Ethiopia is aiming to be a major exporter of textile products. Attractive incentive packages have been extended to the manufacturing industry. The aim is to be a leading country in light manufacturing in Africa, which will lay the foundation for heavy and high tech industries by 2025.

The country is building at least 10 industrial zones. The government has provided incentives for the private sector to attract more investment. Among the incentives are: 100 per cent duty free import of machinery and equipment; duty free import of spare parts of 15 per cent of capital goods for the first five years of operation; the possibility to hire expatriates free from income tax provided they stay for no more than two years; and reconciliation of VAT for materials purchased locally during the project period if declared in six months.

The textile industry has been given priority by the government. However, the sector's performance has not been satisfactory. Annual earnings from export do not exceed a $100 million. The sector has also been affected by shortage of raw materials, inefficiency and lack of technological applications.

The earthquake that struck Nepal has affected Bangladesh. Accord the European-led retailers' group is conducting an impact assessment on 200 vulnerable garment factories with which it does business after the tremor hit the country.

The Accord assessment is aimed at determining if the factories that are producing garment items for its affiliated companies have been structurally affected by the quake. All 11 Accord structural engineers are in the field doing immediate impact inspections at approximately 200 factories, deemed structurally most vulnerable from initial inspections.

Accord will integrate additional new safety hazards with the corrective action plan for the factory and do the corresponding support and verification work. The group has requested factories, which underwent inspection, to determine if the earthquake has caused any structural damage to the buildings. It has formally communicated to owners of inspected factories, requesting them to report the impact of the earthquake on their building and on any precautionary measures or investigations they have done since.

The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.8 on the Richter scale. Its intensity in Bangladesh was lower, about 4 to 5 on the intensity scale. However the Nepal earthquake triggered major tremors in Bangladesh as the earth plates are interconnected.

Janis Sammartino, District Court Judge in San Diego, US, has ruled that a trial can move forward in a case filed by Louise Clark against Citizens of Humanity, a denim label, and Macy’s. The ruling is making California apparel makers think twice about how they use their ‘Made in USA’ labels. Whether apparel makers should adhere to a more stringent California law when labeling their garments as ‘Made in USA’ or refer to more-liberal federal regulations is the center of the lawsuit. The judge ruled that the two regulations can co-exist and denied the defendants’ request to have the case be dismissed.

Los Angeles law firm Browne George Ross LLP’s Attorney Peter Ross, while representing Citizens of Humanity and Macy’s, said he hasn’t determined what the next step will be in the case.

On May 31, Clark, a La Jolla school teacher, said she purchased a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans at a Macy’s store in San Diego. She maintains in court documents that she suffered an ‘injury in fact’ because her money was taken by the blue-jeans company as a result of the false ‘Made in USA’ claims even though the garment was cut and sewn in California out of imported fabric and components. She also suffered because she genuinely believed the blue jeans were manufactured in the United States when they were not, court documents said.

California’s more stringent ‘Made in USA’ rules stipulate that if any fabric, trim or component in the garment is substantially made outside the USA, no matter how small that component, then the label must identify all imported components, such as, ‘Made in the USA of Imported Fabric and Components’.

Bangladeshi garment exporters are set to take part in the international exhibition for textile machinery in Italy to be held in November, where global textile industry leaders will discuss the latest technology, products and services.

Bangladeshi entrepreneurs and garment exporters have a unique scope to explore new avenues to expand their client base as well as attract foreign investors. ITMA has been the world’s most established textile and garment machinery exhibition since 1951. Over the years, it has been a catalyst for change and competitiveness for the industry. The drive towards sustainability in the entire textile and garment value chain is increasingly integrated with enlightened business practices, and innovative technology holds the key to environmental sustainability.

The main purpose of the exhibition is to introduce modern and the latest machinery to potential entrepreneurs and investors. It is held every four years. Manufacturing institutions and importers are introduced to the latest machines, which they can buy from the exhibition. Bangladesh wants to use developed modern technology so as to achieve vision 2021 of exporting 50 million dollars of readymade garments.

The exhibition will play a vital role since scarcity of fuel is the main barrier facing manufacturers in Bangladesh. So they can turn to energy saving technology which will be displayed at the exhibition.

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