FW
Growth in India’s apparel exports may stay muted for a consecutive year in FY17, as demand from key importing countries remained subdued. With global apparel trade dipping by one per cent to $432 billion in 2016, apparel exports, according to the Apparel Export Promotion Council’s (AEPC’s) estimates, are likely to close at $17.3 billion in 2016-17, up by roughly two per cent from $16.9 billion last financial year. The industry clocked exports worth $15.5 billion from April 2016 to February 2017, a growth rate of just 0.6 per cent over the last year, reveal AEPC figures.
Slow demand hits exports The major reason for the dip is low demand from importing countries. Exports in value terms declined, following an increase in the share of man-made fibre-based apparels, which are lower in value vis-à-vis cotton apparels. This in turn was caused by improved competitiveness of polyester vis-à-vis cotton in the past few years, says ICRA.
Apparel exports to the US grew two per cent in 2016. While this growth is modest compared to previous years, growth quantum is satisfactory in the backdrop of a one per cent decline in import quantity. Explaining the situation ICRA says in its March update that apparel export quantity to the European Union (EU) is estimated to have grown six per cent in 2016, compared to five per cent in total apparel import quantity of the EU. ICRA report suggests given the weak trend in global apparel trade, domestic market-focused apparel manufacturers are expected to perform relatively better than exporters for second consecutive year in FY17. However, with temporary pressures being observed in domestic consumption owing to demonetization, the gap between growth rates is likely to narrow significantly. Thus, compared to an estimated revenue growth of 10 per cent for domestic market-focused players, the revenues of exporters are expected to grow by nine per cent in FY17 for the entities in Icra's sample set," it said, while adding the operating profit margins of the domestic market-focused apparel manufacturers remain higher than the apparel exporters.
In FY16, too, domestic players had reported a much higher growth rate of 14 per cent vis-à-vis six per cent growth rate achieved by exporters. Overall, FY16 and FY17 have been years of weak growth for apparel manufacturers compared to the recent past, wherein the revenues of both apparel exporters and domestic players grew at a CAGR of 13-14 per cent during 2011-2015 said the report.
"Almost half of the 46 textile factories at the Khurrianwala industrial estate outside Faisalabad have gone out of business over the last several years —owing mostly to severe energy shortages in Punjab, suggest media reports. Others are operating at far below full capacity. There needs to be a paradigm shift in government policies to bring about transformation, say experts. Khurram Mukhtar, Owner of Sadaqat, was able to survive energy shortages by investing in expensive, alternate sources."
Almost half of the 46 textile factories at the Khurrianwala industrial estate outside Faisalabad have gone out of business over the last several years —owing mostly to severe energy shortages in Punjab, suggest media reports. Others are operating at far below full capacity. There needs to be a paradigm shift in government policies to bring about transformation, say experts. Khurram Mukhtar, Owner of Sadaqat, was able to survive energy shortages by investing in expensive, alternate sources. Not everyone could bear the high cost of alternate power generation. So they closed down to avoid losses as customers turned to other textile producing countries in the region. If the closed factories start functioning at full capacity, they can easily double textile exports from Khurrianwala industrial estate alone to $3bn in no time, claims Mukhtar.
Cause for worry
Power and gas are now available to the industry round the clock, the cost of export refinance is at historic low, banks are flushed with liquidity, and the prime minister has announced a Rs 180 bn package to lift textile exports. Still no one is investing in textile manufacturing. Ajmal Farooq, Chairman of the Faisalabad-based Pakistan Textile Exporters Association feels these are tough times for Pakistan’s textiles industry. The industry’s competitiveness in global markets has in the recent years been eroded by higher-than-regional average cost of electricity and the liquidity crunch it has been facing owing to the delays in the release of export refund claims worth billions of rupees.
Some people say power supply has indeed improved but price has also doubled to Rs 12 a unit — much above the cost in competing countries like Bangladesh, and the entire bill of expensive gas imports has been passed down to industrial consumers in Punjab. On top of that massive working capital of textile exporters has been held in sales tax, custom rebate and income tax refund regime, increasing their financial stress. No payment has been made to exporters against the RPOs (refund payment orders) issued since July 1, 2016, despite the law that money should be refunded to the holders of RPOs in 72 hours of their issuance. With 10 per cent of companies’ sales flowing into refund regime, how can they survive. According to exporters, ‘refund money’ should be parked separately by the FBR and must not be shown as part of its tax collection.
