By Region
AGOA sales move gently upwards...
African apparel sales to the US continue to make little impact in the US, with the largest exporter, Lesotho, achieving only 0.5% of US apparel imports in 2006. But their performance stopped ../read moreabout:AGOA sales move gently upwards...16 Sep 07
South Africa and China don’t quite agree deal on clothes imports
South Africa’s president, Thabo Mbeki, announced it had reached agreement with China to regulate apparel imports. But officials were quick to change the country’s position.But Trade ../read moreabout:South Africa and China don’t quite agree deal on clothes imports01 Jan 06
Lesotho offers tax cuts
Lesotho’s finance minister, Timothy Thahane, announced 0% company tax on most clothing exports in a bid to encourage clothing manufacturers to expand.Presenting the country’s annual budget, he ../read moreabout:Lesotho offers tax cuts01 Jan 06
Asia Bank: quota fears exaggerated
Fears that Asia's textile and clothing industry would collapse after quota abolition appear to have been "exaggerated", the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said in its annual Asian Development ../read moreabout:Asia Bank: quota fears exaggerated01 Mar 06Eight major Asian textile players share many weaknesses
A Sri Lankan textiles and clothing sector writer, A H Saheed, recently published a report (“Global Apparel Industry and Major Asian Suppliers”) highlighting regional weaknesses.Pakistan: ../read moreabout:Eight major Asian textile players share many weaknesses01 Jan 06
TradeTrak reports surprising resilience…
TradeTrak for Q1 2006 (fuller details on p 17) shows a remarkable number of Asian countries bouncing back after the complications of 2005, with hefty volume increase in apparel exports from ../read moreabout:TradeTrak reports surprising resilience…01 May 06Guatemala: 38,000 apparel jobs lost in 2005
Guatemala’s apparel industry lost 38,000 jobs or roughly 35% of its workforce in 2005, with 13,327 people losing jobs as 58 factories closed and 24,673 dismissed as businesses restructured, Guatemalan ../read moreabout:Guatemala: 38,000 apparel jobs lost in 200501 Jan 06Dominican Rep employment shrinks
The Dominican Republic’s export factories struggled more than most Central American countries in 2005, , with almost 40,000 jobs (20% of their total) going from the nation's industrial "free ../read moreabout:Dominican Rep employment shrinks01 Feb 06DR-CAFTA starts – but just for El Salvador, and still snagged.
On March 1, the US-Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) entered into force for El Salvador, while the agreement’s start date for other signatories still remains ../read moreabout:DR-CAFTA starts – but just for El Salvador, and still snagged.01 Feb 06Iran to open major textile factory.
An Iranian news agency announced that the Sabalan Parcheh factory - claimed to be the largest in the Middle East - will become operational in northwestern Ardabil Province by year end., with 70% of ../read moreabout:Iran to open major textile factory.01 Jan 06Turks and Koreans expand Uzbek involvement.
Sayhantour Company, a subsidiary of the Turkish Fuat Em, has opened a fibre factory in Fergana Province - their fourth textile investment in the country, bringing their total investment to $15mn is ../read moreabout:Turks and Koreans expand Uzbek involvement.01 Mar 06EU to update deals with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
The European Commission has been authorised to renegotiate clothing and textile trade agreements with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Both countries, like most other former Soviet Union members, are liable ../read moreabout:EU to update deals with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.01 Mar 06Italy’s Golden Lady moving to Bosnia offshoot?
Italian hosiery producer Golden Lady (which, in addition to its European operations, also owns America’s Kaiser Roth) held a meeting with Pero Bukejlovic, the Prime Minister of semi-autonomous ../read moreabout:Italy’s Golden Lady moving to Bosnia offshoot?01 Jan 06New Russian duty-free limits reveal smuggling scale.
