Exports of textiles and garments from China earned $187.41 billion during January-August 2020, registering year-on-year increase of 5.62 per cent, according to the data from the ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT).Category-wise, textile exports shot up 31.99 per cent year-on-year to $104.8 billion, whereas apparel exports decreased by 15.74 per cent to $82.61 billion, the MIIT data showed.In the month of August, textile exports soared 46.96 per cent year-on-year to $14.72 bill

The UK Government has announced that it will end tax-free sales and shopping on 31 December this year.The decision will encompass airports, ports and Eurostar stations wherein overseas visitors will no longer be able to obtain a VAT refund on goods purchased in the UK.Only tobacco and alcohol have been exempted from the scheme, while fashion, accessories and beauty products will be offered at the original prices at airports in what is being called a fresh blow to the already ailing aviation indu

The Largest US children’s wear retailer, The Children’s Place (TCP), blames COVID-19 for move from Ethiopia, as employees say they are struggling for even food after wage cuts! By canceling millions ofdollars’ worthof clothing orders from suppliers on 26 August 2020, they pushed companies into debt after buying raw materials and paying workers.Figure 1:Ethiopian suppliers claim that TCP has demanded retroactive rebates on products that had been shipped before the crisis. Courtesy: CollectedEthio

Cambodian textile and apparel industry widely known as abusing workers and the inhuman wage has recently decided to increase workers’ minimum wage to US$190 – 5,800 baht – per month, a 4.4%increase. Officials said European Union has been pressurizing Cambodia over its human rights and political record.Figure: Employees work at a factory supplier of the H&M brand in Kandal province, Cambodia, on Dec 12, 2018. Courtesy: ReutersCambodia’s textile and apparel industry is the main employer, gener

India is contemplating measures to discourage silk imports from China, government officials recently told the parliamentary standing committee on labour. The government also plans to improve the quality of cotton and wool production to reduce imports. The committee met on September 7 and discussed challenges and opportunities in the Indian textile industry.Pic: ShutterstockIndia is one of biggest importers of silk from China, the second largest producer of silk yarn in the world, and the governm

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) yesterday issued five withhold release orders (WROs) on products, including apparel and cotton, imported from China that are produced with state-sponsored forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), where Beijing “is engaged in systemic human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic and religious minorities”.Pic: Shutterstock“By taking this action, DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] is combating illegal and inhumane

The 26th edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has concluded successfully on August 26. This year, the fair welcomed a total of 643 exhibitors and attracted over 25,000 trade buyers. Despite the challenging times we are all facing, the fair continued to be the ideal platform to connect global suppliers and buyers from the home textile industry.Pic: Messe Frankfurt/ Intertextile Shanghai Home TextilesIn view of the current international travel restrictions, the fair launched a brand new

The Buckle Inc, a US-based fashion retailer, has announced 6.0 per cent net sales growth to $216.0 million in its second quarter (Q2) for fiscal 2020 ended on August 1, 2020, compared to the sales of $203.8 million in the same period previous fiscal. Company’s net income for during the quarter jumped to $34.6 million (Q2 FY19: $16.3 million).Pic: ShutterstockGross profit for Q2 FY20 was $93.3 million ($78.6 million). Selling, general and administrative expenses for the period were down to $47.8

As the pandemic has prompted Japanese companies to diversify their supply chain, the Indian textile sector has the potential to serve the specific needs of this sector despite India’s share in the Japanese market being negligible, Indian ambassador to Japan Sanjay K Verma recently said virtually inaugurating the 7th edition of India Tex Trend Fair in Tokyo.“India can provide a more resilient supply value chain to Japan as India has comparative advantage in the textile sector in terms of low-cost

The entire supply chain has been ruptured in 2020 due to the pandemic, and no predictions hold relevance in the uncertain market. Now when factories have started reopening post-lockdown, the apparel factory owners have gotten into the most critical issue – lack of funds, which is making it quite difficult for most of the factories to even survive, let alone be profitable.However, one thing is certain that digitalisation in garment factories is going to be the ‘new normal’ because the factories h