China's Clothing and Textile Sector Hurts

South Africa
It seems that the great Chinese dragon[1] is wounded and its shadow over the global apparel and textile industries (T & A) has diminished albeit only slightly. Injured in the collective repercussions of the economic turmoil the world is experiencing it will retreat, develop new strategies and incentives to reappear once again in the hope of retaking through its new found power and manipulation diminished markets to feed its nation and avert any social unrest due to massive job losses in its export orientated industries.[2]

The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics reflects a decline in its textile profit for 2008 by nearly 2% compared to the same period for 2007. According to statistical data this is the first time the industry has show a negative profit growth in ten years. A collective decrease in garment and textile exports had dropped by 30%.[3] A Reuters report in January 2009 stated "Chinese factories [had] slashed output and workers at a record pace in December 2008."

In 2007 exports in textile and apparel reached US$171.17 Billion. The same report states factory output grew just under 6% from January to November 2008 and that the Chinese economy is close to "technical recession." [4] Further statistics reflect a down-turn in China's textile and apparel market showing that the mighty dragon is hurting. Between January to February 2008 production of "large-scale textile enterprises" was 16.55% an 8.05 percentage point loss for the same month in 2007. For the first ten months of 2008 total textile production was 14.73% the "sharpest contraction in five year."

Textile and garment exports between January to October 2008 were $157.413 billion a growth of 8.43% which is 12.09% lower than 2007. Textile exports for the same period Jan-Oct 2008 was $59.146 billion an increase of 2.94% from 2007 while garment exports dropped by 20.1 % for the same period equating to $98.267 billion.[5] While the global market is in a slum many textile and garment businesses in China have begun to look inward with domestic sales equating to 76.50% of China's total textile sales.

The depreciation of China's Renminbi is an added burden on the industry so is the increased cost in labour.[6] In response the Chinese government has lifted the tax rebate for both textiles and clothing enterprises twice during 2008 from 11% to 14%. It is expected the clothing export tax rebate of 17% will come into effect early this year. China will also be implementing numerous policies to reinvigorate the textile sector such as technical innovation in the early part of 2009. Industry trade specialist say the first half of 2009 will be a critical period for the textile and clothing sector to regroup. These industries will be looking for alternative markets. At the moment the sector is still very dependent on America the European Union and Japan for exports[7].

A study of the operating margin of textile operations in China indicates that two-thirds of textile companies operate on a 0.62% margin and have a direct influence on the livelihood of 15 million people. It is estimated that there are more than 20 million workers in the (C & T) industry sectors with 13 million rural migrant workers making up the bulk of the labour force. The China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) is extremely concerned about factory closures, and the ability to absorb job losses mostly among the migrant workers.[8] Official figures in 2008 indicate that there are 40,000 textile companies in China with annual sales higher than US$660.000 and there are hundreds of thousands of smaller operations.[9]

Like South Africa the US is also concerned about the possible re-flooding of apparel imports as certain quota limitations have also expired. The American apparel industry faces a threat of more job losses at a time when America cannot afford such retrenchments. In 2005 when China flooded the market nearly 55,000 jobs were lost in one year. The Chief Executive Director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition said the industry could face another 50,000 lost jobs during 2009. Between 2002 and 2008 there was a 33% "decrease in textile and apparel jobs."[10] American manufacturers said that the industry has recalibrated to compete on an even footing with China considering their low wages but could not compete when the Chinese government subsidises the industry to such an extent that China can "sell finished products for less than the fibre costs in the US."

While the Chinese dragon is licking its wounds the textile and clothing industry in Vietnam has grown. In 2007 the Vietnam industry grew by 33.4% to become in 2008 the USA's second largest foreign suppliers of textiles and clothing. China still maintains their position of the largest exporter to America. Exports from Vietnam to the European Union have also grown. In the first six months of 2008 exports to the EU grew by 8.4%. Chinese exports to the EU during the same period increased by 5.1%.

The Indonesian market saw a moderate increase in exports during the first six months of 2008, with domestic demand growing. The Malaysian textile and clothing industry saw a 3.2% decrease in 2007 while the Philippines faced heavy competition from China. Thailand's industry grew during the same period during 2008 in comparison to the same period for 2007. Bangladesh clothing exports for the financial year 2007-June 2008 rose by 16.2% and India's textile exports saw a 16.7% increase between 2007/08 while clothing exports only grew by 6.8%. The industry in Sri Lanka saw an increase of 8.5% in exports. In 2007 global fibre production increased by 6.0% the growth rate stemmed from an 8.5% increase in global man-made fibre mostly from China and India. Natural fibres saw a 2.6% growth during 2007.[11]

During the period of South Africa's quotas on Chinese imports[12] Mauritius, Malaysia and Bangladesh increased their exports to South Africa by at least 345%, 680% and 2076% respectively. Imports from Vietnam equated to 388%, Thailand by 39% and [13]Myanmar 197%.[14] The now open South African market could result in a mini trade war between China wanting to recapture market loss during the quota period and some of the countries who gained market share during the same period. The result may see even cheaper clothing enter South Africa of which South African cash-strapped consumers will benefit at the detriment of the local clothing and textile sector as South African retailers exploit the competition between foreign apparel and textile suppliers.

Written by Renato Palmi

[1] The Chinese dragon is recognised as a powerful symbol of auspicious power.
[2] Zhejiang Jianglong-China's largest textile dye company with four factories, 4000 employees and US$110 million in sales for 2007 closed in October 2008. In early 2008 The Wall Street Journal indicated that over 6000 Hong Kong-owned companies in China's Pearl River Delta would close during 2008.
[3] Xinhuanet January 1, 2009
[4] www.nakedcapitalism.com
[5] http://www.ccpittex.com Source: CNTEX: 6/1/09
[6] Labour Contract Law which took effective on Jan 1, 2008
[7] http://en.puworld.com/news_article.asp?ArticleID=69998700

[8] http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Face_Zhang
[9] Ministry of Commerce of China and China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC).

[10] U.S. import limits on some Chinese textiles end Thursday. By LISA ZAGAROLI ; McClatchy Newspapers.
December 29th 2008.
[11] http://www.textilesintelligence.com

[12] The quotas official ended on 31 December 2008.
[13] The industry in Myanmar and its market share in South Africa suffered due to a report by this author.
For more click here.
[14] Import figures: January 2005-2006 compared to January 2008 to June 2008. Stats calculated from
SARS and World Trade Atlas.

Prosperity through Competitiveness in Textile Sector

Venue: LCCI (Amin Hall) Date: 31st July, 2007 Time: 02:00 to 06:00pm

Institute of Research Promotion (IRP) in collaboration with National Productivity Organization (NPO), Ministry of Industries, Production & Special Initiatives and Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Lahore has planned a free seminar on “Prosperity through Competitiveness in Textile Sector” to address the issues of competitiveness in Pakistani textile sector. The seminar aims at analyzing the current state of textile sector, associated problems and potential of developing competitiveness through joint efforts of academia, industry and public sector in Pakistan. The seminar will provide a unique opportunity to interact with each other, share expertise and develop linkages for the prosperity of textile sector.

SEMINAR OVERVIEW

We need textile sector
The textile sector is considered as backbone of Pakistan Economy, having multidimensional impact. The development of various sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, export, import and within country trade is directly associated with the growth in textile. Technology upgradation, foreign reserve in terms of export, value-added manufacturing, large-scale employment, banking business and overall industrial progress are heavily dependent on the developments in textile sector.

We can win
Pakistan is one of countries, having the largest base in textile sector and the finest quality of cotton. The vast area of cotton cultivation reasonably cheep labor, suitable weathers and number of other God blessings gives competitive edge over other countries in the world.

