Cotlook A Index - Cents/lb (Change from previous day)

18-12-2018 86.80 (-1.00)

18-12-2017 86.65

19-12-2016 79.70

New York Cotton Futures (Cents/lb) As on 20.12.2018

December 2018 77.16

March 2019 76.65

May 2019 78.03

20th December

2018

Cotton and Yarn Futures ZCE - Daily Data

(Change from previous day)

MCX (Change from previous day) Dec 2018 21550 (-10)

Cotton 14510 (-70) Jan 2019 21780 (-20)

Yarn 23820 (-50) Feb 2019 22020 (-10)

India's textile and apparel exports jump by 14% in November

Hike duty drawback rates to push apparel exports: AEPC US Fed raises interest rates, sees ‘some further’ hikes

ahead India’s Global Textiles Sector Exploring New Ways Forward

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• India's textile and apparel exports jump by 14% in November

• Hike duty drawback rates to push apparel exports: AEPC • Three textile mega clusters being set up benefitting 14,505 artisans

• ATIRA to organise conference on ZDHC in textile industry

• Owners willing to shift 55 textile mills out of Surat

• Mumbai: DGGSTI arrests promoters of textile firms

• India's growth very solid, government should heed RBI's message: IMF

• India’s Global Textiles Sector Exploring New Ways Forward --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• US Fed raises interest rates, sees ‘some further’ hikes ahead

• Securing Raw Materials Key to Competitiveness of Indonesia's Textile Industry

• GoodWeave heads to Heimtextil

• How to make new buildings from old clothes

• US brand allegedly sourcing from Chinese internment camps

• Industrial production increases by 13.5 pct in Tajikistan

• Cotton producers target 300 00 tonnes

• Absence of crop zoning hampering cotton production, Senate told

• UK apparel retailers lower impact, says report

• EU GSP decision may affect over one million workers in garment and fishery industries ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL

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GLOBAL

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NATIONAL:

India's textile and apparel exports jump by 14% in November In dollar term, however, India's textiles and apparel exports recorded a mere 2 per cent jump to $2.64 billion for November 2018 versus 2.57 billion for the same month last year (Source: Dilip Kumar Jha, Business Standard, December 19, 2018)

After a staggering 38 per cent jump in October, India’s textile and apparel exports growth moderated to 14 per cent in November due to a sharp volatility in the rupee against the dollar.

Data compiled by the Union Ministry of Textiles showed India’s textile and apparel exports at Rs 189.65 billion for the month of November 2018 compared to Rs 167.07 billion in the corresponding month last year. For the period between April and November, however, total textile and apparel exports witnessed a growth of 7 per cent to Rs 1600.10 billion for 2018 versus Rs 1492.54 billion in the same period last year.

In dollar term, however, India’s textiles and apparel exports recorded a mere 2 per cent jump to $2.64 billion for November 2018 versus 2.57 billion for the same month last year. For the period

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between April and November, however, total textile and apparel exports remained flat at $23.18 billion.

“This is the normal growth in textile and apparel sector,” said Sanjay Jain, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) by adding, “This growth momentum would continue for the rest of the months in 2018-19.”

Interestingly, textile exports jumped by 9 per cent to Rs 108.53 billion for November 2018 from Rs 99.87 billion for the same month last year. Apparel exports also followed suit and jumped by 21 per cent to Rs 81.12 billion in November 2018 from Rs 67.20 billion in the same month last year.

“The old duty drawback rate was very attractive which came to an end in September 2017. Because of this attractive scheme, Indian exporters advanced their delivery schedules to avail the benefit of duty drawback scheme. Consequently, textile and apparel exports skyrocketed in September 2017 which set the high base for coming months. Therefore, their export one year later in September 2018 declined sharply. From that level, however, exports are normalizing which we believe would continue in future as well to end the current financial year flat,” said Rahul Mehta, President, Clothing Manufacturers’ Association of India (CMAI).

Echoing similar response, S Rajagopal, Executive Director, Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (Texprocil), said that Indian textile and apparel are going to all countries including China. “The recovery in the US economy has given a boost to India’s textile and apparel exports. Since, the US economy is on continuous growth path, we expect India’s textile and apparel export growth to continue,” said Rajagopal.

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Meanwhile, the government of Bangladesh has approved 25 per cent increase in wages for its labour which will escalate cost of textile and apparel production higher there. Also, exports from Vietnam are also gradually achieving saturation.

“All these will would benefit textile and apparel exports from India in future,” said Rajagopal.

