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Lenzing has been awarded the bio based certificate for its manufacture of acetic acid, furfural and magnesium lignosulfonate by the US Department of Agriculture. These three products are derived totally from wood, a natural and renewable raw material.
Lenzing, known for its high ecological standards, produces dissolving pulp at its sites in Austria and the Czech Republic. All the valuable raw materials are extracted from the wood within the framework of a cascading use. Acetic acid is derived from beech wood in the pulp production process, is recovered in several process steps and processed into high quality, food-grade acetic acid, for example, for the food industry. Furfural is a product utilized as a solvent in the refining of lubrication oil, to name one example. Magnesium lignosulfonate is found in animal food or fertilizers.
The certification of bio based products is part of the bio preferred program implemented by the USDA. It is designed to motivate government institutions and companies to purchase bio based products or those which largely consist of biological materials.
Tencel fibers have already been certified as bio based since 2011. Lenzing supplies textile and nonwoven industries with high-quality botanic cellulose fibers, ranging from dissolving wood pulp to standard specialty cellulose fibers.
Kumar Mangalam Birla is exploring entry into carbon fibre production, a high-strength and light-weight composite material expected to be a $4.7 billion global business by 2022.
The Aditya Birla Group, the $40 billion mining-to-mobile phone carrier conglomerate, might buy the technology to manufacture carbon fibre at one of its existing overseas manufacturing facilities. It was also stated one could buy a carbon fibre plant from another company if the technology is too complex to be adapted at Birla plants
Carbon fibre is finding increased traction among defense manufacturers and automobiles makers that seek strong, high-tensile, heat-resistant and light materials. According to an allied market research report the market for carbon fibre dubbed a ‘wonder material’ it is estimated to be more than double to about $4.7 billion by 2022 from $2.2 billion in 2015,.
Johnson Imode, a London-based analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence points out saying that the main positive is that it’s a much lighter material versus competitors such as steel or aluminum. This can be made for energy and efficiency savings for customers. The demand from the automobile sector is particularly high as designers aim to make cars both lighter, stronger and less polluting
The applications for the material range from aircraft and spacecrafts to racing cars, sailboat masts, wind turbines and even golf clubs. Imode estimates the market could grow as much as 10 per cent annually.
The fabric and accessories trade show Munich Fabric Start will host a feature called Munich Apparel Source. Munich Apparel Source is based on the assumption that apparel production and sourcing cannot be considered separately any longer. Since the textile and fashion industry’s requirements in terms of manufacturing processes and sourcing are increasingly sophisticated, as well as highly complex from the logistics point of view, a synergy between Munich Fabric Start and a show like Munich Apparel Source, focusing on production and the supply chain, was felt to be necessary.
Munich Apparel Source will showcase the products and services of some 200 specialists in production and sourcing from North Africa, Asia and Europe, and will also feature a series of seminars and analyses of industry case studies. Both trade shows will be held together in Germany from, September 5 to 7, 2017.
Stability, reliability and continuity have helped Munich Fabric Start’s steady growth. The edition held early this year communicated great energy to visitors and insiders with a series of seminars and events and a pool of innovative ideas and products. The Bluezone area - with refreshed trend areas and booths – registered a lively attendance. The Catalyst and Keyhouse – confirming their focus on high-quality manufacturers, mostly from Europe – also attracted attention from denim and fashion insiders.
By 2021, Gap is aiming to to source all its cotton from sustainable sources. For its Athleta active wear brand, it wants to source 80 per cent of its technical fabrics from sustainable fibers.
Wendi Goldman, Gap’s chief product officer, who serves on the Gap Foundation Board of Trustees says that he believes in actively protecting the planet. With the new sustainable cotton goal, there is an opportunity to make a big impact on the global cotton community and bring to light what’s so incredibly important to the future of garment manufacturing, what matters as a brand and what matters to customers.
San Francisco based Gap will continue to partner Better Cotton Initiative, which works with farmers around the world to improve cotton production for the people who cultivate it, the environment and the cotton sector’s future.
For Spring 2017, Gap sourced 3.8 million pounds of better cotton. Gap also plans to use other sustainable cotton such as organic, recycled and American-grown.
Over the past two years, Athleta has been working to increase the use of sustainable materials by converting materials to recycled synthetics and organic cotton. They are made into fabrics for many of Athleta’s signature styles. The brand hopes to meet its 2020 goal by partnering fiber and manufacturing suppliers. Further it plans to use more efficient fabric dyeing and finishing techniques to save water and reduce waste at the brand’s stores and headquarters.