Why we failed?
Inspite of all above-mentioned rosy pictures, textile industry is facing serous problems. The survival of industry is being questioned. Business intellectuals are expressing their doubts the stability of textile sector in the highly competitive market across the world. Numbers of questions in Pakistani textile sector are waiting for response like:

Why innovation has not become the norm of this sector?
Why value-addition process is so slow or out of concern?
Why Pakistan is left behind by neighbor countries in textile market?
Why image of Pakistan is not remarkable in the global market?
Why advanced management practices are not allowed to enter our factories?
Why profitability is so low or companies are operating in loss?
Proposed remedy
The research and development always have been the collaborative effort of academia, public and corporate sector. All the major breakthroughs in technology, social and pure sciences are the results of joint projects initiated by academia and funded by government and industry. The universities always pursued innovation with the close partnership of corporate and public sector as a change agent all over the world. Therefore, IRP believes that solution of textile sector problems lies in the academia, industry and public sector partnership. IRP has planned to hold a seminar on “Prosperity through competitiveness”: A role of academia, industry and government in textile sector. The seminar would primarily address the four major questions:

What are the areas of concern in textile sector competitiveness, like export marketing, branding, technology upgradation, and value addition etc.?
What is the role of Government to address the issues of textile sector?
How academia can contribute to address the issues of textile sector?
What is the responsibility of textile sector to get their problems solved?
How this tripartite partnership can work in Pakistan?
PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Chief Guest
Mr. Shahid Hassan Sheikh
President
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Keynote speech
“Prosperity through competitiveness: problems and prospects of Pakistani textile sector”
By Dr. Faheem ul Islam, (Assistant Professor, LUMS)

Panel discussion
“How Academia, industry and public sector partnership can bring competitiveness in textile sector”

PANELISTS

Mr. S.M. Qutub - Director Quality, Polaris & Shazak
Dr. Tanveer Ahmed - National Textile University, FSD
Mr. Akbar Shaikh - Director, North Star Textile
Mr. Mohsin Syed - Regional Director, NIP, Pakistan
Mr. Umer Farooq - Director General, Large Tax Unit, Punjab
Mr. Farhat Khan - Cotton Grower
Representative of APTMA
Anchor person and moderator
Mr. Hasan Haider
Head Training, NPO, Pakistan

PROGRAM
Venue: LCCI (Amin Hall)
Date: 31st July, 2007
Time: 02:00 to 06:00pm

For further details and registration
visit www.irp.edu.pk or

Contact
Mr. Mustafa Zaidi
Joint Director R&D, LCCI
mustafa@lcci.org.pk
0322-4051459
042-111-222-499

Mr. Rahmat Ullah
Coordinator, IRP
crd@irp.edu.pk
0321-4917181
042-5020200

Institute of Research Promotion (IRP)
13-A, AL-Hamra Building (Adkings), Faiz Road, Old Muslim Town Lahore,
www.irp.edu.pk 92-042-5020200-5835009

Pakistani power cuts cripple textile sector

ISLAMABAD -- Chronic power cuts in Pakistan threaten millions of jobs and have sparked violent protests, but the government says it will make up the shortfall in electricity with new power plants by the end of the Pakistan faces a power deficit of up to 3,000 MW but the shortage peaked at more than 4,500 MW last week when outflows from reservoirs were reduced for annual irrigation canal cleaning and short oil and gas supplies reduced output from thermal power plants. As a result, the government resorted to unannounced power cuts for hours every day.

The cuts are an inconvenience for all, but a potential disaster for the textile sector, Pakistan's biggest source of exports and its main manufacturing employer.

The situation has improved since last week after more water was released from reservoirs and better oil supplies to thermal units brought down the deficit to between 2,500 and 3,000 MW. But many parts of the country still face intermittent power cuts of eight hours a day.

“The textile industry runs 24 hours a day and if eight hours are gone that means one-third of output has gone,” said Tariq Mehmood, chairman of the All Pakistan Textiles Mills Association.

His association ran a newspaper advertisement on Monday saying production was coming to a grinding halt and the industry faced total collapse. “This sector contributes 60 percent to the country's exports and provides direct employment to 2.8 million people,” he said.

Pakistan's installed capacity is about 19,845 MW, of which about a third is produced by hydro-electric power. Much of the rest is generated by thermal plants, fuelled primarily by gas and oil. Several thousand angry people, most of them textile workers, torched offices of the state-owned power utility and several vehicles in the industrial city of Faisalabad on Saturday to protest against the cuts.

year.

Turkish Home Textile Sector

This adventure which started with woven industry in Anatolia has become famous with the woven of many of our regions.


This adventure which started with woven industry in Anatolia has become famous with the woven of many of our regions. These are; the Buldan Fabric of Denizli, the Silk of Bursa and Çorum's Kargı Fabric,…etc. The factory which has been installed in İzmit called Hereke Fabrika-i Hümayün, throughout its 150 years history, has pioneered the production of many towel textile goods from silk woven to carpet, from clothing to sock. With the jacquard workbenches, brought from France in 1850, today the production of the fabrics for flooring and curtains which is an important and indispensable part of home textile has been provided. After the year of 1990, the home textile sector has improved significantly and Turkish home textile products have reached a position in which they can comfortably compete in world markets. The main reasons for this; a huge variety in fabric and design, being produced with last technology, usage of innovative and modern design and motives, the intersection of the highest level quality and acceptable prices. In this respect, today, in Turkey all type of home textile goods are being manufactured and Turkish home textile production is progressing on the way to be the one of the bests thanks to high product variety and excellent quality.

Turkish home textile has some vitally important qualifications specific to itself. Primarily, our country, having a very strong quality image abroad, has a machinery park with the last technology and an infrastructure with flexible work-style and qualified labor force which can produce all type of product. "Turkey Home Textile Sector" unlike many contract manufacturers of only big brands as in many divisions of textile; is one of the biggest textiles producing countries with its design, product technology, R&D investments, high production capacity and its worldwide well-known brands.

The sector which is offering highly qualified productions to global market, with its capacity, technology, quality and trend creating designs, is raising its market-share by supporting promotion and marketing activities. Among the main factors which provide the success of the sector, brand creation come the first. Today, it is observed that the companies, which ascend with their brands, are more powerful in the international arena. Furthermore, bending to high value-added quality products, participation in international fairs in order to introduce Turkish home textile products, consideration of intellectual property rights, human health, environment and total quality management are the most important factors which increase the competitiveness of the sector.

High scale companies, acquire the highest level quality in all stages of production by integrating the production process from fiber and fabric manufacture to product design, painting, finishing and sewing. This process has brought the companies acting in the home textile sector to very essential positions in Europe and world. For instance;

The machinery park established to produce embroidery and guipure in Turkey is the largest machinery park of the world.

The largest bedding factory of Europe is in Turkey.

Turkey is one of the first three suppliers of curtain and embroidery in Europe, and also is one of the first three suppliers of towel in the world.

All of these firms use high production capacity, modern technology, qualified labor-force and well-trained human resources. The success that this industry has gained in international trade is a result of the works of small and medium sized firms as well as the large, modern and vertically integrated companies.

The unique and most crucial indication of competing in the foreign trade is the dimension of investments to the branding. The most important well-known Turkish home textile brands in Europe and in the World are; Demor, Chanan, Elvin, Brillant, Home Collection, Taç, Ceys, Evita, Funika, Romans, Pinella, Dina, Narin, Unique Art, Broderi Narin, Epengle,…etc.

According to the data of Turkish Statistical Institute 5676 companies are acting in production in home textile industry. The main cities where the sector production intensifies are; Bursa, Denizli, İstanbul, İzmir and Uşak. For towel, net lace and sheet Bursa, for blanket weaving Uşak and for net lace and sheet İstanbul are the places where the production of mentioned goods is very intensive.

The most important places which provide the reach of the outside buyer to the potential of home textile are the fairs. The growth trend in the sector is rising day by day with the participation of the sector to the fairs to introduce itself and to market its products.

Growth of China's textile, clothing exports slows down

China sold abroad 185.1 billion U.S. dollars worth of textiles and clothing (including yarn, fabrics, textile products, garments and accessories) in 2008, a growth of 8.2 percent on the previous year, the General Administration of Customs said on Saturday.
But the growth rate was 10.7 percentage points below the year-earlier level.