Calling it the worst phase, Sohail Pasha, exporter from Faisalabad, highlighted that the government has zero-rated the textile industry. Practically, companies continue to pay myriad of taxes that are never returned. For example, the government hasn’t zero-rated energy fuels like coal, furnace oil, etc. Apart from paying international price for gas, they are also being charged for the inefficiencies of the SNGPL. Although the Economic Coordination Council (ECC) had decided that the consumers will pay only actual UFG (unaccounted for gas), but they are being charged SNGPL’s average UFGs. Last but not the least, the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) is taxing their exports separately. In all, the exporters are paying 11 per cent of their sales in unrefundable taxes. These taxes are the hidden costs that they cannot export.
Government subsidies no relief
Exporters are not optimistic about the Rs180 bn export enhancement package announced by Nawaz Sharif last December. The package allowed 4-7 per cent rebate to textile exporters across the value chain rewarding value-addition. Besides, import of cotton and machinery was also made duty-free to encourage investment.
PTEA secretary Azizullah Gohir says, the finance division is yet to allocate funds for rebates the package promises to help the industry cut its costs and get back to its feet. No exporter has so far been paid any single rupee although they already have partially passed the benefit to their foreign buyers to book orders. There is no clarity either if the government is going to pay what it promised.
High prices always result in a market taking a huge hit and Karur’s home textile mart seems to be reeling under it. Surprisingly, it is not demonetization but the government’s export policy, which is to blame for the crisis. The biggest downturn is the struggle for regular export business, as orders are not being met. Prices of yarn have crossed 35 per cent and this has put a spook in the wheels of the Rs 4,000 crores Karur textile market. Explaining the situation M Nachimuthu, Karur Exporters' Association president says even if it is made available, the price of lower count yarn is very prohibitive.
Exports businesses ply with fixed prices, which are pre-discussed and valid for the entire year. Once contract is made with overseas clients prices cannot be changed. With other cheaper markets like Pakistan and China making inroads, the leading home textile market in Karur is taking a hit. It is time for the government to rectify its pricing and policies. High yarn prices are affecting India’s position as a global leader of home textiles.
Currently, production units use higher count yarn to meet contractual obligations of their overseas clients. If spinning mills do not have sufficient cotton then it could spell disaster for the looms. The association is now worried that the premium being put on exports is eating into domestic market. Unable to meet commitments, many sellers are now facing a financial crunch. The Central government needs to step in to check rising prices of cotton yarn.
Vietnam has seen an increasing in FDI from China in the first two months of 2017, reveals Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) data. In January and February Chinese investors have registered to implement 123 projects. Among the the Chinese investments during the period is the $220 million in Billion Vietnam polyester synthetic fiber plant in central Tay Ninh province.
As per local economist Le Xuan Nghia Chinese investments are likely to continue. In fact, this trend would spill over into other Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand. The reason: Vietnam is participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations.
Chinese investors have been pouring their money into giant projects in Vietnam and China has become the second largest FDI contributor to Vietnam, after Singapore. In the January-February period a total of $721.7 million came to Vietnam from Chinese FDI. In the two-month period, FDI investments in Vietnam were up 152.78 per cent year-on-year and investment in textile plants now accounts for 21 per cent of the country's total FDI. Chinese investment in Vietnamese textiles will enable Vietnam to have more advanced technology in their textile plants.
The 33rd India Carpet Expo (ICE) was held in New Delhi March 27-30-2017. Touted as the biggest expo on carpets in Asia, it showcased diversified, quality designs that local artisans can produce. Minister for Textiles, Smirti Irani, inaugurated the Expo which had 300 exhibitors showcasing their fares and getting access to some of the best markets in the world. The cottage industry for handmade carpets and rugs has already revived the sagging fortunes of generations of weavers and handicraft looms that spin the oriental magic of carpets.