India registered a growth of 5.37 per cent in textile and apparel exports in 2017, reaching a level of $37.44 billion. India’s share in world trade in textile and clothing during this year is estimated to be 4.95 per cent. With these exports, India is ranked second amongst the suppliers in the world. However, its exports are 1/7th of the level of exports from China.

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Hike duty drawback rates to push apparel exports: AEPC

(Source: SME Times News Bureau, 19 December, 2018)

The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) on Wednesday urged the government to increase duty drawback rates to increase competitiveness of the sector.

"After taking all calculations, we still find there is a gap of about 4-4.5 per cent of duty, which we have been paying as this duty is embedded in various items like cotton seeds, electricity duty and taxes on diesel. We are unable to recover this, and thus our competitiveness weakens," AEPC Chairman H.K.L Magu said.

The demand for increasing an additional 4 per cent in duty drawbacks or Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds, could translate into a Rs 5,000 crore boost to the apparel export sector, he said on the sidelines of the Retail India summit, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce. He said the growth in apparel exports would be flat this year.

India's readymade garments exports to the world in the April-November period of 2018-19 was to the tune of $9,976.14 million, which has decreased by 9.70 per cent from a total shipment of about $11,047.52 million in the corresponding period last fiscal.

"It is only since October, things have started looking positive as market and GST refunds have started getting a release," he said.

Readymade garments exports were to the tune of $1,129.02 million in November 2018 with a growth of 8.98 per cent against the corresponding month of November 2017, which was $1,036.01 million.

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Three textile mega clusters being set up benefitting 14,505 artisans (Source: UNI, December 20, 2018) New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) Three textile mega clusters in Bareilly, Lucknow and Kutch are being

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set up, thereby benefitting 14,505 artisans. Investment promotion activities after launch of 'Make in India' initiative are being undertaken by several Central Government Ministries, Departments and various State Governments from time to time. The 'Make in India' initiative was launched in 2014 with the objective of promoting India as an important investment destination and a global hub in manufacturing, design and innovation. This initiative aims to create a conducive environment for investment, development of modern and efficient infrastructure, opening up new sectors for foreign investment and forging a partnership between Government and industry through a positive mind set. Under 'Make in India' initiative, six industrial corridors are being developed across various regions of the country.

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ATIRA to organise conference on ZDHC in textile industry (Source: Fibre2fashion.com, December 19, 2018)

Courtesy: ZDHC

To increase the competitiveness of the textile and apparel industry of Gujarat and to align with the state textile policy aimed at minimising pollution, preserving environment and focusing on sustainability, Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) is organising a one-day conference on zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC).

Titled ‘Responsible textile production through sustainable chemicals management’ – ATIRA perspective on zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in textile and allied industry, the conference will be held on Wednesday, December 26, 2018, at ATIRA Auditorium in Ahmedabad.

The event intends to spread awareness among the industry about the need to raise the bar on responsible and sustainable production. The highlights include sharing about ZDHC, the commitments of the lead organisations, their practices, the challenges and the systems adopted by them to overcome their challenges.

“ATIRA being a premier textile research institute takes the onus of leading and collaborating with all stakeholders to help attain the vision of economic growth but in a sustainable way,” the Ahmedabad-based organisation says.

The eco laboratory at ATIRA houses sophisticated instruments like GC, GC-MS, HPLC, AAS, ICP, etc, which can be handy and be used to test restricted substances even as per ZDHC requirement by the industry for their assessment and control.

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Prasad Pant, director-South East Asia, ZDHC would be the lead speaker at the conference. Gautam Shah of Reliance Textile, Dr. Bharat Jain, member-secretary of GCPC, Gandhinagar, Abhisek Bansal of Arvind Mills Ltd, Dr. Ramesh Kumar of Welspun India Ltd, Dr. Syamal De from Atul, and Dr. Mahesh Dalal from ATIRA are also among the speakers at the conference. (RKS)

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Owners willing to shift 55 textile mills out of Surat

(Source: Nyoooz, 19th December 2018)

It is expected that new development plan of SUDA will have a specified area marked for the textile mills. SURAT: After more than five decades, about 55 owners of textile dyeing and printing mills located within Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) areas have agreed to shift them out of the city limits to help reduce the problem of air and water pollution. A meeting was held under the leadership of South Gujarat Textile Processors’ Association (SGTPA) on

Tuesday where the textile mill owners said they are willing to shift their units outside the city areas. We will be meeting the chief minister in next few days with the proposal. Particulate Matter (PM10) level is exceedingly high than the national annual average at 184 per micrograms per cubic meter of air (UG/M3) per annum in these areas. SGTPA president Jitu Vakharia told TOI, “More than 55 textile mill owners are willing to shift their units out of the city. The plan was shelved due to CRZ and opposition from villagers.