The export value rose 10.1 percent to 16.06 billion U.S. dollars in December after it recorded a decline in February and June due mainly to weak demand upon the financial crisis.

The export recovery has begun since the second half of last year, when China readjusted the export tax rebates upward, foreign exchange rate of its currency remained stable and production cost fell, the customs administration said.

The total export value for the whole year included 119.79 billion U.S. dollars in sales of garments and accessories, up 4.1 percent, and 65.31 billion dollars in sales of yarn, fabrics and textile products, up 16.6 percent.





Source:Xinhuanet

Informatization boosts textile sector competitiveness

By Huang Xin


Since listed in the pilot industries for informatization application by governments, the informatization construction of China's textile industry has achieved a leap-forward progress, prominently embodied in the great enhancement in terms of the industrial public information services and enterprises' informatization application. As the giant ranking No. 1 of textile production, consumption and export in the world, China's textile industry is expected to accelerate the pace of structural adjustment and industrial upgrade under the background of international financial crisis. In order to adapt to the industrial characters of "small batches, multiple breeds, and fast transformation" in China's textile industry, applying informatization technologies is a key means.


'In the informatization construction of textile industry, industrial public information service platform construction, promotion of enterprises' informatization application and research on industrial informatization standards are three keystones.' Zhai Yanju, Deputy Director of Information Department of China National Textile And Apparel Council expressed, 'Such three aspects will be the main orientation of the informatization construction in textile industry in 2009.'


Establish a public platform, achieve information share


The character of "numerous mid-and-small enterprises and industrial centralization" in textile industry determines that establishing a public information service platform is an inevitable choice to elevate industrial informatization level and promote industrial upgrade.


There exist numerous enterprises in China's textile industry, and most of them are mid-and-small ones. During the past few years' development, industrial clusters have been shaped up gradually, in which the mid-and-small enterprises are main forces. Each textile industrial cluster houses various enterprises ranging from 100-200 to 1,000-2,000. Restricted by such factors as capital, talents and technologies, most mid-and-small enterprises are difficult to rapidly enhance the informatization application level if only depending on their own strength. Therefore, relying on the public information service platform established by governments and industrial authorities is a better choice. And the significance of establishing a public information service platform in textile industry can be seen from it.


For this point, Zhai Yanju stated, 'We have been boosting the establishment of industrial network union in China's textile industry to realize effective integration and information share of industrial information resources and fulfill the information services oriented to the whole textile industrial chain.' 'Industrial network union' system is a cluster-type application of the main websites in textile industry, takes the official website of China National Textile And Apparel Council named 'China Textile Economic Information Network' as a core, and takes such specialty websites as textile industrial clusters, specialty markets, key enterprises, scientific research institutes, textile colleges and industrial associations as their member units. At present, 'China Textile Economic Information Network' has realized the link with 25 member node networks, the design and development of main application system has been fulfilled, information resources have been developed and information share has been achieved. In the future, the number of network node used for linking systems will be increased further to extend the coverage, the construction of information resources will be reinforced successively, the industrial information resources will be integrated continuously, and the content of information service will be expanded and consummated.



'Integration is the biggest challenge in the construction of industrial public information service platform' Zhai Yanju points out that many local independent public information service platforms are restricted by zones and industrial coverage. If a united platform can be taken as a guiding to shape up a huge network covering upstream and downstream industrial chains and various zones, the charge of information collection and operation cost will be reduced greatly, then the service problem troubling the industrial platform will be solved.


Elevate competitiveness and reinforce internal strength of enterprises


The industrial characters of "multiple breeds, many orders, small batches, long production flow and successive production process in China's textile industry determines the informatization construction for enterprises is an important means to elevate enterprises' competitiveness.


In the informatization application for textile enterprises, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is one of the industrialized products that developed and consummated with the most obvious industrial character. According to the random survey by China National Textile and Apparel Council in 2007, at present, such textile enterprises applying ERP system only took up around 7 percent, while the management of most enterprises still in the laggard manual management phase. Thus the market demand on ERP software is huge, but due to the maturity level of the ERP software suitable for the application of textile enterprises is lower, and the demand of enterprises is still difficult to meet, it is very significant to develop ERP system in textile industry.


The enterprise informatization application represented by ERP has brought favorable economic benefit for textile enterprises, especially in such aspects as reducing storage, enhancing productivity, decreasing production cost, expediting enterprises' response capability, shortening delivery time, improving products' quality and optimizing production technics, a bigger breakthrough has been achieved, and the growth of enterprises' economic benefit has been promoted efficiently. For instance, after using the informatization system, Guangdong Esquel Textile Co., Ltd has obviously improved its response capability to the market with the delivery time reduction from original 40 days in average to 25-30 days currently; and Erdos Group has reduced the manufacture cost and management stuff member by around 10 percent and 10 percent respectively while enhanced the throughput and work efficiency by 10-15 percent and 10-20 percent respectively.


Zhai Yanju expressed that, 'In 2009, we will continuously promote the demonstration project of textile enterprises' informatization application that taking ERP system construction as a core in textile industry, and drive the enterprises' informatization construction in the industry via establishing sample projects and demonstration projects.' For example, such companies as U-sun Textile Co., Ltd, Ningbo Youngor Worsted Spinning Weaving & Dyeing Co., Ltd, and Beijing Topnew Knitting Group Co., Ltd are recognized as the demonstration enterprises of informatization application in cotton textile, wool textile and weaving industries respectively, which has boosted the confidence and established samples for driving the innovative management in textile enterprises and implementing enterprises' informatization construction in the whole industry.


Meanwhile, many textile enterprises can also make use of such intangible benefits as management, service and quality represented by informatization technologies and market brands to elevate the brand effect of brand companies. For instance, Beijing Topnew Knitting Group Co., Ltd and Erdos Group have greatly enhanced their brand effect due to the implementation of informatization management on marketing network system nationwide.





Source:CE.cn

Survival of textile industry rests on three key factors

The Indian textile industry experienced a reverse trajectory in its exports during 2008, which is not a welcome situation. Economists predict that economy will start reviving only by 2011. The interim would be a period of stress for Indian textile industry.

The industry has to practice diversification of scale, quality and innovation to survive the current dire situation. These are the three legs upon which the Indian textile industry should stand.

A recent study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry states that the Indian textile industry should invest in Research and Development of value-added and functional textiles that could be used by the Indian military.

High performance yarns and products using high performance fibers such as Nomex, Kevlar, and fire retardant fibers can be used in defense and aerospace sectors.

The industry should also plan for enhancement through expanding the product basket and product mix for a particular industry based on its efficiencies and resources.

It should not only aim at developing the international market, but also focus on the growing middle class domestic market.

Click here to read the complete article.


Source : Fibre2fashion

USA : Kami Shade' announces 'Hollywood Shop Til' You Drop'

Kami Shade’ announces “Hollywood Shop Til’ You Drop”, at The Exclusive Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood on July 16, 2005. This event is West Hollywood’s Newest Shopping Experience.

Hollywood Shop Til’ You Drop is a monthly shopping event which features Designer Clothing, Huge Selection of HOTT!! Gear for Men, Vintage Tees, Betsy Johnson, Sergio, Rhinestone Tanks, Sexy Summer Dresses, Kami Shade’ “The Collection”, Zola, Trace Clothing, CMZ Designs, Sunday Driver, Betsy Johnson, Religion, Naked Clothing, Design Kulture 360, Saaz Designs, Handbags, Designer Jewelry seen on "Desperate Housewives, Halle Berry, Hilary Duff, Pam Anderson, E! Network, Lucky, Elle & many more..

This event also features “Hollywood’s Best” dance teams and exclusive runway fashion shows held every half hour featuring the hottest runway models in Los Angeles as well as the hottest spring/fall lines of the season. VIP reserved seating is available for our celebrity clientele which this event attracts every month.