The Expo’s popularity saw 410 international buyers visiting the show. Business was expected from Australia, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, South Africa, UK, USA, Russia and Mexico. Virender Singh, MP, Bhadohi said they are planning to provide special privileges to shepherds for the first time, as they play a crucial role in the process of carpet manufacturing. Until now all the focus was only on weavers and manufacturers but now they are looking at upliftment of shepherds as well.
ICE is an ideal platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers and exporters to meet and establish long term business relationship, feels Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Chairman, CEPC. Markets like Europe and US absorb most of the exports of handmade carpets and rugs Made in India. The labor-intensive industry looks forward to more material gains as ICE continues its efforts to provide roof and earnings to the carpet makers and shepherds.
European importers are poring over the new alliance schedules to work out which ones best fit their supply chains.
For many UK clothing retailers, Bangladesh continues to be one of the most important sourcing locations, but its principal port, Chittagong, is unable to handle deep sea mainline Asia-Europe vessels. Shippers are reliant on feeder connections between the Bangladeshi gateway and Colombo in Sri Lanka.
However, the source told the port call rotation of THE Alliance’s Far East-Europe 5 (FE5) service, the only one to call at Colombo and which has London Gateway as its last port of call after Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp, meant the service was simply not suitable for the faster transit times required by clothing retailers.
The importer retailer told perhaps that it is due to a call further up the route in Asia, and that there are a lot of shippers in Northern Europe who are taking cargo from there – time will tell whether the carriers revisit that decision. At the moment, it [the FE5] is useless for us, but if in six months the rotation is changed then we will be happy to look at it again.
The FE5’s elongated transit time between Colombo and the UK will also work to the detriment of Sri Lanka, which itself has a sizeable clothing and textile industry.
At the recent Brexit seminar organised by the Freight Transport Association, the chairman of Sri Lanka’s Shippers’ Council, Michael Joseph Sean van Dort, said the UK represented a $1bn market for the island, with 10% of its exports bound for the UK.
He added: “Articles of apparel make up our biggest exports and 41% of them are shipped to the UK. Sri Lanka has competencies that Britain demands,” he said.
The world’s most popular textile fiber has been linked to slavery in Uzbekistan and thousands of farmers committing suicide in India. Indeed, programs such as the Better Cotton Initiative and Cotton Connect are doing remarkable work to alleviate cotton’s impact on human rights and the environment. And to their credit, more apparel companies — from Adidas to C&A — are incorporating more sustainable sources of cotton into their clothing lines. One company, however, wants to go even further in guaranteeing that its cotton comes from a reliable and responsible source.
PimaCott, owned by a large Indian supplier, says it has a solution. The company partnered with Applied DNA Sciences, an American biotechnology firm, to treat its cotton so that it can be easily scanned and identified. Molecules with DNA tags are added to cotton during the ginning process, so someone on a company’s supply chain team is able to track the authenticity of the cotton from the field to the store.
From a business perspective, this is critical for the Central Valley’s pima cotton farmers, who are subjected to far stricter environmental and labor standards in the Golden State than other countries, or even other U.S. states.
The problem is that consumers who seek textiles made from coveted Californian or Egyptian cotton can be misled by wayward suppliers. Last fall, Walmart and Target were nailed by lawsuits alleging the retailers mislead consumers about a line of “100 percent” Egyptian cotton sheets, made in India.
This technology shows promise, and could eventually help other organizations that are trying to scale fair trade or responsibly-sourced cotton. But it will take a while for DNA tagging to score widespread acceptance.
These tagged molecules need to be added to cotton at its point of origin. From the point of view of farmers, many of whom face thin margins and other risks such as bad weather or global slumps in commodity prices, DNA tagging could come across as yet another expense.
PimaCott says it is helping cotton growers with the upfront costs. And if farmers see the value in having their crops verified and prevented from becoming blended with lower-grade cotton, we could see an industry transformed — and down the road, witness improved traceability in other agricultural supply chains as well.
Li & Fung Limited outlined its next Three-Year Plan (2017-2019) focused on speed, innovation, and digitalisation to create the ‘Supply Chain of the Future’. The company has also announced its annual results for the year ended December 31, 2016. In the logistics network, the company continued double digit growth with e-commerce logistics outperforming.