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Mumbai: DGGSTI arrests promoters of textile firms

The DGGSTI has also written to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to remove Oneworld Industries from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) proceedings as one of the operational creditors of the textile firm dragged it to bankruptcy court with its connivance, sources told The Indian Express. (Source: Khushboo Narayan, Indian Express, Mumbai, December 20, 2018)

THE Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) has arrested the promoters of two Mumbai-based textile firms for an alleged Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) fraud of about Rs 625 crore.

The agency arrested Urvil Jani, director of Oneworld Industries Pvt Ltd, and Rajesh Gulwantrai Mehta of Rajesh Mehta Group of firms for allegedly availing

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input tax credit (ITC) and passing on credit based on fake invoices of Rs 155 crore and Rs 471 crore respectively. “Issuance of invoice or bill without supply of goods or services and availing input tax credit using such bogus invoice are both cognizable offence under the norms,” said a source. The DGGSTI has also written to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to remove Oneworld Industries from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) proceedings as one of the operational creditors of the textile firm dragged it to bankruptcy court with its connivance, sources told The Indian Express. Last month, Shanaya Fashions, an operational creditor of One World Group, moved NCLT against Oneworld Industries to recover over Rs 7 crore. The tribunal appointed an interim resolution professional (IRP) as per the bankruptcy process. The DGGSTI has found that Shanaya Fashions has not provided any services to One World Industries as claimed before the NCLT and has been allegedly acting on the instructions of Oneworld Industries. Oneworld Industries alone owes Rs 140 crore to Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and Tamilnad Merchantile Bank. Its group firm Zephyr Fabric Trading LLP, which has also been dragged to NCLT, owes Rs 43 crore to Indian Bank. The other nine group firms too have taken loans from various public and private banks. Interestingly, both Oneworld Industries and Zephyr Fabric have told the NCLT they are “facing acute difficulties in realisation of receivables mainly on account of demonetisation, implementation of GST by the government and related procedural technicalities of e-way Bill etc and unfavourable market conditions which have affected fabrics business”. The DGGSTI probe has now found that Oneworld Industries, Rajesh Mehta Group of firms and their 23 subsidiaries have availed ITC on bogus invoices without receiving any services and also issued fake invoices to other companies without providing any services.

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India's growth very solid, government should heed RBI's message: IMF

(Source: Edward Rupert, Flintweekly.com, December 19, 2018)

It is important for the Indian on financial stability, IMF‘s Chief Economist Maurice Obstfeld said, amid reports of friction between the central bank and the finance ministry.

Addressing a group of journalists here, he also said the want politicians “manipulating” central banks for political ends.

“There is debate over whether it‘s better for financial stability to be the remit of the central bank or an independent regulator…The UK in 1997, split them, then put them back together again. I‘m not going to take a position on that…But I think…The central bank does have to be intimately concerned with financial stability to some degree and with the payment system,” he said, responding to a specific question on the recent developments in India regarding the RBI and the government.

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“We need to think about what is the best institutional framework in which financial policy can be set with regard to long-term stability of the economy, not just to performance over political horizon,” Obstfeld said.

“Well, I think they (the RBI and the Indian government) have reached an agreement on how to proceed. I think their (RBI) message that financial stability is important is correct. And it is important for the government to heed that,” he added.

Responding to a series of questions on the attempt in certain countries like the US, India, Argentina and Turkey to curb independence of central banks, Obstfeld said central banks‘ role as a financial regulator is critical.

Central banks have “much greater power than you thought”. They are fundamentally involved in financial stability policy, in fiscal policy, he said.

Obstfeld said if one looks at the record, the decisions taken by central banks worldwide did stabilise the economy by avoiding much worse losses in output and employment.

However, at the same time, he said, their moves also raised questions of transparency and accountability.

“So, it‘s not a shock that people raise these questions and it does create a challenge for central banks to be more transparent and to communicate more effectively with a broader public about what they are about and what they are doing,” Obstfeld said.

If the central bank cannot communicate more effectively about what it is doing, then there is a possibility of political manipulation where politicians attack the central bank and undermine it, he said.

“Clearly, we don‘t want politicians manipulating the central bank for political ends,” Obstfeld added.

