Up to 80% of Japanese firms operating in Thailand are affected by the daily minimum wage hike, with labour-intensive industries looking to relocate to neighbouring countries. A survey by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce (JCC) in Bangkok found about 30% of respondents have felt the impact of the increase in the daily minimum wage to 300 baht since the start of January. Conducted in November and December last year, the survey was handed out to 1,419 JCC members, of which 381 companies respon

Exports of wool (clean) by New Zealand fell by 31.4% in December compared with the previous month, to 8,391 tonnes. A year earlier shipments fell by 20.5% from a lower November figure, to 6,711 tonnes. The drop in December 2012 can be attributed to shipments to China falling by more than half. Despite the seasonal slowdown, cumulative exports between July and December 2012 remained 17.4% higher than the corresponding level in 2011 at 57,523 tonnes. Aside from the notable exception of Italy,

Item WidthCM Specification/Weight（meter） Wholesale Price: yuan/meter Multi-chemical fiber now cashmere 150 600 14．00 Cotton pad-dyed plain 150 40S×40S 100×53 9．50 Cotton air-jet pad-dyed canvas 150 21S/2×10S 72×42 15．00 T/R shirt flat cloth 145 28S/2×28S/2 102×60 9．80 Full-size polyester clipping printed curtain fabric 280 600 18．50 T/R double-sided wool cloth

The narrow trading range in New York futures, which has been in effect since the beginning of the season, was finally violated last week. However, contrary to the long-standing consensus view of the price outlook, based on expected impact of record world stocks, the break was to the upside. The spot month rose above 80.00 US cents per lb for the first time since a brief period in June 2012, as the July 2012 contract moved towards maturation. The move upward appears to have been stimulated ma

A look from Minju Kim’s winning collection Photo By Courtesy Hennes & Mauritz AB has named South Korean designer Minju Kim the winner of its international H&M Design Award. The 26-year-old, who is in her final master’s year of fashion studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, unveiled her collection Tuesday at Stockholm’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. She is to receive a cash prize of 50,000 euros, or $67,250 at current exchange, and H&M will develop pieces

A Myanmar Garment Human Resource Development Centre trainee practices her sowing at a factory in Insein township last week.( Ko Taik/ The Myanmar Times) The garment industry has been growing rapidly in the past two years on increased orders from Japan and South Korea, a spokesperson for the key industry body said last week. U Aung Win, vice president of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, said the value of orders from Japan more than doubled between 2010 and 2011, to US$350 mill

Item WidthCM Specification/Weight（meter） Wholesale Price: yuan/meter Kirin cashmere 150 580 27．00 T/C80/20 machine Dyed Plain fabric 150 45S×45S 110×76 6．40 Polyester golden-thread slubbed window screen 280 300 11．30 Nylon/polyester double wale dyed window screen 280 nylonpolyester30D×20D/35梭 4．00 Full-size polyester clipping printed curtain fabric 280 600 18ᦁ

The United States will continue to be the top importer of Vietnamese garments and textiles in 2013, according to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). In 2012, Vietnam’s apparel and textile exports to the US grew by 8 percent year-on-year to US$ 7.8 billion, according to official figures. While the Vitas has forecasted a three percent year-on-year growth in Vietnamese textile and clothing exports to the US in 2013, the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham) expects