Previous Celebrity Guests; Trisha Simmons (Desperate Housewives), Megan Fox (Hope & Faith), Mario Lopez (Saved by The Bell), Elise Neal (All Of Us), Taraji Henson (Baby Boy, Hustle & Flow), Terrance Howard (The Brothers, Hustle & Flow), Tammi Tyson (All Fox Sports Net), Tisha Campbell-Martin (My Wife & My Kids), Dorian Gregory (Charmed), Anthony Anderson (Barber Shop, Hustle & Flow) & many more.

Enjoys hours of shopping from 12pm to 5pm. All invited guests receive complimentary manicures, massages and MAC makeovers. Clothing, Jewelry and handbag giveaways are every half hour up ($1500 Value). Guest must rsvp to attend to kami@kamishade.com.

Source: http://www.fibre2fashion.com

India is clearly losing its competitive edge in global markets

AEPC has demanded the duty drawback rates be increased to 14.64% from the current 8.8% for cotton apparel, 9.8% for blended garments and 10.5% for synthetic garments. Apparel exporters have demanded an increase in the duty draw back rate to 14.64% to fight the rapid decline in order from foreign retailers, many of whom are facing bankruptcy and have closed hundreds of stores as much of industrially advanced economies has slid into recession. Duty drawback rate is the percentage of total value of exports, which exporters get back as soon the shipment is sent. This is a refund of all duties paid by exporters on raw materials for apparel products, which exporters claim back from the government as exporters are expected to have a level playing field with exporters from other
countries. Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) estimates that around 5 lakh jobs have been lost in the past six months. Textile hubs of Tirupur, Noida and Gurgaon have been badly affected with several factories getting closed. According to AEPC, apparel export declined 0.2% between April and November 2008, compared to the same period in the pervious year. Apparel exports may touch only $8.78 billion in the current fiscal, 24% less than the target of $11.62 billion and 9.3% down from 2007.
India is clearly losing its competitive edge in global markets. Even as exports from India have declined, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia have been able to increase their market share. Lower labour cost and higher government incentives have kept neighbouring countries in better health than India. "India doesn't produce as cheap a product as Bangledesh or Vietnam and supplies to several mid-market and high-end retailers, who are much worse hit than value retailers such as Wal-Mart. Retailers are rushing to low-cost countries in the downturn, reducing orders to India

Bangladesh Knitwear is expected to Decline by 10%

Bangladesh's monthly average sales from knitwear exports are expected to fall by at least 10 percent as shrinking demand and weak prices take a toll on the export-driven industry. The decline could be reflected in last month's data and last through the coming months. Bangladesh earned $3.8 billion by exporting knit textiles from July to January, the first seven months of 2008/09 fiscal year, out of total export earnings of $9.1 billion.

Textile has been Bangladesh's biggest export and foreign exchange earner, fetching about $11 billion on average annually in recent years. country's major textile competitors such as China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand, had provided a number of incentives to their exporters including offering loans at reduced interest rates and cutting tax on export earnings.

Doyens acclaim branding campaign for Nonwovens Industry even before its launch

www.nonwovensupplier.com - 365 days online branding campaign for nonwovens Industry is a bold initiative by Fibre2Fashion to cater to the field of nonwovens through its thick presence worldwide. It has been able to garner a very good response from nonwovens manufacturers, machinery manufacturers and marketers as well as consultants.

This has come in no small measure to the goodwill generated by Fibre2Fashion through its 10 years of valuable service offered to the industry. The campaign will start from 31st March 2009 for one full year. Companies have slowly but surely begun to realize the power of the internet and in turn the influence and impact that online branding is able to generate across the globe, beyond any demarcated geographical boundaries.

Dr. PR Roy, a leading Management Consultant and a former group chief executive of Arvind Mills got highly impressed with the commitment and dedication of fibre2fashion’s team behind the campaign.

Congratulating the team, he appreciated Fibre2Fashion's brilliant concept of bringing underneath one common umbrella all those concerned in a rapidly growing sector like nonwovens to look at their current and future business with the support of authentic data / information. He further added that despite the present economic meltdown, the bold and pragmatic industry leaders are expected to choose their next steps forward on the basis of such meaningful support. He wishes Fibre2Fashion all the success in this endeavor.

Ms. Scholken, Sales Manager at RML Raynworth Marketing Ltd, one of the leading machinery marketing companies from Switzerland got abundantly convinced with the concept and its deliverables. In a happy tone, she said, “This is the third time that we have participated in an internet based activity”. Continuing with her review, she added by saying, “The most impressive part in this campaign is the branding across ministries, associations and companies globally, which they are looking at since long.

A separate location on the internet, www.nonwovensupplier.com is a 365 days online branding campaign designed for nonwoven fabric manufacturers, converters, machinery manufacturers and consultants. One of the distinct features of this campaign is the creation of comprehensive directory of suppliers to the nonwovens industry. It would serve as a ready reference for companies to source fabric, machinery or take an expert opinion in the field of nonwovens.

Product Showcase is another exclusive offering wherein companies can display their products online throughout the year. The same will be optimized through a team of expert optimizers across major search engines worldwide. As a part of its campaigning process, fibre2fashion will circulate 2000 copies of this comprehensive directory to ministries, associations andcompanies worldwide.

Participation in the campaign will draw great benefits in terms of global branding and business generation. Fibre2fashion also appeals for immediate participation in order to avail the benefits of early registration, sources said.

To have a look at the participants to this global initiative or for more updates, please visit www.nonwovensupplier.com.

War cry against US cotton subsidies at WTO

The Brazilian government has staked a claim to US $2.5 billion at the World Trade Organization (WTO), for the prejudice suffered by its cotton farmers between 1998 and 2000, due to the subsidies the US government offers to its cotton farmers.

This was informed by Mr Azevedo, the Brazilian ambassador to the WTO. He added by saying that, “If the big countries are not penalized for violation of WTO rules, it would affect the credibility of the global trade organization”.

Last year WTO had upheld a complaint from Brazil alleging that the US had infringed the WTO rules by providing subsidies to its farmers. Brazil alleges that subsidies doled out to cotton farmers touches about 89.5 percent of the value of the produce.

The huge subsidies paid out by the US to its farmers has been criticized by many countries, including Asian and African countries as these subsidies depresses global prices and in the process affects the earnings of the cotton farmers in those countries.

Three Legs for the Indian Textile Industry to Run By : Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar

Options for the Indian Textile Industry: Diversification


The mantra here is diversity within limits. Although diversification is not a panacea to the difficulties which are faced by the Indian textile industry, at least it gives some life support to the industry in the current dire economic situation. Diversification here refers to three aspects;

1. scale;

2. quality

3. innovation.


What we mean by diversification here is not to just ask for expansion or investments by the industry in totally new areas, which are outside the core competency of a particular industry. For instance, until the global economy starts recovering, it is not judicious for a spinning sector to invest into technical textiles sector or spread thin. Rather it will be logical for the spinning sector to think in terms of enhancing its scale, improving the quality of its products and trying to look into incremental innovation. These three factors, i.e., enhancing the scale of operation, improving the quality and improving creativity utilizing existing resources to innovate new products are the three legs upon which the Indian textile industry should stand. Such an approach will slowly take the conventional commodity sector into the boundaries of specialty textiles sector or technical textiles. This is the logical diversification and the need of the hour.