After serving as IMF‘s chief economist for more than three years, 66-year-old Obstfeld is set to retire this month-end and will return to the University of California, Berkley. Gita Gopinath, Indian American economist from the Harvard University, would replace him from the first week of January.

India‘s growth has been “very solid” over the past four years, IMF‘s chief economist Maurice Obstfeld added, praising the fundamental economic reforms like the GST and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code carried out by the government.

“India under the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has carried out some really fundamental reforms. These include the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code…A lot of what they have done on financial inclusion has been really important,” Obstfeld told a group of journalists here.

He said one risk that has become much more evident in the last few years has been non-bank finance, usually called shadow banking.

“There is a big challenge of stricter, oversight,” the economist said.

Noting that there has long been a legacy of corporate debt associated with bad infrastructure projects in India, Obstfeld said it has been very concentrated in banking system.

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“But as the government is trying to better oversee the banking system, these loans have migrated to shadow banking and that is an area where more needs to be done to contain financial pressures, which we are beginning to see in India,” he said.

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India’s Global Textiles Sector Exploring New Ways Forward

(Source: Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar, Cotton Growers, December 19, 2018)

Continued innovation and training of a skilled labor force are necessary for India’s global textiles sector to move forward.

Those were the key messages from a mega textile event organized by the Textile Association of India’s South India Unit in Coimbatore on December 15-16. The event was attended by some 600 delegates from

the textile industry, most of whom were technicians and engineers who exhibited keen interest to learn new developments in the industry.

The conference was organized in Coimbatore after 25 years as a way to boost confidence among the textile industry stakeholders stated Mr. K. Gandhiraj, Honorary Secretary of the South India Unit of Textile Association, India.

In the face of threats from the IT sector in attracting highly qualified engineers, a message of optimism was provided to the attendees and next generation workforce. The textile industry needs a qualified and skilled workforce to help innovate new technologies and products, stated industry leaders who participated in the event.

In addition to competing sectors, competition from low wage countries was also felt by delegates who attended the event.

The sharing of timely and relevant information, including growth prospects, is much needed, stated Mr. R. Seenivasahan, Vice President (Technical) of Sri Kannapiran Mills Ltd. Mr. S. Sivakumar, Executive Director of Sabari Textiles, Pvt. Ltd., added that quality and productivity have to be improved to make India’s industry competitive with the high productivity from developing nations. These facts were confirmed by Mr. E. Mounagurusamy, Coimbatore-based industry veteran, who has been in the textile industry for 50 years.

Improving training, maintaining standard procedures substantiated by documentation and diversification of the textiles sector were key points discussed in the two-day event.

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An interesting aspect of the conference was a debate on the usage of the term “technical textiles.” A simple and new classification was suggested for non-commodity industrial textiles, grouping them as 1) consumer products, 2) institutional products and 3) government-regulated products such as defense textiles.

The Textile Association of India has about 23,000 members, who are technocrats and engineers representing various segments of the textile industry.

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GLOBAL:

US Fed raises interest rates, sees ‘some further’ hikes ahead

The rate hike, the fourth of 2018, lifted the target range for the Fed’s benchmark overnight lending rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 2.25% to 2.50%

(Source: Livemint.com, December 20, 2018)

The central bank said the US economy has been growing at a strong rate and the job market has continued to improve. File Photo: Reuters

Washington: The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday, as expected, but forecast fewer rate hikes next year and signalled its tightening cycle is nearing an end in the face of financial market volatility and slowing global growth. The central bank said the US economy has been growing at a strong rate and the job market has continued to improve. It noted that “some” further gradual rate hikes would be needed, a subtle change that suggested it was preparing to stop raising borrowing costs.

In a statement issued after the end of its last policy meeting of the year, the Fed said risks to the economy were “roughly balanced” but that it would “continue to monitor global economic and financial developments and assess their implications for the economic outlook.”

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The rate hike, the fourth of 2018, lifted the target range for the Fed’s benchmark overnight lending rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 2.25% to 2.50%.

Fed chairman Jerome Powell is due to hold a news conference at 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT).

The decision to raise borrowing costs again is likely to anger US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the central bank’s tightening this year as damaging to the economy.

The Fed has been raising rates to reduce the boost that monetary policy gives to the economy, which is growing faster than what central bank policymakers view as a sustainable rate.

There are worries, however, that the economy could enter choppy waters next year as the fiscal boost from the Trump administration’s spending and $1.5 trillion tax cut package fades and the global economy slows.

