FW
US apparel imports went up 1.37 per cent in volume terms during January to July 2017. Apparel imports from China increased by 2.67 per cent, Vietnam by 11.02 per cent and India by 2.40 per cent. However imports from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Honduras dropped by 0.77 per cent, 1.89 per cent and 0.90 per cent.
Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the US in the period fell 5.88 per cent in value terms. China has been slashing unit prices to stay competitive in the US and thereby convincing buyers to purchase more quantities. Indian apparel manufacturers are becoming compliant to American buyers’ norms in terms of quality of products, labor conditions, and other legal aspects. Better conditions in India have increased the cost of production for manufacturers. However, US buyers are ready to pay higher prices for garments they import from India. Amid price war between China and Bangladesh, India is steadily growing in its apparel exports to the US.
Despite a surge in quantity of imports, the US did not see a rise in dollar spending. The country’s spend was down 1.90 per cent in the first seven months of the current year as against the corresponding period of 2016.
Togo is the latest African country eligible to enjoy trade benefits under AGOA for textile and apparel products. Togo has adopted an effective visa system and related procedures to prevent the unlawful transshipment of textile and apparel articles and the use of counterfeit documents in connection with the shipment of such articles.
Since AGOA came into effect, regional real GDP in Africa has more than doubled and robust economic growth has helped reduce poverty and raise living standards across the continent. US’ imports of textiles and apparel from AGOA nations last year were just a 1.25 per cent increase over 2015. Nearly 33 per cent of that came from Kenya, followed by Lesotho with 28 per cent and Mauritius accounting for 19 per cent.
AGOA still remains largely underutilized, with just 16 countries exporting textiles and apparel to the US of the 26 that are eligible. Separately, the US initiated a review in June of AGOA eligibility for Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, which came about when the East African Community decided to ban imports of secondhand clothing to improve its own industry. As per the US Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, the move to curb incoming used clothing is a barrier to US trade, which goes against certain requirements under AGOA.
Bangladesh’s Nitol-Niloy group plans to invest in India. A spinning mill will be opened in West Bengal to convert India-sourced cotton to yarn for consumption in Bangladesh. The company which has business interests in automobile and engineering is eyeing a joint venture and the investment could be up to Rs 300 crores.
The group is eyeing projects in the specialised garments segment as well as with retail chains across the country. Nitol-Niloy is developing a special economic zone in Bangladesh and is eyeing investments from Indian companies.
The SEZ will have around 80 to 100 plots spread across an area of 103 acres and the focus is on automobile assembly, ancillary industries as well as engineering equipment. The main thrust of the Nitol-Niloy Group comes from marketing Tata commercial vehicles in Bangladesh including buses, trucks, passenger pick-up trucks, and construction equipment. Indian industry has invested around three billion dollars in Bangladesh.
Nike and Ralph Lauren are among the top fashion brands. Macy’s, JC Penney, Kohl’s and Foot Locker are the leading retailers. These are the results of a survey by marketing and innovation firm Tenet Partners.
Among footwear and apparel brands, Nike topped the list at 32. The brand’s favorability among consumers seems to have fallen compared with 2016 although its familiarity showed some gains. Overall the athletic giant climbed two spots since the previous year.
Both Gap and Ralph Lauren, however, lost some ground compared with the previous year. Gap’s familiarity and favorability both fell this year while Ralph Lauren’s familiarity held firm and its favorability edged downward.
Department stores Macy’s, Kohl’s and JC Penney edged out other firms to make the list. Macy’s moved up seven spots and JC Penney advanced two notches over the prior year. Kohl’s, meanwhile, dropped from 75 in 2016 to 77.
Athletic retail powerhouse Foot Locker — which has spent the last few years reaping the benefits of red-hot athletic momentum-- cracked the list this year, landing at 100. Although a handful of fashion brands and sellers secured a spot on the rankings, retail continues to face challenges stemming from the rapid rise of digital — a trend largely bolstered by e-tail behemoth Amazon.
