition in Amsterdam and May 13–14 show in Hong Kong, the Andrew Olah–founded brand announced recently.

To sate the appetite for professionals in the denim space to reconnect, Kingpins announced on March 24 that a new show format would take place as a virtual edition. Named Kingpins24, the event will allow the denim industry to share new ideas, plans for the future and solutions for the industry in anticipation of life after COVID-19. Kingpins24 takes place April 22–23.

In addition to this fresh trade-show concept, Kingpins announced in an April 10 email that it had launched a new Kingpins Shop, an online retail store that offers books, art, apparel and accessories, home goods, vintage pieces, lifestyle goods, and kits to embark on do-it-yourself projects at home.

In a recent webinar, Fashion Snoops stated that climate change, coupled with the uncertainty of the coronavirus, is leading the active wear category down a design path based on utility and preparedness. Over the next 18 months, consumers in crisis mode will likely drive up the demand for active wear that provides adaptability, utilitarian practicality and protection, the trend forecasting firm reports.

There’s been an uptick in designs that aim to protect the wearer for some time, said Taylor San Nicolas, Fashion Snoops active wear editor.

From material innovation to construction design, Fashion Snoops says designers will reconsider activewear garments for extreme adventure and resiliency.

Here, fabrics will help bridge science and fashion. Materials and hardware are based on preparedness and protection. Reinforced mesh that doubles as a pollution filter, canvas with high tensile strength and thermal fabrics that would otherwise be reserved for first responder are being adapted for commercial use.

There’s also a focus on how technical finishes can augment materials to be more protective, durable and functional—be it enhanced gripping or more tactile or visible.

Key design concepts include outdoor staples with rugged qualities, apparel with “on-the-go” power supply for electronics and designs that include face protection.

Originally scheduled to take place June 02–03 in Manhattan, the New York edition of Kingpins, the trade event for denim enthusiasts, has been canceled. This follows the cancellations of its April 22–23 edition in Amsterdam and May 13–14 show in Hong Kong, the Andrew Olah–founded brand announced recently.

To sate the appetite for professionals in the denim space to reconnect, Kingpins announced on March 24 that a new show format would take place as a virtual edition. Named Kingpins24, the event will allow the denim industry to share new ideas, plans for the future and solutions for the industry in anticipation of life after COVID-19. Kingpins24 takes place April 22–23.

In addition to this fresh trade-show concept, Kingpins announced in an April 10 email that it had launched a new Kingpins Shop, an online retail store that offers books, art, apparel and accessories, home goods, vintage pieces, lifestyle goods, and kits to embark on do-it-yourself projects at home.

According to a recent study by Science in Me, over the next five years the Cashmere Clothing market will register a 3.8 per cent CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ 3230 million by 2024, from $ 2580 million in 2019.

Cashmere clothing is made from cashmere and cashmere yarn, including various sweaters, coats, trousers and other garments. China is the world’s largest supplier of raw materials, accounting for about 70 per cent of cashmere in the world, while Italy is China’s largest export destination, in April 2017; Italy imported 98 tons of cashmere from China, account 78 per cent of the month’s exports.

China is also the largest consumption market, due to the rapid growth of the national economy as well as people’s gradual improvement of life quality. Many famous brands have targeted in the region, like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. Although China is the largest cashmere garment manufacturer in the world, its own brand market share is very low. Most of them exist as OEM. This has led to the local enterprises in China at the bottom of the interests of the value chain for a long time.

United States also players an important role in the global cashmere clothing industry. In 2016, the country consumed about 3.5 million units, holding more than 19 per cent share globally.

Asia region is the major manufacturing bases due to the low labor cost and material cost. Most famous brands have their plants or cooperative manufacturers in the region.

Haiti has decided to reopen its textile factories from April 20. The poorest country in the western hemisphere had immediately declared a state of emergency after detecting its first two cases nearly a month ago, closing borders and shuttering schools, places of worship and industrial parks.

As the initial term of the state of emergency expires shortly, he government is considering whether to extend it. The textile manufacturing sector accounts for 90 per cent of the country’s exports.

The industry would start running at 30 per cent of its capacity to ensure social distancing in the workplace, according to global newswires.

Factories accounting for around a third of textile manufacturing workers were allowed to re-open two weeks ago to make cloth masks and medical garments.

Big-name international brands have cancelled billions of dollars in orders because of the pandemic, decimating Bangladesh's most important export industry and hurting in particular rural woman who dominate the workforce.

Making the shirts, pullovers, bras and socks for stores in wealther nations accounts for 80 percent of Bangladesh’s $40 billion of annual exports and has played a vital role in its growth of the past two decades.

More than four million people, mainly women from poor rural villages, are employed in the sector.

But the industry has a reputation for running sweatshops, with workers toiling in unsafe factories without labour protections or a social safety net.

The 2013 Rana Plaza diaster, when the collapse of the garment complex claimed the lives of 1,130 lives, exposed appalling safety conditions in Bangladeshi factories.

Now, with international brands walking away and a government lockdown stopped people in Bangladesh travelling, laid-off workers are complaining of being dumped without any help.

According to BGMEA, International brands have cancelled or held up orders worth $3.11 billion, affecting more than two million workers in the country.

As per the findings of a survey conducted by Rajesh Bheda Consulting (RBC), the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on business is unfathomable as of now but the total business impacted so far can be estimated at $3 billion. The combined value of orders cancelled and on hold is $1.49 million per respondent factory; 56 per cent respondents revealed payments were delayed, whereas in 19 per cent cases, customers refused to pay for the orders. Of the cancelled orders in 22 per cent cases buyers had paid for the material, in 35 per cent cases partial payment for the material was received and in remaining 43 per cent cases no payments were received.

RBC undertook a quick survey to understand the gravity of the situation in India. In all, 77 apparel exporting organizations from different manufacturing hubs of the country responded. Though the results are based on a relatively small sample, these do provide some much-needed data reflecting the scale of the challenge, as experienced by the respondents and its potential impact on the industry.