The Fed also made a widely expected technical adjustment, raising the rate it pays on banks’ excess reserves by just 20 basis points to give it better control over the policy rate and keep it within the targeted range.

Economic projections Fresh economic forecasts released on Wednesday showed policymakers expect two rate hikes next year and one the following year, with the median forecast for the federal funds rate at 3.1% at the end of 2020 and 2021.

That would still leave borrowing costs just above policymakers’ downgraded view of a 2.8% neutral rate that neither brakes nor boosts a healthy economy.

The last set of economic forecasts, released in September, had indicated three rate hikes next year and one in 2020. The change reflects an erosion in confidence in an economic outlook that Powell as recently as October had painted as quite rosy.

Even so, the Fed is still plotting a more aggressive rate hike path than many in the markets expect. Before the meeting, traders of US interest-rate futures were betting the Fed would deliver no more than one rate hike next year, if even that.

Gross domestic product is forecast to grow 2.3% next year and 2.0% in 2020, slightly weaker than the Fed anticipated in September.

The unemployment rate, currently at a 49-year low of 3.7%, is expected to fall to 3.5% next year, unchanged from the prior forecast. It is seen rising to 3.6% in 2020 and to 3.8% in 2021, slightly higher than previously forecast.

Inflation, which hit the Fed’s 2% target this year, is expected to be 1.9% next year, slightly lower than the 2.0% forecast three months ago.

There were no dissents in the Fed’s policy decision.

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Securing Raw Materials Key to Competitiveness of Indonesia's Textile Industry

The Ministry of Industry has pegged textile exports at $13.5 billion this year, along with the creation of 2.95 million new jobs in the industry, while exports are projected to increase further to $15 billion next year, with the creation of up to 3.11 million jobs. (GA Photo/M Defrizal) (Source: Jakarta Globe, December 19, 2018)

Jakarta. Indonesia is set to become one of the top five textile and textile product producers in the world by 2030, and the Ministry of Trade is forging ahead with its Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap, which prioritizes the development of a number of industries, including the textile sector.

Muhdori, the trade ministry's director tasked with the textile, leather, footwear and various other industries, said the implementation of the roadmap would strengthen the textile sector's global competitiveness, as it improves efficiencies and product quality.

“Being highly integrated from upstream to downstream, this sector is competitive and is supported by a large amount of human resources for its production activities,” he said.

The challenge for the textile industry was to become more efficient, while continuing to improve human resource competencies, in accordance with technological development, he said.

“Being both an export-oriented and labor-intensive sector, the textile industry has thus far contributed significantly to Indonesia's economic growth,” Muhdori said.

According to the Ministry of Industry, textile and textile product exports have continued to increase in recent years. The textile and textile product sector's contribution to Indonesia's gross domestic product amounted to a record $10.46 billion last year, while exports were valued at $12.58 billion, up 6 percent from 2016.

Increased Exports

The Ministry of Industry pegged textile exports at $13.5 billion this year, along with the creation of 2.95 million new jobs in the industry, while exports are projected to increase further to $15 billion next year, with the creation of up to 3.11 million jobs. This will increase the sector's share of Indonesia's total exports to 1.6 percent.

The ministry is optimistic that this year's growth target of between 4 percent and 6 percent can be achieved. The textile industry grew 3.45 percent last year, having nearly doubled from 2016.

However, this growth target also calls for an increased supply of raw materials, which currently consist of 51 percent synthetic fiber, such as polyester and nylon, 37 percent cotton fiber, and 12 percent rayon.

But the industry still faces obstacles in reaching its full competitive potential, as nearly all cotton must be imported. In contrast, 80 percent of synthetic fiber and 85 percent of rayon are domestically produced, with these numbers expected to increase further.

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Rayon is a cellulose material extracted from soluble wood pulp. It offers better absorption and breathability than cotton. Rayon fiber has various uses, including in clothing, bedding, towels, baby wipes, masks and personal hygiene products.

According to Redma Gita Wirawasta, secretary general of the Indonesian Synthetic Fiber Producers Association (APSyFI), rayon is most in demand in the fashion industry due to several advantages, such as comfort and disposability, which make it environmentally friendly.

“Indonesia has the potential to become one of the largest rayon industry players in the world, supported by extensive land availability and a suitable climate. This makes Indonesia comparatively superior to other rayon-producing countries,” he said.

Raw Materials

Redma Gita said the growth of the rayon fiber industry requires sustainable raw material supply through industrial plantations.

