Pakistan’s textile exports for November ’17 increased by seven per cent as compared to the corresponding period last year.

The growth was led by the value added segment, which managed to counteract the effect of dampening cotton yarn and cotton cloth exports.

Knitwear exports increased by 18 per cent while readymade garments and bedwear posted 14 per cent and 12 per cent growth, respectively, on a year-on-year basis.

On the other hand, cotton yarn and cotton cloth continued their lackluster performance to post negative growth of eight per cent and seven per cent respectively on a month-on-month basis.

Even when it comes to value added segments such as readymade garments, global trends are shifting towards synthetic fibers whereas the share of cotton made products has been on a steady decline.

Players in the value added segments especially readymade garments face hurdles in remaining competitive in the rapidly transforming global markets.

Countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh have focused on shifting their product mix in line with evolving textile consumer preferences, which have allowed them to increase their market share whereas Pakistan’s textile sector is struggling to cope. Anti-dumping and regulatory duties on raw materials used by the industry have resulted in increased cost of production for garment exporters.

Earnings at China’s industrial firms grew at their slowest pace in seven months in November, as demand and producer price gains eased in further confirmation of ebbing growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

The lower income underscores a delicate balancing act for authorities as they extend a campaign to reduce China’s reliance on credit-intensive investment without imperiling the economy.

Profits in November rose 14.9 per cent, the slowest monthly growth rate since April’s 14 per cent.

Earnings were pressured in November by a slower pace of price rises compared to previous months. November’s decline in producer price inflation to 5.8 per cent from 6.9 per cent in October was one of the biggest of the year.

Previous price increases were concentrated in upstream industries like coal and steel. Inflation in those areas is slowing, and the transmission of higher prices to downstream industries hasn’t been very strong, which hurts profit margins.

While the industrial sector has enjoyed a year-long construction boom that has fueled demand and prices for building materials in a boost to growth, a battle to clean toxic air and a crackdown on financial risks have started to drag on China’s economy.

Going fur free has become a major move among brands and retailers seeking to advance their sustainability agendas in 2017.

While animal welfare continues to become increasingly relevant among major apparel players, and consumers continue to demand more ethical shopping options, more industry members are opting to omit angora, exotic skins and fur from their products.

Gucci has omitted fur from its entire product value chain. Gucci will no longer use coyote, dog, fox or any other animals that are bred or caught for fur.

VF’s brands, including The North Face and Timberland, will no longer use angora, exotic leather or fur in their apparel and footwear products.

Environmental impact has been part of Yoox Net-a- Porter’s sustainability agenda, and the online fashion retailer’s new fur-free policy is accelerating this commitment. In June, Yoox Net-a- Porter adopted a fur-free policy that omits all accessories, apparel and footwear made from animal fur.

Michael Kors, which acquired Jimmy Choo this year, will curb the use of animal fur in its products. Any existing fur products manufactured will be phased out by the end of next December.

Alexa Chung, the UK model and designer known for her cozy sweaters, silky viscose dresses and vegan faux-fur outerwear, will not include angora or exotic skins in the collection’s apparel, accessories and footwear items.

Over the past five years employment generated by the Bangladesh garment sector has reduced drastically. One reason is the rapid automation of production compounded with the closure of factories that were found noncompliant with safety and other regulations. One machine replaces at least ten workers.

In 2013, there were some 44 lakh workers in the garment sector whereas currently there are only 38 lakh workers in this sector.

The trend is more pronounced in the woolens sector with sweater manufacturers increasingly opting for complete automation to cut down their cost of production. This substantially reduces their dependence on workers.

However the replacement of workers by machines or automation has by and large succeeded in displacing unskilled and semi-skilled workers. So far, factories have not retrenched their skilled work-force.

The other factor that influenced this shedding of workers is the immobility of labor. Several factories shifted to other areas subsequent to the Rana Plaza disaster. The workers expressed their inability to shift base and enter into the workforce of other sectors.

The drive for automation was also influenced by the manufacture of value-added garments like suits, blazers, lingerie and sportswear. Manufacturing high-end garments needs a level of sophistication that cannot be contributed by manual labor.