FW
Bangladesh’s jute exports to India have fallen 52 per cent in January and 37 per cent in February. Reason: India has imposed an anti-dumping duty. And with a decline in demand and exports to India, a number of jute millers have cut production.
Shipments from firms that face high anti-dumping duties have fallen. But mills facing low duties have not been affected much. Jute is the third largest export earning sector of Bangladesh, after garments and leather, and India is one of the biggest markets for the fiber.
India accounted for 17 per cent of jute goods exported by Bangladesh in fiscal 2015-16. Considering overall exports to India, the share of jute and jute goods was 37 per cent in fiscal 2015-16. However, jute cloth to make sacks remain free from the purview of anti dumping duty. A section of importers in India are showing interest in buying these sack cloth. The anti-dumping duty is expected to affect consumers in India because of a rise in prices.
However, shipment of raw jute has risen following the imposition of the duty. India has justified the tariff by saying countries are undercutting and suppressing the prices of the domestic industry. The duty has been imposed for five years and applies to products such as jute yarn, hessian fabrics and jute sacks.
Chinese cotton imports are unlikely to rise this season. Instead the country will continue to draw down cotton stocks. The priority is to ease the burden of its large cotton stocks following years of cotton purchases. China may succeed in reducing its cotton reserves to five million tons by the end of 2018. This can be compared to the 13.9 million tons in 2014-15 when China's cotton reserves peaked after three years of support purchase programs.
These cotton sales will keep a lid on imports, despite the steady consumption. However, seeking to stay competitive in export markets, the Chinese textile industry is likely to continue sourcing higher grade cotton from the United States.
Plantings are being supported by a price subsidy policy in Xinjiang, the country’s top growing region. Similarly, the reduction of government support to corn production in 2016 is expected to encourage farmers to add cotton acreage moderately in other cotton-producing provinces. China’s 2017-18 cotton production is forecast to be 5.15 million tons.
China’s cotton imports declined 39.1 per cent in 2016. The country is drawing down the huge stocks accumulated through a price support mechanism. China is importing only half as much cotton as it was two years ago and less than a quarter of the amount it was importing four years ago.
Brexit can restructure trade between Pakistan and the UK, say experts. It can have an adverse impact on value-added exports, particularly in textile industry. Even though Pakistan typically exports low value-added products, a significant proportion of imports into the UK from Pakistan is likely to involve value addition in Pakistan. The UK and the EU are a major market for value-added consumer goods exported from Pakistan.
With more than 20 per cent of total exports from Pakistan to the EU destined for the UK, a harder Brexit process that involves renegotiation of trade agreements will have significant consequences for Pakistani exporters. With the most important export destination of Pakistan – UK-- opting to leave the EU, it is imperative that Pakistani policymakers seek trade policies that alleviate any negative impact, particularly if hard measures are to be adopted by the UK.
Imports from Pakistan into the UK are heavily concentrated in textile products, which contribute 82 per cent of total imports. Vegetable products account for four per cent and leather products account for three per cent. Nine out of the top 10 products imported into the UK from Pakistan, which account for more than 50 per cent of all imports into the UK from Pakistan, were made-up of textile articles.
Bangladesh’s garment industry is looking to source cotton from Africa to be used as raw material. Bangladesh’s garment industry mostly depends on imported cotton for raw materials. Bangladesh is currently the second largest cotton importer in the world, sourcing mostly from India and China, but feels Africa is a better source for original cotton.
Import of African cotton is also seen to be more cost-effective compared to other countries. Currently, Bangladesh sources around 20 per cent of its cotton requirements from African countries. Bangladeshi mills also source cotton from like India and the United States. Bangladesh has now a dominant position in cotton with 425 spinning mills. Over the years, Africa contribution to the global cotton supply has increased as of now, about eight per cent of the cotton traded in the world is harvested in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Africa, cotton is almost exclusively grown by smallhold farmers using crop rotation. These farmers work with rain-fed cultivation. The climate, with its high average temperatures and alternation between dry and wet seasons, favors the growth of this natural fiber crop. Burkina Faso is the only West African country to plant Bt cotton, which is resistant to boll worms.
Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports to China in the July-March FY17 period grew 27.11 per cent compared to the same period of FY16. The country’s exports to China in the nine months of FY17 were 32.06 per cent higher than earnings in the same period of FY16.
Export earnings from India in the July-March period of FY17 grew by 7.28 per cent but earnings from export of two major items — garments and jute and jute goods — decreased. Bangladesh’s garment exports to India in the nine months of FY17 fell by 7.85 per cent compared to the same period of FY16. Exports of jute and jute goods to India in the nine months also decreased by 17.08 per cent compared to the same period of the last financial year.