“Rayon plants supported by industrial plants not only strengthen the structure of the textile industry, but also reduce its dependence on imported raw materials, which has been an issue for national textile competitiveness,” he said.

“This upstream industry could even generate foreign exchange as some of its production is exported,” he added.

The Ministry of Industry noted that the production capacity of the rayon fiber industry has risen substantially over the past three years. Production is expected to increase to about 700,000 metric tons this year, compared with 565,000 tons last year and 470,000 tons in 2016.

Production capacity growth is expected to continue until 2021, when it is expected to reach 1.2 million tons.

However, the industry faces challenges from environmental activists. Redma Gita refuted allegations from Canopy, an international nonprofit focused on forest conservation, which stated that raw materials for rayon fiber comes from ancient and endangered forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

“Those accusations are baseless. They have provided no proof of this whatsoever,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of the government in supporting the development of the national textile industry.

Machmud Thohari, a forestry expert, meanwhile also questioned the Canopy report's use of terms such as ‘ancient’ and ‘endangered’ to categorize forests.

“As far as I know, the terms ‘ancient’ and ‘endangered’ aren't commonly used in the scientific classification of forests," he said.

Thohari said the term ‘ancient forest’ may have been used to refer to an old-age forest or one that is many, many years (i.e.: centuries) old.

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On a similar note, Riau Governor Wan Thamrin Hasyim also condemned the Canopy allegations, as he sought to highlight the strategic industrial potential of the province.

“The accusation must be clarified, as it can deter investors and [negatively impact] Riau's economic growth,” he said.

Exports and Job Creation in the Textile and Textile Products Sector

Year Exports (in billion dollars) Jobs (in millions)

2017 12,58 2,73

2018* 13,5 2,95

2019* 15,0 3,11

Source: Ministry of Industry

* Projected

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GoodWeave heads to Heimtextil

Organization expands reach into home textiles

(Source: Cecile Corral, Hometextilestoday.com, December 19, 2018)

Washington -- GoodWeave will participate at the upcoming Heimtextil international trade show to promote its efforts to end child labor in global textile production.

GoodWeave label Founded in 1994 by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, GoodWeave is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending child labor as well as forced and bonded labor in global supply chains through a market-based holistic and authentic system. Since then, and with the help of its import and export partners, GoodWeave said it has rescued more than 5,000 children from labor, provided quality education to almost 26,000 rescued and vulnerable children, and reached more than 75,0000 workers predominantly in carpet supply chains.

Most recently, GoodWeave has expanded into home textiles and other categories, and its home textile program now

certifies select home textile products with the GoodWeave label.

At Heimtextil, GoodWeave will be located in Gallery 1, N12, where it will present its global solution to end child labor in supply chains “by leveraging the power of the market, promoting transparency, restoring childhood, and addressing market failures that are at the root cause.”

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It will also host a discussion on its efforts on January 11 at 10:30 a.m., in Hall 11, level O foyer.

Heimtextil is scheduled January 8-11 in Frankfurt, Germany.

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How to make new buildings from old clothes (Source: Veena Sahajwalla, The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 December 2018) Fashion has a lot to answer for. People regularly updating their wardrobes are contributing to one of worst trends in human history. The clothing and textiles industry is the second most polluting sector in the world, accounting for 10 per cent of the world's total carbon emissions.

That clothing is now one of the biggest consumer waste streams, with 92 million tons estimated to be thrown out in a year, means we must urgently and seriously consider new ways to deal with unwanted clothes.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla with a display of the new building materials produced by the University of NSW from old clothing waste. CREDIT:AAP There may be a solution: turning discarded clothes into building materials. Working with a team of researchers at UNSW Sydney, we have just had published the results of our work that can transform clothes into products such as flat construction panels for acoustic and thermal insulation. Later, we expect, they may be modified for flooring and walls.

It is admirable that we recycle old and unwanted clothing through charities and second-hand shops, but to tackle the immensity of the waste we need to work at a much greater scale. Our scientifically developed method can help overcome the growing landfill and carbon-emission problem by reforming clothes into high-quality and stylish building products. Advertisement

Our team collected an assortment discarded clothes, uniforms, bedding, and mattresses. Additionally, polymer textiles sourced from waste packaging, shopping bags and disposable lab coats were used. After manually removing zippers, buttons and buckles, the leftover mix of cotton, polyester, nylon and other fabrics was put through a fine-grained shredder. The resulting fleece was treated with heat and pressure so the different fibre components stick together to form solid panels.