Scale, Quality and Innovation


An industrialist will feel nervous in the current situation to enhance his scale of operation when the markets are basically flattened. The clarion call made here is not to blindly expand but to harmonize scale, quality and innovation towards better output to create new opportunities. For example, a recent study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on the opportunities that are existing in the defense sector for the Indian textile industry has called for a better coordination and education of procurement and other opportunities that are existing with the Indian defense sector. In addition, it calls for the Indian textile industry to invest in Research and Development for developing value-added and functional textiles that could be used by the Indian military and also the Indian military to make procurement procedures friendly for the Indian textile industry. In view of expansion, Indian spinning sector can enhance its output by effectively developing high performance yarns and products using high performance fibers such as Nomex, Kevlar, fire retardant fibers in different combinations which will be of use to the Indian defense and aerospace sectors. This kind of expansion of scale which is rather unconventional will not only provide a Plan B to the commodity spinning sector but also will provide the Indian conventional spinning sector an opportunity to get its foot in the defense sectors door. Such kind of activities is possible nowadays because of the existence of either sales or subsidiary offices of high performance fiber manufacturers such as Lenzing, AG in India.


Another leg of the stool on which the Indian textile industry should stand is the constant effort to enhance the quality of its products Industrialists and traders have become more aware of the perks for improvement in the quality and quality labels. Indian textile industry is fortunate to have access to the workshops on quality improvement and quality standards by international professional organizations such as the USA based American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists and the UK based Society of Dyers and Colorists. The availability of these workshops in India most recently at subsidized costs is a good opportunity which the Indian industry should seize. Indian trade bodies such as the Confederation of the Indian Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry should raise the quality bar on its members products and should serve as a good ambassador in promoting the improvements in the quality of Indian goods in international trade forums. With the enhancement in scale and the quality of the products, incremental innovations will expand the product basket of the Indian textile and manufacturing industries. Such a three prong approach will be an immediate requirement for the Indian textile industry to see some growth light at the end of the dark tunnel.


Creation of Domestic and International Market Mix


Looking at the global economic situation from Australia to America, it is clear that it will take two more years for the economy to revive and grow. More importantly, as the textile industry is dependent on the buying power of consumers, it is difficult to envision an immediate recovery. Governments around the world are doing their best to boost consumer confidence and provide tools for consumers to spend. Australian government has announced a stimulus package of over 40 billion Australian dollars which includes cash bonus with an aim of spearheading sales. The United States government as part of its recovery plan will provide tax deduction of $8 to $13 per week with a view of encouraging consumers to buy. The fact that money is returned to the tax payers in the form of a monthly tax deduction is to prevent savings by consumers and improve spending. These spending enhancement measures will take some time to provide real impact. Even though these industrialized nations which are important for Indias export dependent textile sector are doing all they can in terms of fiscal stimulus and monitory policies, a recent report by the National Association for Business Economics based in Washington DC, USA has predicted that the unemployment rate in the United States will rise to 9 percent by the end of 2009 from its current 7.6 percent. More importantly, an alarming signal for commodity industries such as the textile is the prediction by the National Association for Business Economics that the consumer price index will decline 0.8 percent in 2009. Many negative factors such as the decline in consumer price index, lack of consumer confidence, increase in unemployment rate and home foreclosures in developed economies will have negative effect on Indias export sector. Therefore, time is ripe for all stakeholders of the Indian textile industry to sit together and come-up with a market model which can serve as a cushion in recession and bleak export scenarios. Such a model should be based on a mix of domestic and international opportunities for the Indian textile industry. Although this may not be recession proof solution, it will be a safety net than what is excising currently in India. How can this be achieved? The solution to this is to diversify by enhancing the scale of operation with a different twist. As explained above, enhancement of scale is not merely a vertical expansion but a horizontal one. In other words, expanding the product basket and product mix for a particular industry based on its core competency and resources. The second point is to have incremental quality enhancement which will have bottom to top quality improvement; thirdly, creative measures with the help of incremental innovation to develop new products with existing resources should be given an equal priority.


Three Immediate Priorities for the Indian Textile Industry


Why is Indian textile industry lagging behind China? Why is the Indian garment/fashion industry lagging behind Italy? We all have clear answers to these questions. They are: scale and quality. Indian textile industry and for that matter the Indian manufacturing industry has to chase the Chinese and Italian industry to achieve output and quality. Whereas, by properly utilizing the available resources and engaging in collaborations with the Indian R&D sectors, incremental innovations can be quickly achieved in the Indian textile industry. These small innovations may help the Indian textile sector to catch-up with the Chinese and Italian industry. Here it is useful to refer to a column in the widely read USA based Atlantic Monthly. James Fallows of the Atlantic Monthly in one of his famous reports from China, "China Makes the World Takes, July 2007," admires the manufacturing power of China and attributes it to its abundant manpower resource. Basically, the economy of scale in the manufacture of commodity products has given China this competitive edge. So the situation which was rosier years back in China is changing, when its competitive advantage i.e., low cost abundant labor is getting somewhat eroded due growing labor power in other low wage countries. Today, 20 million migrant workers are jobless in China who are returning back to their villages due to slump in export and loss of jobs. At the same time, high labor wage countries which are known to produce designer products such as Italy are struggling to keep their factories open. What is the best solution in this situation? Those countries that offer a balance of good quality products at competitive prices will have better opportunity. Also if emerging markets like India which could not only develop its industry base to cater to export markets but also to serve its growing middle class domestic market will be the winners in near long term.


To reach this milestone, the Indian textile industry should stand on three legs which are:


1. enhancement of its scale, which is horizontal and logical diversification;

2. improvement in the quality of its products

3. innovation. The future for the Indian textiles sector rests in these legs.

Mixed trends witnessed in worldwide Propylene markets

The upward trend maintained by propylene prices in the last week in the Far East region was maintained in this week too, though prices of the raw material stayed stable in Europe and fell marginally in US markets.

Propylene prices for FOB South Korea in Far East region rose from last week’s levels of US $665-667 per ton to close at $675-677 per ton. Though, analysts are at a complete loss with regards to the increase in propylene prices only in this market.

Propylene prices in European markets though remained stable when compared with prices in the previous week. Propylene (polymerization level), FD Northwest Europe and CIF Northwest Europe continued to be quoted at €436-446 and €411-421 per metric ton, respectively.

The US markets saw prices of propylene falling marginally, vis-à-vis the rising trend in last week and dipped to US cent 22.505-23.005 per lb from US cent 23.380-23.630 per lb, recorded in the earlier week.

What is happening Around the World?

A month can make such a difference! Oscar night is finally over and the India centric Slumdog Millionaire has won 8 Oscars, which is a feat that has put really India in the center of Hollywood and in fact the world. When the author wrote the February column, Slumdog Millionaire had 10 nominations and in this intervening month this India centric film was talk of the world which eventually culminated in the best film award. From the entertainment industry point of view and general perception that surrounds such a fabulous achievement, things look greener for India. However most of the times reality trumps perception and imagination. From manufacturing point of view, for India to walk and run, a third leg is needed. As the saying goes, it is good to start with a bitter pill and end with a sweeter one. However in the case of international trade and manufacturing, the reality is such the Oscar nights are a distance future. Although this might sound pessimistic, it is good to infuse reality than glitz and imagination in to the minds of Indian entrepreneurs and policy makers. Apart from the media glitz and the feel good story of Oscars, President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package and his forthcoming State of the Union address to the joint session of the congress is getting its due share attention from the global press. Why is this so? Because, United States still has so much influence on international trade and economy. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-2009 has 787 billion US dollars of stimulus money to boost the economy within 18 months. A majority of it is for spending towards rebuilding bridges, schools, and providing broadband connectivity across the United States. This should have been music to the ears of international trading partners with United States like India and China if all things were normal. However this is not the case. This stimulus package has "Buy American Protectionist" language albeit in a toned down fashion." Before the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into, law the Democratic congress insisted on protecting the United States jobs and manufacturing industry by including restrictions on the use of goods and services towards recovery. However due to international pressures, the United States government relaxed stricter regulations on the "Buy American" provisions. In the final law, those nations that have trade treaties such as NAFTA and other preferential trade treaties will have access to bid on the projects that are supported by the stimulus package. So countries such as Canada, Mexico and those in European Union are the gainers. However, BRIC nations such as Brazil Russia, India and China are excluded from participating in the trade and development activities that are supported by the stimulus bill. Although people may have difference of opinion on protectionist policies and its impact on international trade, the reality is India has fallen on the wrong side of the equation and is a loser. This scenario will be a blow for the export driven industries in India such as IT and textiles. More importantly, an amendment in the final law insists that the uniforms and other cloth materials which will be used by the United States' Transportation Security Agency should be made in America and use products that are American. These trade policies restrict the opportunities for India and other BRIC nations to export and participate in the recovery related trade in the US. This situation is not only pertaining to the United States of America. The prolonged recession in United Kingdom and France is forcing these governments to take steps to protect jobs of their citizens by bringing in more regulations. United Kingdom recently witnessed labor strike due to the employment of non-UK citizens in an oil refinery in Lincolnshire. The UK government has to come-up with some sought of undertaking to convince the striking laborers to ensure their job safety, which shows the seriousness of the situation that is embracing the world right now. What have these scenarios got to do with the Indian textile industry? Post MFA era, the Indian textile industry thrived due to its export which saw a reverse trajectory in 2007 and 2008. Even a small variation in the dollar-rupee exchange rate can create a havoc in the textile industry. Such a situation was witnessed in 2007 when the world was not in a recession. But since December 2007, United States is in official recession which is leading to lower consumer spending and closing of retail stores across the United States. JCPenney just announced that its 2008 4th Quarter sales is nearly 10% lower than the one in the previous year. This situation is not a welcoming one for Indian textile export sector. So it is imperative for the Indian textile industry which is labor and infrastructure intensive to look beyond the current and conventional opportunities. Economists predict that the economy may start recovering only during the spring of 2011, i.e., two years from now. So this period which will be a stressful one for the Indian textile industry will provide new and untapped opportunities. One such opportunity is in the diversification of the Indian textile industry to cater to its domestic base in short term and explore export opportunities in the near long term. This strategy will be particularly timely now as it helps the Indian textile industry to plan ahead and start growing until the global economy starts recovering as early as 2011.

