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The US is reviewing trade benefits to Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) after a complaint by US interests about an East African ban on imports of used clothing.
The review was in response to a petition filed by the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), which complained that the ban imposed significant hardship on the US used-clothing industry and violated AGOA rules.
Through the review, the US will assess the allegations contained within the SMART petition and review whether Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda are adhering to AGOA's eligibility requirements.
The move follows a decision by the six-nation East African Community - Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and South Sudan - to fully ban imported second-hand clothes and shoes by 2019, arguing it would help member countries boost domestic clothes manufacturing.
AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan countries duty-free access to the United States on condition they meet certain statutory eligibility requirements, including eliminating barriers to US trade and investment, among others.
US AGOA imports from Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda totaled 43 million dollars in 2016, up from 33 million dollars in 2015. US exports to Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda were 281 million dollars in 2016, up from 257 million dollars the year before.
Resort wear trade show Splash Paris will be held June 25 to 27, 2017. It will be more than triple its previous size this year, as the exhibition gears up for its second annual outing this month. Previously a 3,000 sq ft show with 20 brands, Splash will now feature 90 brands across 11,000 sq ft. Returning brands include Heidi Klein, Lazul and Mara Hoffman, while the roster of new additions includes Jets, Pily Q and Milly.
The show is now the largest resort wear show in Europe. It aims at bringing a point of difference to the trade show market by creating a smaller show that will have a fun, light-hearted mood, whilst still meeting the commercial needs of brands, buyers and media.
Trade shows are getting larger by the season and the ethos of Splash Paris is to bring a beautifully curated small resort wear show to the center of Paris. The environment will be relaxed and fun, making the show relevant for all buyers who are looking to see the top resort wear brands at one venue.
Resort wear for women includes tropical patterned dresses, vintage-style swimsuits, tops, pants, mandarin-collared dresses, short apron-wrap dresses and knee-length sheaths, mini-skirts, blousons, maxis, long-tailed kurtas with cropped pajamas to saris.
According to the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), Italian textile machinery manufacturers will partake at the upcoming edition of CAITME, the Central Asian International Textile Machinery Exhibition, to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from September 13 to 15, 2017. There will be 16 Italian textile machinery manufacturers will exhibit in the common area set up by the Italian Trade Agency and ACIMIT.
ACIMIT’s associated members include Beta Machinery, Carù, Cormatex, Durst, Ferraro, Mcs, Pozzi Leopoldo, Ramallumin, Ratti, Rite, SantexRimar, Savio, Sicam, Smit, Stalam, and Unitech. At CAITME, Italian exhibitors will show the most advanced technology applied to the textile sector, offering proper solutions in terms of efficiency, costs saving, and sustainability.
Uzbekistan is one of the largest producers and exporters of cotton and its textile industry is a relevant driver for the national economy. The business conditions are favorable for the development of the local industry due to the availability of raw materials and low production costs the upgrading of installed equipment is considered a step to achieve this goal.
Italian exports amounted to €15 million, compared to 2015 figures, with a 16 per cent increase in 2016. Among the Italian machines most in demand by Uzbek textile companies are knitting machinery for 62 per cent and spinning machinery 24 per cent.
India’s readymade garment exports registered a positive growth of just 8.06 per cent in May compared to the corresponding period last year.
The decline in growth is attributed to two reasons. Though exporters are happy with the new rates announced under GST, they need to ensure compliance with GST for input credit for the already existing stock on June 30, which has lead to curtailment in production. Secondly, there is uncertainty about the continuation of ROSL, which was used by small and medium enterprises to boost exports.
According to a recent survey done by AEPC in eight states where there is significant apparel production, 85 per cent of apparel exporters say that they are substantially benefited by ROSL in their export performance, while 65 per cent rate the impact of ROSL as high or game changing.
Incorporated in 1978, AEPC is the official body of apparel exporters in India that provides invaluable assistance to Indian exporters as well as importers and international buyers who choose India as their preferred sourcing destination for garments.
AEPC has worked tirelessly in integrating the entire industry - starting at the grass root level of training the workforce and supplying a steady stream of manpower to the industry, identifying the best countries to source machinery and other infrastructure from to brokering several path breaking deals for its members and finally helping exporters to showcase their best at home fairs as well as at international fairs the world over.
Jim Swanson is Columbia Sportswear’s senior vice president and chief financial officer. Peter Rauch is senior vice president and chief transformation officer.
Swanson brings a wealth of experience with the company to his role, having served in a variety of key finance positions over the past 14 years. He served as Columbia’s senior global financial analyst from April 2003 to December 2004, as finance manager from January 2005 to December 2008 and as director of strategic and financial planning from January 2009 to May 2015 when he was named vice president of finance.
Rauch will lead the company’s newly-formed transformation office, which is being established as part of the on-going business assessment launched by the company in the first quarter of 2017. He brings to the role diverse, global experience with the company. Rauch joined the company in January 2008 as retail accounting manager. He was promoted to director of retail accounting in April 2010, senior financial controller - EMEA in June 2011, and chief financial officer of the company’s joint venture in China in July 2013. His financial and operational experience are expected to enable him to play a key role.