We not only proved you can transform clothing fibres, including wool, cotton and thermoplastics into a composite of both hard and flexible building products via various heating and compression techniques; we've shown it it can be done at scale.

In some cases, we mixed in wood waste such as sawdust to broaden the range of characteristics of our finished products. While the textile materials tested exceptionally well in labs to mechanical performance properties including strength, flexibility and resistance, further lab-testing is required to explore these properties before applying for any formal assessment against construction regulations.

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In another recently published research exercise that also used the prototype technology in our "green microfactory", which is to be launched in 2019, we converted used glass into high-quality ceramics suitable for benchtops and tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. It can come in many sizes, colours and finishes. Conventional glass recycling technologies are limited by the need to separate waste into different glass types and the extreme sensitivity of the remelting process to any contamination. We demonstrated that mixed broken glass can be used as primary input in the production of polymeric glass composites, with the mechanical properties, utility, aesthetic appeal and expected market value that are comparable to natural and engineered stone products.

The range of uses for the prototype microfactory technology we have developed is being expanded as a response to the global waste problem. This follows the launch of an e-waste microfactory in 2018. Even though textile recycling has been dated to 2000 years ago in China, the current industry is still in its early stages, and the surplus of valuable polymer mixed items remains highly undervalued. But consider this: the world's population is expected to grow from the 7.6 billion now to about 9.8 billion by 2050. In the fast-fashion culture, consumers thrive on the regular replacement of items. The 92 million tons of global fashion waste in 2015 is expected to rise to 148 million tons in 2030.

We need urgent solutions such as these.

Veena Sahajwalla is a senior professor at UNSW and director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology.

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US brand allegedly sourcing from Chinese internment camps

(Source: Ecotextile.com, 19 December 2018)

It is alleged that some workers at the facilities in Xinjiang are unpaid

HOTAN – Reports coming out of China allege that US sportswear retailer Badger Sportswear is sourcing garments from internment camps in the nation’s Xinjiang region.

The reports claim that these facilities, where up to “one million Muslims are detained, forced to give up their language and their religion, and subjected to political indoctrination,” are bordered by barbed wire,

hundreds of cameras and dozens of armed officers with guard dogs.

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Industrial production increases by 13.5 pct in Tajikistan (Source: Abdul Kerimkhanov, MENAFN – AzerNews, December 19, 2018)

The volume of industrial production in Tajikistan in January-November 2018 amounted to 21.5 billion somoni (more than $ 2.2 billion), which is 13.5 percent more compared to the same period last year, Tajik media reported.

Meanwhile, there is no information about unrealized goods lying in warehouses or idle enterprises on the official websites of the relevant departments of the country's economic bloc.

In the export of industrial goods, raw materials mainly prevail. This list may include cotton fiber, aluminum, raw skin, leather and other manufactured goods.

For example, the amount of exports of textile materials and products from them since the beginning of this year amounted to more than $ 205.8 million. About $ 150 million of this amount is the revenue from the sale of cotton fiber.

The export of textile products is dominated by yarn and harsh fabric. At the same time, the amount of imports of textile materials and products from them for this period amounted to more than $ 55.2 million. However, imports of finished textile products are carried out with high added value.

This sector of the economy has a long tradition, the origins of which date back to the heyday of the Great Silk Road.

In the middle of the last century, a complete production cycle was organized, including the production of raw materials, spinning, fabric manufacturing, and the manufacture of garments and carpets.

The main products are fabrics and garments made from them, denim pants, shorts, textiles, carpet and leather products. The country has a full value chain, starting with the production of raw materials to the production of finished products. The sector has modern enterprises for sewing clothes, shoes. The government considers this sector a priority industry. It is planned to increase the export potential on the basis of the modernization of production, stimulating the creation of new enterprises.

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Tajikistan is also successfully implementing the International Trade Center (ITC) program, aimed at supporting the development of the textile and clothing industry and improving the quality management infrastructure.

The International Trade Centre, supported by the Government of Switzerland, aims to increase the export competitiveness of the Tajik textile and clothing sector by supporting sector companies, and relevant trade support institutions from both public and private sectors.

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Cotton producers target 300 00 tonnes

(Source: The Herald, December 20, 2018)

Cotton bales

Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi The National Cotton Producers and Marketers Association says its members are working on producing over 300 000 tonnes of the white gold during the 2018-19 agricultural season.

The association’s chairman Mr Steward Mubonderi said in an interview that the move was set to earn the country more foreign currency through exports and to improve the production of cooking oil and soap among other related by-products.