Survival of textile industry rests on three key factors

The Indian textile industry experienced a reverse trajectory in its exports during 2008, which is not a welcome situation. Economists predict that economy will start reviving only by 2011. The interim would be a period of stress for Indian textile industry.

The industry has to practice diversification of scale, quality and innovation to survive the current dire situation. These are the three legs upon which the Indian textile industry should stand.

A recent study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry states that the Indian textile industry should invest in Research and Development of value-added and functional textiles that could be used by the Indian military.

High performance yarns and products using high performance fibers such as Nomex, Kevlar, and fire retardant fibers can be used in defense and aerospace sectors.

The industry should also plan for enhancement through expanding the product basket and product mix for a particular industry based on its efficiencies and resources.

It should not only aim at developing the international market, but also focus on the growing middle class domestic market.

Bamboo fibre

Bamboo - 21st century eco fiber : Application in towel sector

By : Dr. Subrata Das

Bamboo, the wonder plant in nature, has many uses which include but not limited to erosion control, watershed protection, soil remediation, environmental greening and medicinal application. Bamboo is an incredibly sustainable resource, since it's fast-growing and resilient. Bamboo is actually not a wood, it's a grass. Unlike a tree, which can take decades to grow to maturity, bamboo is ready to harvest within 4 to 5 years.

Bamboo is a high-yield renewable natural resource: ply bamboo is now being used for wall paneling, floor tiles; bamboo pulp for paper making, briquettes for fuel, raw material for housing construction, and rebar for reinforced concrete beams. Bamboo is a mystical plant as a symbol of strength, flexibility, tenacity, endurance, luck and compromise. Throughout Asia, bamboo has been an integral part to religions ceremonies, art, music and daily life for centuries. Among the earliest historical records, in 2nd century B.C., it was written on green bamboo strips strung together in a bundle with silk thread. Instruments made of bamboo create unique resonance.

Bamboo shoots provide nutrition for million of people worldwide. In Japan, the antioxidant properties of pulverized bamboo bark prevents bacterial growth and its used a natural food preservative. Taiwan alone consumes 80,000 tons of bamboo shoots annually constituting at $50 million industry.
Many Asian countries overall development policy is to make limited use of natural resources, concentrating on the renewable ones. This policy recognizes the importance of rural activities, such as agriculture, forestry and handicrafts production. Bamboo is involved in all of these. The demand for bamboo is bound to increase over time, particularly for use as fodder and other multipurpose uses. There is ample scope for greater bamboo production, especially in the higher areas where communities are widely dispersed and agriculture is less profitable.

Bamboo fiber and starchy pulp are made from bamboo that grows widely throughout Asian countries. Starchy pulp is a refined product of bamboo stems and leaves through a process of hydrolysis-alkalization and multi-phase bleaching. Chemical fiber factories then process it into bamboo fiber.

Manufacturing process:

There are two ways to process bamboo to make the plant into a textile substrate: mechanically and chemically.

Mechanical process: The woody parts of the bamboo plant are crushed and then natural enzymes are used to break the bamboo walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be mechanically combed out and spun into yarn. This is treated as an eco-friendly manufacturing process. Bamboo fiber product made from this process is sometimes called bamboo linen. Very little bamboo linen is manufactured for clothing because it is more labor intensive and costly.

Chemical process: Chemically manufactured bamboo fiber is a regenerated cellulose fiber similar to rayon or modal. Chemically manufactured bamboo is sometimes called bamboo rayon because of the many similarities in the way it is chemically manufactured and similarities in its feel and hand.

Bamboo fiber is chemically manufactured by cooking the bamboo leaves and woody shoots in strong chemical solvents such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide in a process also known as hydrolysis alkalization combined with multi-phase bleaching. This is basically the same process used to make rayon from wood or cotton waste by products. The general process for producing regenerated bamboo fiber using hydrolysis alkalization with multi-phase bleaching technology is furnished below:

Preparation : Bamboo leaves and the soft, inner pith from the hard bamboo trunk are extracted and crushed;

Steeping : The crushed bamboo cellulose is soaked in a solution of 15% to 20% sodium hydroxide at a temperature between 20 degrees C to 25 degrees C for one to three hours to form alkali cellulose.

Pressing: The bamboo alkali cellulose is then squeezed mechanically to remove excess sodium hydroxide solution.

Shreeding: The alkali cellulose is mechanically shredded to increase surface area and make the cellulose easier to process.

Ageing: It is then left to dry for 24 hours. During this process, the shredded alkali cellulose is allowed to stand in contact with the oxygen of the ambient air. Because of high alkalinity, the alkali cellulose is partially oxidized and degraded to lower molecular weights. This degradation is to be controlled to produce chain lengths shorter enough to give proper viscosities in the spinning solution.

Xanthation: Carbon disulfide is added to the bamboo alkali cellulose to sulfurize the compound causing it to jell. Any remaining carbon disulfide is removed by evaporation due to decompression and cellulose sodium xanthate is the result.

Dissolving: A diluted solution of sodium hydroxide is added to the cellulose sodium xanthate dissolving it to create a viscose solution consisting of about 5% sodium hydroxide and 7% to 15% bamboo fiber cellulose.

Spinning: After subsequent ripening, filtering and degassing, the viscose bamboo cellulose is forced through spinneret nozzles into a large container of a diluted sulfuric acid solution which hardens the viscose bamboo cellulose sodium xanthate and reconverts it to cellulose bamboo fiber threads which are spun into bamboo fiber yarns to be woven into reconstructed and regenerated textile product of bamboo.

Eco friendly process to produce bamboo fiber

The chemical manufacturing process used to produce lyocell from wood cellulose can be modified to use bamboo cellulose. The lyocell process, also used to manufacture tencel, uses N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) as a solvent to dissolve the bamboo cellulose into a viscose solution. Hydrogen peroxide is added as a stabilizer and the solution is forced through spinnerets into a hardening bath which causes the thin streams of viscose bamboo solution to harden into bamboo cellulose fiber threads. The hardening bath is usually a solution of water and methanol, ethanol or a similar alcohol. The regenerated bamboo fiber threads can be spun into bamboo yarn for weaving into fabric. This lyocell processing is substantially healthier and more eco-friendly because N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide is supposedly non-toxic to humans and the chemical manufacturing processes are closed-loop so 99.5% of the chemicals used during the processing are captured and recycled to be used again. Only trace amounts escape into the atmosphere or into waste waters and waste products.

