Apparel exports are expected to grow by 20 percent to $16 billion during the present financial year on the back of growing demand in the new markets like Latin America and Africa. "We are seeing this fiscal better than the last year. We expect a 20 percent jump in 2012-13 from $13.4 billion in 2011-12," Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman A Sakthivel said. He said the combined effort of the government and exporters to explore new markets would "give better fruits" this fiscal.

The labour unrest in the readymade garments sector in Bangladesh has put Indian apparel exporters in an advantageous position, reports Times of India. The US and EU are diverting orders from Bangladesh to India to meet their apparel requirements for the upcoming summer season. Indian apparel exporters are making most of the situation. They are scaling up operations and negotiating deals with foreign buyers so that they can enjoy a bigger pie of the overseas markets. Talking to the Economi

Cotton pickers are busy harvesting the crop in a field in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The Ministry of Agriculture is estimating that the nation's harvest will be about 6.3 million metric tons in 2013, down 540,000 tons from last year. [Photo / China Daily] Textile mills turn to buy cheaper Indian cotton yarn to cut costs Affected by adverse weather, a reduced planting area and lower Indian cotton prices, China's cotton output is expected to drop sharply this year compared wi

On Dec 2, Novozymes and China Knitting Industry Association (CKIA) signed a strategic partnership agreement in Beijing to jointly promote the sustainable development of biological solutions in the Chinese textile industry. In particular, the agreement addresses bio-innovative application and research in the knitting sector. Low carbon emissions, energy savings and environmental protection are among the goals of the agreement. The two sides will cooperate in many areas, including sewage treatm

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Wednesday stressed the need to ensure legal, safe working conditions after a fire killed seven Chinese workers at a factory in central Italy. While giving his condolences to the local Chinese community, Napolitano underlined the importance of "interventions to prevent illegal working conditions." The president said the goal was to combine economic development in the area, which is a major manufacturing district in Europe, with the protection of human

The external sector strengthened further with the trade deficit contracting sharply in October 2013,the Central Bank said yesterday. Earnings from exports increased to record levels, reflecting the ongoing recovery in the global economy, while expenditure on imports declined. The contraction of the trade deficit, higher inflows to the services account and an increase in private transfers contributed to reducing the current account deficit. The favourable developments in the external sector to

Anusha from Manamathi village off East Coast Road spends nearly 14 hours daily away from home on travel and work at a garment unit in Mahindra City, Chengalpet. After all her effort, she earns merely Rs.3,000 a month, an amount that is not enough to make ends meet. Several women workers like her have been slogging for long hours in garment and fashion industrial units around the city for meagre salaries. In a bid to draw the attention of the government to their demands for an increase in the

A file photo shows a labourer carrying jute to a private jute mill at Demra in Dhaka. The export of raw jute has plunged in the current fiscal year. — New Age photo The export of raw jute has plunged in the current fiscal year due to devaluation of currency of neighbouring India, a major raw jute importer from Bangladesh, jute department officials said. They said the drastic fall in the raw jute export would discourage the growers from cultivating more jute and they (the growers) would al

At a time when only two yarn-to-fabric textile mills are left out of about 20, the 30-year old Asia Textile Mills operating out of Calamba found a way of producing “purpose” textiles instead of the uncompetitive ordinary wearing apparel. The company, with the help of Chuck Lazaro, slowly shifted to abaca fiber. It has not gone that far as yet, having perfected Manila Hemp only two years ago. Asia Textile now uses 40 per cent abaca it exports principally to Japan. That mix eats of the b

Employees are seen at work at Saigon 3 Garment Joint Stock Company. The export value of Vietnamese textile-garment to the major markets like the U.S., Japan, Korea and China has continued posting strong growth - Photo: Van Nam Textile-garment exports to Korea as one of the four major buyers of Vietnam’s apparel products posted robust growth in January-November, leaping 51.6% year-on-year to US$642 million, while other major export markets continued considerable growth. In a report on the i