The more than 40 percent rise in provincial minimum wage (UMP) this year has forced around 60 textile and clothing firms from Jakarta to shift to Central Java region, Ade Sudrajat, chairman of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) has said. Following the rise in UMP, labor-intensive textile and apparel enterprises in Greater Jakarta region were left with option to either relocate or terminate their business activity, Mr. Sudrajat said, Indonesian newspaper Kompas reported. About 60 text

Some batches of clothing from world’s leading fashion and luxury brands including H&M, FOREVER 21, American Apparel, Diesel and Lacoste were found to have quality problems, the city’s market watchdog said yesterday. The quality problems ranged from poor color fastness and fiber content to a high pH index and slippage, officials said. Other big brands hauled up for substandard apparel included Moussy, Trussardi, Tommy Hilfiger, Desigual, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Teenie Weenie, Jack & Jo

World cotton consumption is rising in absolute terms and is estimated at 23.7 million tons in 2013-14, International Cotton Advisory Committee reported in its monthly review. Prices of polyester and cotton that were almost equal during most of 2000s in China, started diverging from 2009-10, and 2013-14 will be the fifth consecutive season in which cotton prices will be substantially above polyester prices in China, it showed. According to ICAC, during August 2013, the Cotlook A Index averaged

Cost of planting seeds has almost tripled for cotton growers around the world from four cents to produce one kilogram of lint in 1990s to 11 cents in 2012-13, according to a survey conducted by the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). It reveals that cotton growers around the world spent an average of 11 cents on planting seed to produce a kilogram of lint in 2012-13, representing seven percent of the net cost of production. (Net costs are total costs, excluding land rent and the valu

Sri Lanka and India today inked an MOU to Cooperate in the Development of SMEs in Handloom, Powerloom and Textiles. The MOU which was inked in Colombo will be valid for a period of five years and can be renewed thereafter. “Using Sri Lanka’s first class garment manufacturing infrastructure and India’s quality fabric outputs-let us jointly compete for China’s textile market” said Ms Zohra Chaterji, Secretary of Indian Ministry of Textiles, after signing the deal. “Sri Lanka offers fast deliver

The garment exporting community has sought a roll-back in the price of the cotton yarn to last month’s price. Voicing concern over the rising price of the yarn, garment exporters have appealed to the mill sector to consider a reduction of Rs 8 a kg. Besides appealing to the mill sector, various stakeholders of the garment industry sought to represent their plight to the powers-that-be as well, seeking immediate intervention. The associations categorically stated that they do not have any obje

Pakistan’s textile exports, which rose during the last five years despite a worsening energy crisis, stood at $13.1 billion in the fiscal year 2012-2013. PHOTO: AFP Pakistan’s textile industry, which for a long time has been the backbone of the national economy in terms of revenue generation and job creation, is working hard to benefit from the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), which will allow for greater access to markets in the European Union (EU). Industrialists are expecti

A cotton ginning unit, constructed with Indian aid, was inaugurated in Ngabu in Malawi, a landlocked country in southeast Africa that exports raw cotton. Malawi President Joyce Banda inaugurated the ginnery at Ngabu, that cost $20 million, on Aug 27. It was part of the $50 million Line of Credit granted by India to Malawi that has a population of about 16 million. The event was attended by Indian High Commissioner Vanlalhuma. Among other dignitaries present were Malawi Vice President Khumbo Ka

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić has visited company "BIM-tex" in Leskovac, in southern Serbia, and has put into operation a newly-built cotton string production plant, worth 1.4 million euros. He visited the factory in the company of the management and local officials. "BIM-tex" is one of the leading companies in the Serbian market in the field of production of various types of yarn, with an annual capacity exceeding 1,000 tons. The company was founded in 1992 and employs 100 workers.

Under the Pakistan Firms Project, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the knitted garment sector in making exports to the international markets. Under the project, a group of 20 SMEs have been selected, and these are being helped in building up their production bases to ensure that international quality and environmental standards are met. Two of the 20 SMEs have recently exported US$ 3.3 million worth of knitwear,