Other chemical manufacturing processes for bamboo fabric are appearing such as using acetic anhydride and acetic acid with sulfuric acid as a catalyst to form acetate fiber which is then spun into a yarn.

Nanotechnology in bamboo clothing industry

New nano-technologies are also being introduced into the bamboo clothing industry. It based on a bamboo clothing line made from nano-particles of bamboo charcoal. In this process, bamboo is dried and burned in 800 degree C ovens until it is reduced to charcoal. The bamboo is processed and converted into fine nano particles which are then embedded into cotton, polyester or nylon fibers. This conventional fiber yarn that contains trapped bamboo charcoal nano particles is then woven into fabrics mostly socks and blankets now.

It is reported that the active bamboo charcoal ingredients will only remain active in the clothing for about six months of active use.

Dyeing and Finishing

Light singeing, enzyme desizing, moderate bleaching and semi-mercerizing should be applied to the bamboo textile substrate prior to its dyeing and finishing process. It is better to avoid drastic conditions and use low mechanical tension.

Singeing: Bamboo fabric can be singed in moderate condition.

Desizing: Desizing rate should be over 80%.

Scouring: Pure bamboo normally needs no scouring; sometimes washing with a little alkaline soap may serve the purpose. The scouring process should be made in terms if fiber blend contains cotton. When pure bamboo fabrics are scoured, the alkali should not be over 10 g/liter but can be applied in accordance with the thickness of fabrics.
Bleaching: The processing should be made in terms of the specification and thickness of fabrics.

Mercerizing: Fabrics of bamboo fibers normally should not need mercerizing due to their sound luster and poor anti-alkaline properties. However, in some cases, to increase their absorbance capacity to dyestuff, it can be mercerized.

Dyeing: Reactive dyestuffs are used during dyeing process - alkali should not be over 20 g/liter; temperature should not be over 100 C. During drying process, low temperature and light tension are applied.

Yarn dyeing: Alkali should not be over 8 g/l in yarn dyeing.

Chemically-manufactured bamboo rayon has some wonderful properties which are adored by conventional and eco-aware designers and consumers involved in towel sector:

Water Absorbent

In textile form, bamboo retains many of the properties it has as a plant. Bamboo is highly water absorbent, able to take up three times its weight in water. In bamboo fiber towel, this translates to an excellent wicking ability that will pull moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate.

Soft Feel

Bamboo fiber towel is softer and smoother than cotton and can be comfortable directly next to the skin. Many people who experience allergic reactions to other natural fibers, such as wool or hemp, do not complain of this issue with bamboo. The fiber is naturally smooth and round without chemical treatment, meaning that there are no sharp spurs to irritate the skin. Strong and stable strength both vertically and horizontally plus a good dependence which leads to natural look and elegance.

Breathable and Cool

Bamboo fiber towel has an unusual level of breatheability, making it incredibly cool and comfortable next to the human skin. This is because the cross-section of the bamboo fiber is filled with various micro-gaps and micro-holes, it has much better moisture absorption and ventilation. With this unique microstructure, bamboo fiber towel can absorb and evaporate human sweat very quickly. Bamboo fiber towel make people feel extremely cool and comfortable in hot conditions. The ability of moisture absorption is more superior to cotton.

Antistatic

A characteristic of bamboo fiber is such that it absorbs moisture due to micro-gaps and static electricity is hard to be generated. Bamboo fiber does not contain free electron and thus it is antistatic, so it fits very well next to the human skin but not clinging it. It flows lightly over the body.

Antibacterial and Deodorized

Bamboo can thrive naturally without the use of pesticides as it is seldom eaten by pests or infected by pathogen. Scientists have found that bamboo contains a unique anti-bacteria and bacteriostasis bio-agent named "bamboo kun". This substance is maintained in the finished bamboo fabric as it is bound tightly to the bamboo cellulose molecule. Bacteria will propagate rapidly in cotton and other fibers obtained from wood pulp, forming bad smell and even cause early degradation of the fiber in some cases. But it will be killed 75% after 24 hours later in bamboo fiber.

Bamboo fiber towel has excellent natural functions. It is both anti-bacterial and deodorising in nature. It has been proven by studies conducted by the National Textile Inspection Association, China (NTIA), Shanghai Microorganism Research Institute and Japan Textile Inspection Association that even after bamboo fabric had been washed fifty times, it still possessed excellent anti-bacterial and bacteriostasis functions.
Bamboo fiber's natural anti-bacterial function differs greatly from that of chemical antimicrobial. The latter often tends to cause skin allergy when added to textile substrate.
Green and Biodegradable

Bamboo grows quickly, requiring few farming inputs and no pesticides. When compared to other fibres such as cotton, it is far more sustainable. Cotton requires huge amounts of water and extensive use of pesticides that pollute the environment. Bamboo takes up more greenhouse gasses and releases more oxygen and does not need replanting, or fertilisers and its roots are very good at stabilising erosion prone soil.
It produces natural and eco-friendly fiber without any chemical additives. More importantly, bamboo fiber is a unique biodegradable textile material. As a natural cellulose fiber, bamboo fiber can be 100% biodegraded in soil by micro organisms and sunlight. The decomposition process does not cause any pollution in the environment. "Bamboo fiber comes from nature and completely returns to nature in the end". Bamboo fiber is praised as "the natural, green and eco-friendly new-type textile material of the 21st century".

Care label hints of Bamboo towel

Towels can be machine washed in warm water. Do not bleach. Wash dark colors separately and avoid harsh detergents when washing

Wash Care Instructions:

It may be advised to launder towels before first use. Careful handling is recommended when washing a new Bamboo towel. To prevent snagging of the loops and towel shrinkage following steps can be followed:

> Placement of towels in a washing bag prior to its first laundering.

>Laundering of towels with warm water on delicate wash with like colors

>Do not bleach

>Tumble dry low

The use of fabric softeners is not often recommended as they tend to block the micro-gaps in the fibers leading to reduced absorbency.

Advantages over 100% cotton towel:

Anti-bacteria: 3 times effect than Cotton Products

Anti-static: 12 times effect than Cotton Products

Hygroscopic: 60% improvement in Comparison with Cotton Products

Deodorization: 30 % improvement in Comparison with Cotton Products

Microscopic view of Bamboo fiber :


By : Dr. Subrata Das




About the Author:

Dr. Subrata Das has done his Ph.D (1997) and M.Tech (1986) from the Textile Technology Department of I.I.T.Delhi after the successful completion of B.Sc(Tech) in Textile Technology(1983) from Calcutta University. He has around two decades of work experience in Shop floor, Research & Development, Quality Assurance and Teaching. Dr. Das has been abroad several times and has received special training in Social Accountability, Laboratory Management Systems and Excellence in Retail Store Operations. He has performed more than 100 audits in Bangladesh as a lead auditor in Social Compliance for reputed garment buyers throughout the globe.

Dr. Das is currently heading the Consumer Testing Laboratories (India) Limited, Inc., Bangalore. He has around 75 publications in reputed national and international textile journals to his credit and has presented 20 technical papers in various national and international conferences. He is in the panel of referees of Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile Research. Dr Das has recently been empanelled as NABL assessor in Laboratory audit as per ISO/IEC 17025. You can contact him on: drsubratadas2000@gmail.com

Tirupur facing 25- 35% Negative growth

Tirupur has about 6,250 factories, which provide direct employment to 3.5 lakh people (mainly rural women) and indirect employment to about 2 lakh. The units are mainly dependent on the export of hosiery and knitwear, with around 50-55% going to the EU countries, 30-35% to the US and the remaining to other countries. The industry is facing a 25-30% decline in growth this year.