Gap, a $15.5 billion enterprise, has committed to reducing its environmental footprint across its supply chain. By the end of 2020, Gap has committed to a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions in its owned and operated facilities worldwide from a 2015 baseline and to divert 80 per cent of its waste in the United States.
"A well-known supplier of quality dyed and printed fabrics, and famous for ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) products, Hong Kong has had a special place in the global textile map. However, owing to economic uncertainties, the country seems to be losing focus. The surge in cost is one of the key deterrents in its growth trajectory as well as the emergence of other sourcing hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia is another reason for reduction in Hong Kong’s direct significance."
A well-known supplier of quality dyed and printed fabrics, and famous for ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) products, Hong Kong has had a special place in the global textile map. However, owing to economic uncertainties, the country seems to be losing focus. The surge in cost is one of the key deterrents in its growth trajectory as well as the emergence of other sourcing hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia is another reason for reduction in Hong Kong’s direct significance.
Hong Kong’s textiles industry is a major export earner, accounting for 2 per cent of the total exports in 2015. Hong Kong was the third largest textile exporters to the world in 2006, according to World Trade Organization (WTO) data it was eighth largest textile exporter to the world in 2015, and as per statista.com Hong Kong’s textiles industry is a major supplier to the local and global clothing industry. Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) research says, producing textiles locally, manufacturers have an advantage in accommodating orders from local garment manufacturers at short notice. Meanwhile, a significant portion of textile exports is destined for use in Hong Kong companies’ offshore production of garments, especially on the Chinese mainland.
Traditional markets for textile export are the US, the EU and Japan but recently these countries have built direct supply chain with textiles exporters from developing countries, which has resulted in lesser competitiveness of Hong Kong manufacturers and its rising cost of business. An increasing number of Hong Kong textiles manufacturers have shifted base to Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam to survive.
Exports stats
Hong Kong’s textile exports decreased 7 per cent in 2015. In the first four months of 2016, it further decreased by 13 per cent. Re-exports, accounting for more than 99 per cent of total textiles exports, registered a decline of 13 per cent, while domestic exports slid by 15 per cent. With 75 per cent of the textile re-exports originating from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong’s re-exports of textiles of China origin decreased by 13 per cent in January-April 2016. Hong Kong’s total exports of clothing slid by 10 per cent in 2015 over the previous year and in the first four months of 2016 the decline was 12 per cent. In January-April 2016, Hong Kong’s domestic exports of clothing slumped by 41 per cent, while re-exports declined by 11 per cent. Product wise, Hong Kong’s exports of woven wear fell by 8 per cent in 2015, which further declined 12 per cent year-on-year in the first four months of 2016. Exports of knitted wear subsided by 13 per cent, whereas clothing accessories and other apparel articles declined by 15 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.
FTAs and investment promotion
Hong Kong has been attempting to sign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs) with foreign economies in order to enhance two-way investment flows and boost its economy. Hong Kong’s IPPAs give additional assurance to overseas investors that their investments in Hong Kong are protected, and enable Hong Kong investors to enjoy similar protection in respect of their investments overseas. To secure favourable conditions for exports of goods (including textile and clothing products) and services from Hong Kong to the Mainland and international markets, it aims to enter into more FTAs with their trading partners. Hong Kong prepared to explore the possibility of entering into FTAs with other economies, so long as they are in Hong Kong’s interests and are consistent with WTO rules.
Construction on Vietnam’s Rang Dong textile park has started in Nghia Hung district in Nam Dinh. The vice chairman of the provincial people’s committee Ngo Gia Tu points out the park plays an important role in the province’s economic development strategy.
Nam Dinh is home to more than 480 textile businesses with over 70,000 workers. The sector’s revenue accounts for 40 per cent of the province’s total industrial production. Once operational, the industrial park will serve as a driving force for local socio-economic development, he indicated, asking investors to mobilise resources to build infrastructure facilities synchronously to ensure the project goes well.
As per Tran Minh Hoan, Head of the province’s industrial park management board the project covers a over 2,000 ha. area and is divided into three phases. The Rang Dong industrial park is looking to attract investors to achieve its goal of producing 1 billion metres of fabric by 2020. To meet environmental regulations, a wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 110,000 cu.m per day will be built.