The new Three-Year Plan ‘Building the Supply Chain of the Future’ represents the company’s continuing business transformation with the goal of creating the supply chain of the future, helping its customers navigate the digital economy.
For the full year 2016, the company reported resilient results against a challenging macroeconomic environment and ongoing disruption at retail. Excluding the impact from the strategic divestment of the Asia consumer and healthcare distribution business in June 2016, total turnover decreased by 8.3 per cent to $16.2 billion on a like-for-like basis. Reported 2016 total turnover decreased by 11 per cent to $16.8 billion.
Sustained efforts to improve operating efficiency and productivity through the use of technology and streamlining of the cost base reduced operating costs. Core operating profit decreased 17.7 per cent to $408 million on a like-for-like basis. Turnover from the trading network continued to be affected by a reduction in order volume, deflation and relative currency weaknesses against the US dollar and declined by 8.7 per cent on a like-for-like basis. However, in the logistics network, the company continued to grow profits organically through increased market share with existing customers, new customer contracts, and geographic expansion.
Commenting on the future outlook, William Fung, Group chairman of Li & Fung, said, “While geopolitical and economic realities are in flux, this uncertain environment also presents opportunities for Li & Fung. Our breadth and depth of experience in global supply chain management, gained over 110 years, together with our extensive global network of vendors will be a competitive advantage.”
The European Union has suggested Bangladesh comply with the ILO-recommended labour right standards by mid-June 2017 to avoid “consequences” with regard to its current trade privileges in the EU. The suggestion was put forward by a four-member EU delegation that wrapped up its three-day Bangladesh tour.
The EU team also stressed on the need for a uniform labour law for all workers -- including those employed at factories in export processing zones. The team pointed out that the EU and other partners of the Sustainability Compact would review the progress Bangladesh made in the RMG sector in terms of ensuring workplace safety and labour rights.
Following the Rana Plaza disaster in April 2013, Bangladesh signed the Sustainability Compact with the EU in September that year, committing itself to responsible business behaviour and improvement of workplace safety and labour rights.
EU is currently examining the whole issue of fairness in garment supply chains across the globe. “The Accord and Alliance are encouraging examples of what can be achieved when companies, government and workers pool efforts to improve standards.”
The delegation led by Arne Lietz, a member of the EU Parliament, met the prime minister, the speaker of parliament, the commerce minister, the labour minister, leaders of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and labour unions, representatives of brands and retailers, and also ILO officials.
Lietz said, “We felt a readiness and goodwill from all parties to engage on this issue and are hopeful this will translate into concrete progress before the May review of Sustainability Compact in Dhaka and the Geneva ILO Conference in mid-June. As members of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, our engagement with Bangladesh, as with other countries, is guided by our core values where respect for human rights and labour rights, in particular freedom of association and collective bargaining, ranks high. That is why the full implementation of the Sustainability Compact is so important in our view.”
Bangladesh raked in $18.68 billion from its exports to the EU in fiscal 2015-16, which was 54.57 percent of the total receipts for the year. Of the $18.68 billion, $17.15 billion was from apparel shipments. The EU currently accounts for more than 62 percent of Bangladesh's garment export receipts in a year.
This year, Arizona could plant more than 150,000 total cotton acres as California might push past 250,000 acres. California and Arizona are poised for significant increases in cotton acreage in 2017, putting the U.S. on track for a total of 11 million acres of the fiber crop.
Preliminary estimates from California and Arizona suggest acreage increases in the neighborhood of 25-30 percent for Arizona and upwards of 20 percent in California.
California cotton plantings for 2017 could include 186,000 acres of Pima and 70,000 acres of Upland varieties. Reports from the various seed companies suggest some cotton seed is sold out or in short supply in California. If this holds, this will be a 22 percent increase for Pima acreage and 6 percent boost in Upland acreage.
Arizona last year reported over 129,000 total acres of cotton, according to Leighton Liesner, director, Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council. California produced nearly 219,000 total acres of cotton in the same period.
If projections hold, total cotton acreage in Arizona could climb to between 160,000-170,000 acres. It is expected that extra-long staple Pima varieties could account for a little over 13,000 acres of that – unchanged from last year.