Bangladesh Knitwear is expected to Decline by 10%

Bangladesh's monthly average sales from knitwear exports are expected to fall by at least 10 percent as shrinking demand and weak prices take a toll on the export-driven industry. The decline could be reflected in last month's data and last through the coming months. Bangladesh earned $3.8 billion by exporting knit textiles from July to January, the first seven months of 2008/09 fiscal year, out of total export earnings of $9.1 billion.

Textile has been Bangladesh's biggest export and foreign exchange earner, fetching about $11 billion on average annually in recent years. country's major textile competitors such as China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand, had provided a number of incentives to their exporters including offering loans at reduced interest rates and cutting tax on export earnings.

Indian textile sector in ventilator

Last year among all the sectors that were badly hit by the squeezing of the global vis-à-vis the Indian economy, it was the textile sector. Its probable impact on the sector could be gauged from the fact that the government had to send a Save-Our-Soul message to determine the impact of job loss in this sector, followed with not one but two consecutive fiscal stimulus packages.

Its irony that this has taken place on a sector that till July, 2008 was eulogized as a "Sunrise Sector", that will engage 17.37 million people alone up to 2012. However, coming to the end of the year 2008 it started showing the symptoms of a "Sunset” sector.

The contribution of textile sector, according to the annual report 2007-08, is 14 per cent to industrial production, 4 per cent to the GDP, and 17 per cent to the country’s export earnings.

The roller-coaster ride of the sector in the last fiscal came with the drastic erosion of its cost competitiveness that Indian textiles exporters had enjoyed in the US, EU and Canada, and also in the markets of U.A.E., Japan, Bangladesh and Turkey. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in this sector in September saw 4.9 per cent, in October it went to a negative territory registering minus 7.1 per cent. High input and transaction costs also bleed the sector profusely.

The export basket that consists of items like cotton yarn and fabrics, man-made yarn and fabrics, wool and silk fabrics, made-ups and variety of garments, the ‘handicraft’ export dips negative 2.46 %. In the months April-May 2007 it was Rs. 812.55 crore while it was Rs. 833.05 crore in the same months in 2008. Natural silk yarn, fabrics and made-ups also registered negative 16.31 % growth from Rs 270.46 in April-May 2007 to Rs. 226.35 crore in the corresponding months in 2008. The export of textile based products in the month July-September 2008 saw 30 to 35 % dip.

The negative growth of export in ‘handicraft’ is a matter of concern, especially for the North Eastern Region, since the area enjoys the highest concentration of handlooms in the country. According to 1995-96 Handloom Census, out of 25.4 lakh units engaged in handloom activities, 14.6 lakh units (household and non-house hold) are concentrated in Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura. Of the 13.4 % contribution in the commercial looms of the country from these states, the total production of handloom fabric is merely 20 %.

When things have been going wrong in the domestic and international markets, the condition of textile sector in the northeastern states is not away from anybody's guess. The sector in the region has been marred with difficulties in the absorption of funds, which has been posed as a greater impediment in the way of its growth. It includes delay in submission of proposals, non release of the States governments’ share in case of Centrally Sponsored Scheme and non-submission of utilization certificates, the absence of infrastructure facilities and of credible Non Government Organisations are other problems that infest the sector, hence the exports prospect originating from the region.

The dip in the export prospects started happening at the time when the target set for the export of textile-based product for the year 2007-08 was US $ 25.06 billion, while the actual exports performance touched US $ 22 billion, as per the provisional figures. However, there has been an increase of US $ 2.3 billion compared to the exports performance in the year 2006-07.

On the other hand, at the import front, it was not rosy, even. The import of raw jute declined minus 26 % from Rs 16.77 crore in April-May 2007 to Rs 12.41 crore in the same months in the year 2008. Notwithstanding, investments in the sector was also badly hit; there was a 66 % decline in investments in the period April-August 2008-09, compared to 2005-06.

The textile sector which is the largest employer in the country with more than 3.5 crore workers, in November came out with a disturbing figure that in 6 months, 7 lakh workers had lost their jobs in the contraction of the global economy that had a cascading affect on the sector. And in the next 3 months, 12 lakh more jobs will be axed, the media reported.

The ongoing eclipse in the sector all started from the beginning of the year 2007 when Indian rupee steeply appreciated against the US dollar. Seems it was not the end of bad news for the sector, before rupee started depreciating, the prices of the cotton skyrocketed into a new height, there was price increase of over 40 % in India within a period of less than 6 months ending September 2008. Exacerbating the sector more, increase in interest rates with steep power cuts also played a pivotal role. Inflation touched 13-year high 12.01% in the week ending 26 July, and the repo rate 9 per cent.

If there was any good news that came for the Northeastern states, it came in November, with the Government’s approval of the Comprehensive Development Scheme as a Central Sector Plan Scheme during the XI Five Year Plan. Under the scheme, Sibsagar in Assam, Varanasi and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, and Narasapur in Andhra Pradesh, were allocated Rs.70.00 crore each to meet the changing market demand both at domestic and international market and for technology up-gradation.

The first fiscal stimulus package declared by Government on December with slew of measures like 2% interest rate subvention in pre-and post-shipment credit for textiles up to March 31, 2009; followed by infusing Rs 1,100 crore to ensure full refund of Terminal Excise duty/CST, also failed to bail out the shrinking sector. Other measures, the allocation of Rs 350 crore each for export incentive schemes and for back-up guarantee for ECGC for exports to difficult markets/products; service tax refund on foreign agent commissions of up to 10% of FOB value of exports, also botched to revive the sector.

According to trade bodies, both the declared packages are negligible and insufficient compared to competing countries like China and Pakistan. The two packages ignored the two-year moratorium period demand for repayment of loans, enhancement of credit limit from three months to nine months, 2% increase in the interest subvention for export credit, that the industry was hoping was not addressed.

It has further stated that to protect the textile industry a clear cut guideline is essential for availing two year moratorium for repayment of loans, lest it should become NPAs; along with it a special package for working capital is also required to manage the abrupt increase in the minimum support price for cotton.

Note: For republication/fair use of this article, do contact at rajkumarrishi1[at]gmail.com

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Textile Sector Looses 10,300 Jobs In December - NCTO

The government reported that the U.S. textile sector lost 10,300 jobs in December, one of the worst job losses in industry history. North Carolina is the hardest hit with statistics showing that 13 textile plants have closed during the last year.

NCTO President Cass Johnson, “Job losses in the industry are skyrocketing as retail demand has collapsed. This makes passage of a strong Kissell amendment that benefits the textile industry and the Buy American portions of the Senate stimulus bill imperative. These two provisions will help to keep textile and apparel workers employed during these terrible economic times.

The Kissell amendment is essential because it requires that sourcing textile products used in uniforms by the Transportation and Services Administration in the Department of Homeland Security. This amendment would help keep textile workers in their jobs in North Carolina and around the Southeast. The amendment simply adopts a procurement system that has been in place in the Department of Defense for over 60 years and transfers it to DHS. In fact, DHS already uses the Berry amendment for its procurement of Coast Guard uniforms.Johnson noted the importance of the Buy American amendments in the Senate Bill. “At a time when U.S. workers jobs are on the line and that the U.S. manufacturing workforce has been hit harder than any other sector of our economy, with one out of every four jobs lost during the last eight years, we need to concentrate on getting U.S. manufacturing plants running again. Congress should ignore disingenuous outcries on behalf of foreign producers and maintain the Buy American clauses in the final bill.”

Johnson particularly criticized foreign governments who have attacked the Buy American clause but continue to shut U.S. companies and their workers from vast swaths of their own government spending. “There is something galling about listening to the EU, Canada and others complain when these countries have already permanently excluded U.S. companies from participating in much of their government spending. The plain facts are that every country in world has similar provisions and that the United States uses them far less than our major trading partners.”