Monsanto will sell its small branded cotton seed business to Tierra Agrotech but remains fully committed to India’s agriculture sector. The sale comes as Monsanto fights a former licensee in India in a bitter dispute while it is also the subject of a $66 billion takeover by Germany’s Bayer.
Monsanto is the world’s biggest seed producer. Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMB), a joint venture with India’s Mahyco, will continue to sell genetically modified cotton seeds under license to more than 40 Indian seed companies. However, Monsanto Holdings, an MMB licensee which sells the company’s Bollgard I and Bollgard II seeds, will exit cotton and sell its branded seed to Tierra Agrotech.
Monsanto Holdings had only a small share of India’s cotton seed market and focuses largely on vegetable seeds such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. Cotton output has jumped fourfold since India allowed MMB’s genetically modified variety in 2002, transforming the country into the world’s top producer and second largest exporter of the fiber. MMB’s lab-grown seeds yield nearly all of the cotton produced in India.
German-based Bayer plans to take over US seeds group Monsanto. The deal would create the world’s largest integrated pesticides and seeds company but would limit the number of competitors selling herbicides and seeds in Europe.
Picanol celebrates 10 years of operations in India. Picanol India has breakthrough solutions in different fields such as wide weaving (up to 540 cm), heavy weaving and specific solutions for car seats, bullet-proof fabrics, coated fabrics and others.
Picanol India is headquartered in New Delhi, with regional offices in Mumbai and Coimbatore, and represented by people located in some of the key textile manufacturing regions like Ludhiana, Bhilwara, Ahmedabad, Surat and Kolhapur, effectively covering the Indian continent with a state-of-the-art sales and service organization, featuring more than 40 staff members.
As a global leader in the industry of weaving machines, Picanol enjoys success in the market for technical textiles, offering technical weavers highly customized solutions for very specific applications, based on machine platforms that are also applied in mainstream applications.
Technical customers enjoy state-of-the-art technology and performance, combined with the evident advantages the leading position offers them: from large R&D resources to streamlined high-quality production and assembly processes and a worldwide sales and services network.
Picanol India will be exhibiting at Techtextil, Mumbai, September 13 to 15. Techtextil is the leading international trade fair for technical textiles, and the world’s most important centralized marketing and sourcing platform for users and manufacturers of technical textiles.
"Struggling with overcapacity issues, the denim industry has been scouting for overseas markets. Vietnam gets a special mention after Bangladesh. Vietnam has some good jeans manufacturing units but lacks a strong fabric base which is in fact an advantage for Indian or other countries’ denim mills. Though a difficult market and its proximity with China makes it even more difficult, still Indian companies are increasingly finding it a safe option. Raymond UCO Denim has been doing business in Vietnam for close to 6 years. Though small but Vietnam is having a significant place in the company’s long-term strategic goals."
Struggling with overcapacity issues, the denim industry has been scouting for overseas markets. Vietnam gets a special mention after Bangladesh. Vietnam has some good jeans manufacturing units but lacks a strong fabric base which is in fact an advantage for Indian or other countries’ denim mills. Though a difficult market and its proximity with China makes it even more difficult, still Indian companies are increasingly finding it a safe option. Raymond UCO Denim has been doing business in Vietnam for close to 6 years. Though small but Vietnam is having a significant place in the company’s long-term strategic goals.
A lucrative market for denim
Some companies are taking the trade exhibition route to enter the country. Anubha Industries, Ginni International, KG Denim, Malwa Industries and Ultra Denim, were the ones who participated in the Denim Show held in Vietnam. Akshat Chaudhary, Director, Anubha Industries, said Vietnam is a developing market for them. The company is expecting this positivity because it is already involved in yarn and knitted segment business with Vietnam and has created a strong base in the last 5-6 years. For denim, they are also reconnecting with their existing customers as well as new customers. Currently, Anubha Industries’ capacity in denim is 20 million metres per year and 90 per cent of its capacity is supplied to the Indian market. Bharat Patel, MD, Ultra Denim, also highlighted that it will take some more extra effort and at least 2 to 3 years for the country to establish its strong presence, but business will definitely come as garmenting, especially jeans manufacturing, is increasing here.