Russia recently announced new import restriction on travellers, exempting from duty only the first €2,000 euro worth of goods they bring with them. Russian Customs revealed the limits stemmed from ../read moreabout:New Russian duty-free limits reveal smuggling scale.01 Feb 06Alliance Russian Textile registers 17% higher turnover
Alliance Russian Textile, a spinning and weaving business, registered an increase of 17% in 2005 turnover to $323 million, with net income up 71% to $12mn, stated Company's senior officials. Export ../read moreabout:Alliance Russian Textile registers 17% higher turnover01 Feb 06Textile firm admits to deception
The Korean textile company Hyosung admitted to having inflated its earnings by more than $155 mn through fraudulent accounting over the past five years. In a regulatory filing, Hyosung said that ../read moreabout:Textile firm admits to deception01 Feb 06Northern Marianas: Garment factory closures continue
With export volumes down 22% year on year in 2005, and an extraordinary further 48% in January 2006, at least seven garment factories in the Northern Mariana Islands are likely to shut in 2006, ../read moreabout:Northern Marianas: Garment factory closures continue01 Feb 06Will Korean FTA hit China?
On February 2, US Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman and his Korean counterpart, Hyun-Chong Kim, formally announced the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) talks between the two countries.Origin marking set to be mandatory
The European Commission published its proposals and outline timetable for origin marking on January 13. A Regulation published in December requires the country of origin to be marked on imported ../read moreabout:Origin marking set to be mandatory01 Jan 06Turkey extends quotas
On January 9, Turkey began enforcing its second round of China Safeguard quotas against Chinese apparel and textile imports. Turkey uses the same category definitions as the EU: quotas in 2005 were ../read moreabout:Turkey extends quotas01 Jan 06EU gets no support for shoe tariffs – but will it go ahead anyway?
The EU looks to go ahead with its antidumping policy on Chinese and Vietnamese shoes – though the only three of its 25 member states to approve the move are Belgium, Malta and SlovakiaOn ../read moreabout:EU gets no support for shoe tariffs – but will it go ahead anyway?01 Feb 06
Gama textile group negotiations fail
The Austrian Gama Group’s negotiations to acquire Malta’s recently closed Denim Services jeans operation seem to have failed. Gama Group had promised to take on about half the workers dismissed after ../read moreabout:Gama textile group negotiations fail01 Jan 06Baltic Jersey to move all jobs from Denmark to Estonia
A spokesman for J. Morup Stof Aps, holding company for Denmark’s Baltic Jersey announced that the remaining 40% of its production based in Denmark will move to Estonia during 2006. “The move is not a ../read moreabout:Baltic Jersey to move all jobs from Denmark to Estonia01 Jan 06Vistula factory boosts production capacity
Polish men’s clothing manufacturer and distributor Vistula is looking to increase production capacity at its factory in Myslenice, southern Poland, according to local press. Vistula is also ../read moreabout:Vistula factory boosts production capacity01 Jan 06Cortefiel to shut Malaga factory
A year after it closed its Madrid factory cutting 150 jobs, Spain’s Cortefiel intends to dismiss at least 230 workers from its Confecciones del Sur factory in Malaga, Southern Spain to end apparel ../read moreabout:Cortefiel to shut Malaga factory01 Jan 062005: The strong consolidate
Although many Euromed producer groups complained loudly about sales declines during 2005, major producers’ sales recovered strongly in the second half as anti-China quotas began to bite. But, with ../read moreabout:2005: The strong consolidate01 Feb 06…as Morocco expansion programme takes off
Tavex inaugurated the first, $70mn, phase of expansion at its Settavex operation in Morocco in early February, developed at a cost of over $70mn. Tavex announced the project will increase the unit's ../read moreabout:…as Morocco expansion programme takes off01 Feb 062005: China spurt falls back
China was the only East Asian country to increase its share of apparel exports to the EU, US and Japan in 200. But its phenomenal growth in early 2005 was not reflected in its export growth ../read moreabout:2005: China spurt falls back01 Feb 06China quota fill rates imply quota prices to drop
On March 15, exactly 20% of the year had elapsed. So, if any Chinese quotas were in danger of being filled, they should show a fill rate over 20%. US fill data for the year to March 15 refers to ../read moreabout:China quota fill rates imply quota prices to drop01 Feb 06Taiwan launches anti-dumping investigation on towels.