Columbia Sportswear is a leader in the active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment industries.
A period of substantial change is seen at the Asia’s yarn and fibre market. The leading trade platform in the region will more than double in size this October ( Oct 11-13), Around 400 companies, up from 319 last year, are predicted to exhibit this edition.
Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt commented that the Yarn Expo fairs have further solidified their status as amongst the best business platforms in the yarn & fibre industry in recent years Yarn Expo has also proved a successful platform for Uzbekistan suppliers to launch their products in China, and they are doing well in this market vis-à-vis their more established competitors.
The domestic exhibitors will feature in six fancy yarn zones. Given the fact that more buyers from Asian countries will are sourcing innovative products at the fair, the Fancy Yarn Zone in particular has grown in popularity. Customers coming to this zone have precise sourcing needs. What’s more, we feel that the demand for fancy yarns is growing rapidly says Ge, General Manager of Suzhou High View Industrial. To cater to this tendency, this edition the zone will feature double in size and around 50 companies will display their latest collections of fancy yarns.
Many suppliers from Asia, Europe and elsewhere will showcase their latest collections of yarn and fibre products this October as per the fair’s leading reputation. Being one of the highlights of the show, the India Pavilion is comprised of some of India’s biggest names. Given the currently large market share of Indian yarns in China, Indian exhibitors value the show a great deal. The demand for Pakistani cotton is also growing steadily in China due to its competitive price and reliable quality.Uzbek cotton accounts for over 80 per cent of the total cotton consumption in Hebei province of Northern China, resulting in increased attention on Uzbek companies at recent Yarn Expos.
At the March meeting of the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), a group representing domestic textile manufacturers, outgoing chairperson Robert H. Chapman III thanked the new Trump policy dynamic. He said that the next 12 months represent the best opportunity in a generation to reorient U.S. manufacturing policy, level the playing field, and usher in a new era of growth for U.S. textile makers. According to NCTO, shipments of textiles and apparel rose to $74.4 billion last year, an 11 per cent increase since 2009, when the industry hit bottom during the economic slowdown.
Companies including the yarn maker have all developed value-added product niches. Even fiber makers such as Eastman Chemical have come out with new fiber variants that go well beyond the usual commodity offerings. Overseas textile makers are also recognizing the U.S. as a vibrant investment location with abundant raw materials, cheap energy, and new policies that favor local manufacturers.
Textile makers are eagerly hiring school graduates, who include management experts, polymer chemists, and textile dye specialists. Among the firms that worked with the school is PurThread, a developer of antimicrobial yarn technology. Founded in 1999, PurThread buys its Environmental Protection Agency-registered silver ingredient from Eastman Kodak, the former photographic film giant, says Lisa Grimes, PurThread’s chief executive officer.
In addition to using virgin polymers to produce its yarns, Unifi has developed a line of fibers, sold under the Repreve name, made from recycled polyester bottles. The company operates its own recycling center that converts bottles into polyester chips. A chemical tracer added to the polyester allows customers to verify the recycled content.
When a user stretches or puts pressure on the fabric sensors, current flow is affected, McMillen says. Printed electronic traces bring signals from the sensors to a computer chip that can measure a runner’s gait, monitor a wearer’s heart rate, or sense a person’s body temperature. BeBop recently introduced a control glove for virtual-reality enthusiasts. Equipped with haptic sensors, the glove allows users to “feel” objects virtually when playing computer games. Also on the drawing board are car seat sensors linked to airbag deployment systems to better protect occupants in case of a crash, says McMillen.
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is set to host the 26th Filtration International Conference & Exposition at Chicago’s Navy Pier, US, from October 10 to 12, 2017, showing innovation, and quality of the air and liquid filtration segment of the nonwovens industry with newest breakthroughs and challenges for the participants. INDA will again hold its one-and-a-half day acclaimed Nonwoven Filter Media Training Course prior to the expositions.
The powerful combination of leading-edge products and applications, technical advances, networking, top speakers, plus education and training, all entirely focused on the growing filtration segment, will continue to deliver strong value for leading suppliers and customers of filtration media and components who exhibit and attend Filtration 2017.
Filtration 2017 will be highlighted by exciting program additions on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), a panel discussion on ISO 16890 standards, and a luncheon keynote address on the attractiveness of the industry that is driving consolidation.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, senior R&D scientist, Hollingsworth &Vose Company, will moderate a panel with Herve Buisson, vice president of Veolia Water, and Frank Stamatatos, president of Secure Aire, on how interconnected smart systems can save time, increase operational efficiency and capture new growth.
In his keynote address, Phil Whitaker, president and CEO, AAF Flanders, will explore what’s behind the upswing of M&A activity involving filtration-related companies over the last few years and how players can enhance their value, with the topic of discussion as “Why the Filter Industry Is Suddenly So Attractive - A Look at What’s Driving Recent M&A Activity?”