Some important players of Vietnam denim industry include Saitex, Phong Phu Corporation, Protrade Garment, De. M. Co. Vina (Royal Spirit Group), Le & Le Garment and Washing, Creative Resources International. Some mills figured out that the country prefers low-cost or price-conscious products and hence, they are modifying their business patterns accordingly. Ravish Malhotra, GM – Marketing of Ludhiana-based Malwa Industries points out they are concentrating on Vietnam mainly due to TPP which was supposed to happen but with its cancellation, they are facing difficulties. Now they are expecting that European markets’ support to Vietnam in the form of FTA will work out and as such will also benefit for them. Even in its entirety, policies may be in favour of Vietnam, but will help companies too. The only thing which is of major concern is to manage the lead time where Indian companies are lacking compared to China. Malwa Industries is working on it and is finding ways to improve the same. Beside India and Vietnam, the company is also catering to Turkey, Bangladesh.
Net sales of Destination Maternity fell from $106.5 million to $98.3 million for the second quarter of 2017. Comparable sales also fell 3.4 per cent for the second quarter of fiscal 2017. E-commerce sales however grew 30.2 per cent.
For the first six months of financial 2017, net sales of the maternity retailer fell from 231 million dollars to $204.7 million. Comparable sales for the period fell 5.5 per cent.
Destination Maternity, based in the US, runs the brands Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity. In addition to its retail locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, it also sells its products through franchise agreements in South Korea, Mexico, Israel and India.
Maternity wear has become trendy, stylish, form-fitting, and designed to highlight a woman’s curves during pregnancy. The Asia-Pacific region is showing the strongest growth.
Finding decent maternity wear is a challenge. As well as a perceived lack of glamour, many brands are reluctant to give headspace to maternity ranges, knowing that most women won’t spend much on clothes they will only wear briefly. But savvy brands are creating investment pieces designed to live long beyond pregnancy – and be worn by people who are not pregnant at all.
Panipat is home to some 150 or 200 mills, which take discarded clothes from western countries and turn them into recycled cloth. The industry employs around 20,000 people.
Panipat’s history in textiles began after partition. Weavers were uprooted and moved to the ancient city. They set up looms to knit coarse, handspun cotton carpets, wall hangings and sofa covers. The city’s later emergence as a recycling hub coincided with a slump in Prato, a small industrial town in Italy, with textile tradition. In the 1990s Panipat mill owners bought discarded Italian machinery from Prato designed to make cheap shoddy yarn from recycled wool. (Shoddy is a word for reclaimed fiber). The industry took off; its annual revenues rose to over 300 million dollars.
Panipat may help the planet but also exhibits the least attractive features of the textile business in developing countries: sweatshop conditions for workers, rock bottom pay, use of child labor and so on. Almost all workers there are contract laborers who earn a tenth of what those in the formal sector are paid. Also times have changed. Cheaper and lighter polyester substitutes are preferred by wholesale buyers such as aid agencies, railways and hospitals, whether Indian or foreign. Such materials need expensive machines that many Panipat mills cannot afford.
The US cotton industry expects a three per cent increase in sales in Indonesia this year. The target would be achieved by approaching consumers directly to promote the products rather than only approaching businesses.
Indonesia imports most of its cotton from the US, Australia and Brazil. Indonesia is Cotton USA’s fourth largest market after China, Turkey and Mexico. Sales in Indonesia range between $300 million and $600 million a year. As a clothing material, cotton is competing with cheaper synthetic materials like polyester. The cotton market share in the raw material market fluctuates from time to time, depending on changing market demand.
To strengthen its grip on Indonesian market, Cotton Council International held its first Cotton Day Indonesia, a series of business seminars and fashion shows, to increase awareness about products among Indonesian consumers. The organization plans to hold Cotton Day every year henceforth. It held such events in Japan too 15 years ago. Cotton Council International is the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council, a US industry association promoting the brand Cotton USA.
The population in Indonesia keeps increasing with a positive birth rate at around one per cent and there's an emerging middle class wearing more of quality garments.