Vietnam has set a target of increasing domestic fabric output from 2.85 billion metres in 2016 to nearly 18 billion metres by 2025. To achieve this goal, the government has allowed the establishment of several textile parks in certain localities along with Nam Dinh intended to become a garment and textile centre of the north.
Victoria’s Secret, Sephora and Nike are the top brands favored by US shoppers. And what contributes to these brands success is their online presence. Among men, Amazon was voted the favorite retailer across all categories, and it was the top shopping app for women. More than one-third of US apparel shopping is conducted online. These are the results of a study, which looked at trends in fashion, retail and beauty categories based on a national sample of 2,345 US consumers aged 13 to 34.
The US apparel market is seeing a dramatic shift to online that has caught many traditional retailers off guard. Mall-based specialty chains and department stores have begun to give up large chunks of their clothing and accessories business to Amazon and other pure play merchants.
The creation and implementation of more sophisticated online platforms such as product aggregators, pricing tools, geo-fencing, augmented reality, body scanning and other capabilities will further accelerate the shift, making it easier for consumers to shop online.
Older millennials (aged 25 to 34) are more likely than any other generation to spend most of their clothing budget online. At its current rate, the online penetration of apparel will grow to 25 per cent by 2020, double the level at the close of 2015.
For the half year Primark’s operating profit rose 36 per cent. Sales were up in double-digits. Primark saw a substantial increase in selling space, which together with its strong consumer offering, contributed to a further increase in its share of the total clothing market.
Primark’s retail revenue rose 21 per cent at actual exchange rates and a 11 per cent currency-neutral rise. Operating profit was up three per cent. Primark performed well in the UK and sales was seven per cent ahead of last year with a strong increase in its share of total clothing market. This was driven by a two per cent growth in comparable sales and an increase in selling space.
In continental Europe, sales and market shares increased strongly. In the Netherlands, where sales densities are high and some stores are over-trading, the company added 32 per cent more retail selling space over the last year, including a flagship store in Amsterdam. Consequently, total sales in the Netherlands increased by 18 per cent but comp sales declined.
Overall, European sales for the group were level with last year but were one per cent ahead excluding the Netherlands. The company also continued to develop and evolve its US store offering.
The Netherlands wants to forge ties with Albania. The country is exploring opportunities to cooperate with Albanian companies, who are active across the garment value chain. Albania is seen as a great opportunity for Dutch brands and buyers who want to source sustainable and responsible garments and shoes.
Albania’s garment and footwear sector produces the country’s top exports and mainly relies on cheap labor costs. The sector’s annual turnover accounts for 40 per cent of the country’s total exports. The quality of work is good. The majority of garment and footwear factories produce for Italian quality brands. Albania’s strategic geographical location allows an easy and rapid reach to the Netherlands. Add the ability to source small quantities and this is a sourcing country that offers good options for small and large Dutch fashion brands.
Also Albanian companies offer competitive production costs, short lead times and eagerness to open up to the world and move up the value chain ladder towards full cycle production. On the other side, Dutch companies offer a dynamic and innovative market, an experienced entrepreneurship attitude and commonly reliable partnership when it comes to orders’ payments.
The Netherlands has emerged as the second largest foreign direct investor in Albania in the past couple of years and is on track to further increase its presence in the Balkan country thanks to increased investment in the oil industry.
Farmers from the coastal villages in Olpaad taluka in Surat have sought immediate involvement of the industries department to stop the process of allotting land at Pinjrat for the development of mega Textile Park by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).
The Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG) has written to Gujarat industries commissioner Mamta Verma, as farmers of the remote Pedaganjam village in Prakasam district protested against the proposed mega textile park to create world class infrastructure to facilitate setting up of apparel manufacturing units.
Farmer say they are not against the development of industries in the region but are concerned that setting up of the park will harm environment and affect hundreds of fishermen. For the mega textile park, SGCCI has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) Textile Processing Park Association (TPPA). The park will be set up on 70 lakh sq. m. of land owned by the state government with initial investment of Rs 1,500 crores. The park would accommodate around 100 textile processing units, 40 water jet weaving units, around 225 garmenting units and other textile ancillary units. As per the proposed, around 50 per cent of the fabric manufactured in the processing units will be converted into home textiles and garments.
The company has carried out the environmental impact survey of the land. Since 277 hectare land for the park development will be received thus, the it does not fall under the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) Act says SGCCI, B S Agarwal. Agarwal also added that the development of mega park will change the face of coastal villages and many unemployed youths will get employment in the textile mills.