“We are very much delighted that Government, through Cottco, has continued supporting our production through the provision of inputs to over 400 000 growers across the country,” he said.

“If you have been following, our industry had been dying over the years before Government

intervention. We have improved and nothing can stop us from producing over 300 000 tonnes.

During the last farming season we doubled our output from 73 000 tonnes in the 20116/17 period to 140 000 tonnes.

“Most of the farmers have already started preparations for the cropping season and we look forward to increased productivity.”

Mr Mubonderi said each farmer had received full 1 hactare packages of inputs comprising 20kg cotton seed, 100kg compound L, 50kg calcium ammonia nitrade, three by 500ml setamac, 1kg cabarel, two by 250ml cabosaphate and extension work.

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He said other farmers had made arrangements with private ginners including Southern Cotton and Alliance Ginneries. He said farmers will go into their fields taking cognisance of the challenges which the country is facing due to their reduced production levels.

The country needs foreign currency and cotton farmers have a solution, the country needs cooking oil margarine, stock feeds and more employment opportunities.

“We have the keys that is why this season we will work extra hard to address some of the challenges we are facing as a nation by increasing production capacities,” he said.

It is understood that some of the cotton farmers are motivated to increase their output following a recent commitment by Government that they will be paid party of their money in foreign currency.

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Absence of crop zoning hampering cotton production, Senate told

(Source: Pakistantoday, December 19, 2018)

ISLAMABAD: Senate’s Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research on Wednesday was informed that owing to the absence of appropriate crop zoning in the country, the area under cotton sowing was drastically reducing by 26 per cent, posing serious threats to the production of the major exportable cash crop. Briefing the committee, which met with Senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Read More

The post Absence of crop zoning hampering cotton production, Senate told appeared first on Profit by Pakistan Today.

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UK apparel retailers lower impact, says report

(Source: John Mowbray, Ecotextile, 19 December 2018)

LONDON – A new report from UK charity WRAP that charts the progress of signatories to the SCAP 2020 Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, claims significant reductions in carbon and water use along with waste to landfill per tonne of garments sold in the UK. However, concerns still remain about the level of overall waste generated by the UK clothing sector ahead of the final two years of SCAP 2020, which was first launched back in 2012. Subsequently, a series of new recommendations to mitigate this impact have been

drafted. “I am delighted by what SCAP 2020 signatories have achieved. Compared with the wider sector they continue to set the bar high for improving sustainable practices,” said Peter Maddox, Director of WRAP, the UK charity which produced the report. “And it’s important that they do because

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while clothing might only be the eighth largest sector in terms of household spend, it has the fourth largest environmental impact behind housing, transport and food.” Signatories to the SCAP 2020 initiative include Marks & Spencer, Primark, Next, Arcadia Group, Asos and Ted Baker among others. Eleven retailers and brands involved in this initiative are estimated to be responsible for selling more than half of all UK clothing by volume.

Home EU GSP decision may affect over one million workers in garment and fishery industries

(Source: BNI, December 19, 2018)

Mizzima Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM) Chairman Maung Maung said that over 1 million workers from the garment and fishery industries might be affected if Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) was revoked by European Union (EU).

“Over 700,000 workers from the garment industry and over 400,000 workers in fishery industry will lose their jobs and their families will be in trouble. We don’t want to see this situation. So, we request the EU not to revoke GSP,” Maung Maung said. Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM) and Myanmar Industry Craft and Services, Trade Unions Federation (MICS-TUsF) jointly organized a forum under the title ‘Together we succeed, Why GSP is essential for Decent Work and Industrial Peace’ at UMFCCI office on December 17 for advocating to not revoke GSP as it would stop and stall development in the country. The EU granted GSP to Myanmar in 2013 and the country enjoyed preferences of exemption from paying import duties for exports from Myanmar especially garments and foodstuffs. Economist Dr. Zaw Oo said, “In the review by the EU, they said that Myanmar was the best country which could do the best and the fastest. In the last five years, exports from Myanmar to EU rose more than ten times. It is not an easy job. We could meet all specifications and regulations prescribed by EU. We emphasize this point in our discussions on why EU should continue GSP to Myanmar.” EU review team, EU EBA (preferential Everything But Arms) Monitoring Mission, recently visited Myanmar to study issues relating to revoking GSP granted to Myanmar. EU EBA mission visited Myanmar in the last week of October 2018 to study the human rights situation in Rakhine and other areas, the working environment and relations between employers and employees.

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