The Taiwanese government announced an investigation into imposing anti-dumping duty against Chinese towels. Domestic manufacturers had been lobbying for China Safeguard quotas, while taisheng - ../read moreabout:Taiwan launches anti-dumping investigation on towels.01 Feb 06Pakistani mills’ gas supply still not resolved
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz approved on January 5 proposals to maintain gas supply to textile mills so that the industry could maintain its competitiveness in the global export market. Gas ../read moreabout:Pakistani mills’ gas supply still not resolved01 Jan 06Bangladesh finds 50 more dangerous factories
Bangladeshi authorities cannot agree on the scale of risk its garment workers face from unsafe factories.Trade association BGMEA has identified 53 garment factory buildings 'extremely ../read moreabout:Bangladesh finds 50 more dangerous factories01 Feb 06
Indian growth outstrips China’s
As quotas were re-imposed and then exhausted through 2005, countries’ performances fluctuated wildly throughout the year. By the fourth quarter of the year, India exports to the EU, US and Japan – as ../read moreabout:Indian growth outstrips China’s01 Feb 06UN worries worry about Israeli border closure
The UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the serious “economic and humanitarian concerns” have been raised by the closure of the Gaza Strip’s Kami crossing into Israel – ../read moreabout:UN worries worry about Israeli border closure01 Jan 06Turkish fire
Four women workers, including two 15 year olds, were killed when fire swept through a textile plant in Bursa, northwest Turkey, on December 29, media reports said. They said the fire at the Ozay ../read moreabout:Turkish fire01 Jan 06Turkish woes
With Sonmez Textile reportedly closing plants in Bursa and Akkok Group stopping manufacturing activity at Yalova Akal Textile, the Head of the Turkish Textile Industry Employers Syndicate, Halit ../read moreabout:Turkish woes01 Jan 06Turkish fire
Four women workers, including two 15 year olds, were killed when fire swept through a textile plant in Bursa, northwest Turkey, on December 29, media reports said. They said the fire at the Ozay ../read moreabout:Turkish fire01 Jan 06Turkish woes
With Sonmez Textile reportedly closing plants in Bursa and Akkok Group stopping manufacturing activity at Yalova Akal Textile, the Head of the Turkish Textile Industry Employers Syndicate, Halit ../read moreabout:Turkish woes01 Jan 06Turks move out of textiles
Turkey’s top textile and clothing manufacturers are planning considerable investments in 2006 – but many plan to switch their emphasis to other industries, or outside Turkey. For example ../read moreabout:Turks move out of textiles01 Jan 06NCTO moves to longer-term plans
Protectionist lobbying group the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) seems to have moved away from seeking immediate extensions of America’s list of categories subject to Safeguard ../read moreabout:NCTO moves to longer-term plans01 Jan 06US textile and apparel output rose in 2005
The NCTO credits the safeguard quotas imposed against Chinese goods in 2005 for helping stabilise employment in the domestic textile industry in 2005. After safeguards were imposed beginning in May, ../read moreabout:US textile and apparel output rose in 200501 Jan 06US Customs seizures lead to quota reductions.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on February 2 that over the past four months it had seized over $10 million in mislabelled textiles and apparel The agency had also identified a ../read moreabout:US Customs seizures lead to quota reductions.01 Jan 06Fiji clothing manufacturers hit by Australia China FTA ?
Fiji’s clothing industry will be severely endangered if Australia and China sign a proposed FTA, said Fiji’s Textile, Clothing and Footwear Council President Ramesh Solanki . Solanki argued that Fiji ../read moreabout:Fiji clothing manufacturers hit by Australia China FTA ?01 Jan 06Fiji: 2005 disaster gets no better
Fiji’s collapsing textile and clothing industry had its worst year in a decade during 2005, with textile and clothing exports plummeting nearly by half and some 6,000 workers losing jobs. It made no ../read moreabout:Fiji: 2005 disaster gets no better01 May 06US to accept QIZs in Fiji?