Bangladesh’s exporters face various technical barriers in India regarding testing facility of products at the border, complexities in registration requirement, product specification and border specification. Other factors are payment procedures and devaluation of the Indian currency. So the country is focusing on exports to China especially since China is shifting from production of basic products to high-end and high-tech items and meeting domestic demand for basic products through imports.
"To provide more opportunities for exhibitors to promote their high-quality products and new technologies, TPF 2017 has lined up several product and technical presentations. The 2017 Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2017) will be held from April 19-21, 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC). More than 230 companies will showcase their innovative new technologies and products at the fair."
To provide more opportunities for exhibitors to promote their high-quality products and new technologies, TPF 2017 has lined up several product and technical presentations. The 2017 Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2017) will be held from April 19-21, 2017 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC). More than 230 companies will showcase their innovative new technologies and products at the fair. Workshops on different varied related topics will give attendees an opportunity to gain knowledge about digital printing and its development, as well as market insights and design trends. The focus will be on top trending topics of digital printing, such as applications of digital printing, ink technology, print head technology, design software and printing design trends. Industry specialists will share their viewpoints to help companies stay competitive.
Line up of Concurrent Activities at TPF
April 19 begins with a speech by Tansy Fall, WTiN, Editor Digital Textile titled’ The Global Digital Textile Print Market’ the speech will focus on global market growth trends and key technologies driving the digital textile industry. It covers differences between regional markets and looks at 2017 growth predictions. This will be followed by a technical presentation by Lubrizol. A Digital Design Master Class will be organised by Walan College. This will focus on pattern Design and fashion industry and live painting communication by Chiara Caimi, Anteprima Disgeni Srl. Followed by ‘Chinese Pattern Designer Training and Practice and Live Painting Communication’ by Kim Namwon, Pattern Designer from Korea; Deputy General Manager & Creative Director, Zhejiang Walan Culture & Creative Co. Through this training students can experience the importance of creative hand-painted.
The next session will be on ‘Breaking the traditional concept, to achieve a multi-purpose digital application of new technology’ by Steven Zhou, MIMAKI, TA Sales Division Manager. This presentation would focus on achieving a multi-purpose digital printing technology through digital design and digital printing. This will be followed by a seminar ‘Reshape Pattern and Design New Future’ by Guoping Yu, GM, Zhejiang Walan Cultural Creativity Co Ltd.
On the same day at the technical presentation area (N5), Michele Riva, Sales & Marketing Director, EFI Reggiani will speak on ‘Drivers for change in textile’. This will be exploring the digital textile ecosystem. This will be followed by a talk on the topic ‘Filtration Knowledge You should Know in The Textile Ink’ by Mark Chen, Senior Sales Manager, Hangzhou Cobetter Filtration Equipment. This will help in answering queries such as: Do you know how to produce and check the pure water used in the textile ink and mill base; do you know the causation which causes the printing problem and the filtration solution; and do you know the basic filtration knowledge you should know when you design the ink jet printer ink root? Followed by Jim Lee, International Marketing Director, China Glaze Group Application speaking on Digital Textile Pigment Inks this will highlight major application areas of digital textile pigment inks.
Technical presentations
Day-2 begins at the Technical Presentation Area (N5), with ‘Textile In-jet Printing Standard Implementing’ by National Standardization Technical Committees. It will comprise of Inkjet Ink for Digital Textile Printing in four parts – Part 1: Reactive Dye Ink by Guosheng Qin, Manager Director, Hongsam Digital Science & Technology, Part 2: Disperse Dye Ink by Yongzhong Tian, Manager Director, Zhuhai Print-Rite New Materials Corporation Ltd; Part 3: Acid Dye Ink by Chunxue Wang, Chairman, Shandong Limei Jetink Technology; and part 4: Pigment Ink by Guosheng Qin, Manager Director, Hongsam Digital Science & Technology.
This will be followed by workshop on the ‘The Technology of Digital Ink & Digital Print Head’ by Tim Philips, Managing Director, IMI Europe/Founder; Director, Catenary Solutions. The talk will review latest advances in inkjet technology from around the world which are being applied to digital textile printing. These include new generation advanced thin film print heads, single pass high speed printing systems, and pigmented inks. In each case, the challenges address by the technology will be reviewed, the technology advances from major vendors discussed and the opportunities that this opens up will be presented. It will be followed by panel discussion.
Simultaneously the workshop area (N4) will hold a workshop on demands & applications of digital textile printing by Tansy Fall, Editor Digital Textile, WTiN. Fall will talk about digital textile trends and applications. The workshop would focus on retail trends driving digital textile applications and would look at the potential for more technical finishes in relation to a drive for sustainability in the textile industry. A panel discussion will be hosted post this session with leaders from dying factories, designers, fabric manufactures, etc. There will also be digital textile printing software workshop.
Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Exhibition (TPF)
The 8th Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Exhibition, hosted by UBM China and Shanghai Longyang, will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center for three consecutive days from April 19 to 21.
• Highlights of TPF 2017
• About 230 leading exhibitors from the digital printing industry
• Connecting all important points in the supply chain
• Design Pavilion’ for the first time, to help accelerate development of original design
• China Digital Textile Conference (CDTC)
• Buyers Mission & Business Matching
• Workshop & Technical Presentation
• Insightful Concurrent Programs
The exhibition will lay out the latest and perfect digital printing machines and matching ink, nozzles, software and so on. Also on the agenda are numerous forums and one to one business negotiations... Wonderful not to be missed!
‘Meet the Manufacturer’, the only major sourcing event specifically for British clothing, textiles, leather goods and homeware manufacturers, is back with a new season and this time Elite Labels is the headline sponsor.
And as Kate Hills, CEO and Founder, Make it British, points out that as Elite Labels supplies to everyone from the smallest start-ups to largest and most prestigious names in retailing, it makes them the perfect headline sponsor. On the other hand, Elite Label, an exhibitor for the last two events are keen to be more involved in the event this year. They have chosen to become the sponsor this year, as this is the right time to be associated with the event as British bands have now become fully aware of the value of manufacturing in the UK, Shafique Hussein, Director, Elite Labels, has asserted in a recent interaction.
The event, scheduled on May 24 and 25 at the Old Truman Brewery, London, is expecting more than 5,000 visitors this year. This year’s program includes free drop-in workshops and seminars plus over 150 exhibitors showcasing some of the top knitters, weavers, tanneries, leather goods makers, CMT units and homeware factories in Britain today. New this year is a ‘Make it British’ brands hall, dedicated to a carefully curated selection of British-made brands. Altogether, over 150 exhibitors will be showcasing the best of British clothing manufacturers, textile mills, leather-goods makers, homeware designers and suppliers to the UK apparel and textile industry.
Textile workers in the capital city of Ghana will hold a wave of demonstrations against the government’s failure in proliferation of fake textile in the country’s market. As textile industry is one of the important sectors in Ghana the demonstrations will hit the market, including the foreign investment into the country.
The recent political crisis has reduced the number of skilled labors from 25,000 in 1970 to 2,000 as of now. The European Union and the United States are dependent on several developing countries of Africa including Ghana. However, the government task force has failed to eradicate smuggling of fake textiles that is active in the country. The workers claim the new government led by Nana Akufo-Addo has done little to understand the grievance of the textile workers. The latter demand that the once assigned task force should be reassigned the duty of cleansing textile market. The country has faced challenges from China due to illegal smuggling of textile prints, and also pirating various designs from the country to the other contending countries in the market.
Meanwhile the government action has resulted in around 20,000 jobs being among textile workers. Due to this textile industries that were booming in the country have reduced. Textile industries in cities like Tema, Akosombo, and Juapong have shut in the wake of the economic crisis.
VF Corp is shutting down its plant of JanSport Collegiate Licensed Apparel business in Wisconsin, and that’s going to result in state 380 job cuts. The company has released an official statement to clear the clouds which state that VF Corp is selling Jansport to private online sports apparel retailer Fanatics Inc. of Jacksonville and thus is closing the plant in Wisconsin. The popular factory outlet of Jansport, which is located opposite the plant, will also be shut.
Employees received a letter saying the business, about 100 miles Northwest of Milwaukee, would begin laying off employees June 9 and the last possible day of their employment would be Sept. 29. Workers will receive a severance package based on their positions and years employed.
Fanatics has relationships with more than 1,000 vendors — including Majestic, one of the VF Licensed Sports Group brands — and operates e-commerce sites for the professional sports leagues including the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Professional Golfers' Association. Fanatics is also expected to take over VF's plant in Easton, Pa., which has about 600 employees.
Free trade agreements play a crucial role in boosting US textile and apparel industry. They allow US textile and apparel exporters to benefit from duty-free entry into other markets.
Nafta for example, is a free trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is an extremely important trade deal agreement for the US textile and apparel industry. Canada and Mexico are currently the largest textile markets in the region, but for the last 23 years, Nafta has been allowing a certain amount of yarns and fabrics produced outside the Nafta region to be used in apparel production within the free trade countries.
Another important free trade agreement for the US is Cafta-Dr, which involves the United States and a group of smaller developing economies, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua as well as the Dominican Republic. Cafta-Dr promotes stronger trade and investment ties, prosperity, and stability throughout the region and along the US’ southern border.
In 2016 US exports of fiber, yarns, fabrics, made-ups, and apparel to Nafta and Cafta-Dr countries accounted for 56 per cent of all US textile exports. All these free trade agreements provide that certain exports from member countries may enter the US market duty-free only if they are made from textiles produced in the region.