Moderated by Robert Burkhead, president of Blue Heaven Technologies, a panel will discuss all sides around ISO 16890, which establishes an efficiency classification system of air filters for general ventilation based upon particulate matter (PM), with the topic “ISO 16890 Panel: Is This Good or Bad for the US Industry?” (GK)
EarthColors of Archroma won the Gold Winner at the the OutDoor Industry Award 2017, Sustainable innovations Category, presented at a ceremony held on June 18, 2017. Among the winners, the Gold Winner Award distinguishes further the EarthColors range - out of the 330 entries - as one of the most innovative products of the industry in what is one of the highlights of the OutDoor Show held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, until June 21, 2017.
EarthColors are Archroma's patent-pending new method of creating warm ternary shades from nature. These high performance dyes are synthesized from natural waste products of the agriculture and herbal industries, such as almond shells and rosemary leaves, replacing the oil-based raw materials typically used in dyestuff manufacture. Earthcolors are available in a range of six dyes, covering a palette of natural shades. They are fully traceable from the source to the shop – thanks to NCF chip attached on the clothing hangtag.
Visitors at Archroma's can discover why company’s such as Kathmandu and Flocus who have selected EarthColors. The technology will also be on display in a special exhibition and on the official website of the OutDoor show.
Nuria Estape, Head of Marketing and Promotion for Archroma’s Brand & Performance Textile Specialties business, commented that the company is extremely proud to receive one of the most prominent Awards in the outdoor industry also theOutDoor Industry Award will surely help convince more brands and retailers to explore and adopt more nature-friendly solutions from Archroma.
Manel Domingo, R&D Head for Special Dyes at Archroma, who developed the EarthColors technology, EarthColors was more than five years in the making and the project is still evolving in the laboratories. With the planet reaching the limit of its resources, it is important to offer more sustainable options to the consumers and this is the reason there is no efforts to develop groundbreaking innovations .
"Counterfeit has become a burgeoning trillion-dollar global market despite efforts by international authorities. Fashion garments are some of the most reproduced products with the greatest proportion originating in China. The huge growth in the printed textile market, the increasingly affordable cost of direct-to-garment (DTG) printers and the explosion in online trading are some of the reasons fuelling the growth of counterfeit in the UK market."
Counterfeit has become a burgeoning trillion-dollar global market despite efforts by international authorities. Fashion garments are some of the most reproduced products with the greatest proportion originating in China. The huge growth in the printed textile market, the increasingly affordable cost of direct-to-garment (DTG) printers and the explosion in online trading are some of the reasons fuelling the growth of counterfeit in the UK market.
According to Mohsin Omarji, MD, Rialto Designs, with the direct-to-garment market and its new digital technology, one can pick up machines very cheaply now and it’s easy enough for people to stick them in a garage and set up an operation selling garments on eBay.
Digital textile equipment supplier iSub’s Simon Lymn highlights digital is offering new ways to counterfeit goods – fashionable home interiors or fashion wear – and it’s quite rife in certain textile hubs where there is a high concentration of different textile producers and printers. The big problem starts when design agencies outsource their printing. As soon as they send their designs by whatever digital medium it is, the print house then has the design and is able to print it for another client. That’s where the problem lies because they are relying on a company to keep their intellectual property (IP) safe and not profit from it. Most cases never end up in court because they take too long time and fashion cycle keeps changing faster.
What does the law say?
IP, copyright and trademark infringement is primarily enforced by Trading Standards and is a crime that, depending on its extent, can carry some hefty penalties: up to 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine on indictment to a Crown Court, or six months in prison and an unlimited fine through the magistrates’ courts. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute’s lead IP officer Gavin Terry explains that reproducing designs on garments and interior fabrics could contravene a number of laws including the Trade Marks Act and Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.
There is a possibility that a printer may unknowingly reproduce something, where the copyright or IP does not belong to the client, and Terry says that with registered designs and copyright cases, there is a requirement to prove guilty knowledge, however infringing goods are liable to seizure and forfeiture, irrespective of guilty knowledge or not.
What’s a new design?
Copyright law itself is quite lenient as it only requires three changes to be made to a design for it to be considered a ‘new’ design. These changes can be so small as to be insignificant, according to fabric and wallpaper designer Vanessa Arbuthnott.
The haute couture market is taking steps to limit counterfeiting with brands incorporating haute-tech features into their garments, outside of the digital printing process, such as UV-printed yarns, synthetic DNA-laced security markers, invisible inks such as that launched last year by Kodak-backed eApeiron and of course the more common label holograms and QR-codes.
In a new technique, a tiny feature, indiscernible to the naked eye, is incorporated into a digital design. It is an approach being taken by numerous fashion brands, according to Jos Nostermans, worldwide commercial manager for digital textiles, SPGPrints. In his opinion, one of the best measures to protect against digital print counterfeiting in the fashion industry, lie in turnaround times. Some of the huge brands change collections so quickly that counterfeiters can’t possibly copy, print and distribute fast enough.