The United States will allow Fiji's garment trade duty-free access as a by-product of the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the island Minister for Foreign Affairs Kaliopate Tavola claimed to his ../read moreabout:US to accept QIZs in Fiji?01 Sep 06Calida to lay off 180 Aubade workers
Swiss clothing producer, Calida Holding, said it would axe about 180 out of 500 jobs at the Aubade lingerie business in a cost-cutting attempt. Calida wants to boost efficiency and create a strong ../read moreabout:Calida to lay off 180 Aubade workers01 Sep 06Charles Vögele writes off Kien acquisition
Charles Vögele Group incurred a 2006 group loss of CHF 22mn, after writing off its Dutch operation’s goodwill of $60mn. Total group sales for the full year were 1.8% down on 2005.
The ../read moreabout:Charles Vögele writes off Kien acquisition01 Feb 07
Thailand and EFTA to Negotiate FTA.
Thailand and the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have announced plans to negotiate an FTA by the end of 2004. EFTA (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland), signed ../read moreabout:Thailand and EFTA to Negotiate FTA.01 Feb 04
Vietnam workers strike over wage levels frozen since 1999
Vietnamese premier Phan Van Khai was forced to intervene in the search for a solution to continuing strikes which have been crippling many foreign companies’ output, as their workers protested ../read moreabout:Vietnam workers strike over wage levels frozen since 199901 Apr 06Great River: Reconstruction plans: still no charges
Indonesia’s Great River International announced on Jan 31 it would hold a special shareholders’ meeting to table proposals for restructuring its debt.At the same time, the country’s ../read moreabout:Great River: Reconstruction plans: still no charges01 Jan 06
400 factories close in West Java
At least 400 medium and large textile and garment makers in Indonesia’s West Java have stopped operation over the past year, the newspaper Bisnis Indonesia reported, with a local parliamentarian ../read moreabout:400 factories close in West Java01 Jan 06China restricts exports to Brazil
China and Brazil signed an agreement on February 10 to establish quotas on eight categories of clothing and textiles.. The categories involved in the deal constitute 60% of Brazil's textile imports, ../read moreabout:China restricts exports to Brazil01 Jan 06Argentina agrees with Brazil
Argentina and Brazil agreed a Competitive Adaptation Clause (CAC), said a senior Argentine official at a news conference in Buenos Aires. The CAC creates a mechanism which allows one country or the ../read moreabout:Argentina agrees with Brazil01 Jan 06Brazilian textile industry hopes to start growing again
The Brazilian textile and clothing industry chalked up a disappointing performance in 2005 but intends to grow 3.5 or 4% this year, if the Central Bank effectively lowers interest rates and other ../read moreabout:Brazilian textile industry hopes to start growing again01 Jan 06India and Japan start free trade negotiations going
Senior officials from India and Japan agreed a framework for a free trade agreement on 2 February in New Delhi, They are aiming to conclude talks within two years.
Both sides would like to ../read moreabout:India and Japan start free trade negotiations going01 Feb 07
Australian wool case goes to court.
The Australian Wool Authority (AWA) has sought an injunction against anti-animal farming pressure groupPETA to prevent them from continuing to campaign for retailers to join Abercrombie and ../read moreabout:Australian wool case goes to court.01 Feb 05
Asian FTAs?
A report on the feasibility of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and China is expected tobe issued by the end of March, with negotiations possibly starting the following ../read moreabout:Asian FTAs?01 Mar 05
Major branded suppliers hit hard times.
Liz Claiborne falls on restructuring and closes Mexx US. Liz Claiborne’s Q4 profit fell to $73.2mn from $78 in 2005 as a result of restructuring charges, though sales were up 11% at $1.33bn. For ../read moreabout:Major branded suppliers hit hard times.01 Feb 07
Inditex to study Gap US store acquisitions
Inditex said it would consider the possibility of acquiring Gap Inc stores if they were to be put up for sale in the US on a store-to-store basis. An Inditex spokesman stressed in January, ../read moreabout:Inditex to study Gap US store acquisitions01 Feb 07
US retailing gets hazardous to job prospects
.Apart Gap, the other major US apparel retailers saw a raft of involuntary senior departures in early 2007
Wal-Mart names new procurement chief Lawrence Jackson, president and chief ../read moreabout:US retailing gets hazardous to job prospects01 Feb 07