The trade conflict between the US and China may be unsettling global trade. But home-textile exporters from India see a silver lining, though benefits could be insignificant if US demand remains subdued.
Indian companies expect to benefit from the imposition of US duties on imports from China. Beginning September, import duties will kick in on home textiles, including towels and sheets.
Monthly exports of cotton yarn is at a 5-year-low.
Export of cotton textiles continued their downtrend and registered a fall of 24 per cent during the April-July period. The provisional data released for the first three weeks of August also showed a decline of 25 per cent month-on-month.
The clothing of the future will look nothing like what we wear today. Or maybe it will.
A hunger for sustainability is leading researchers to new organic materials from which to design clothing.
Other visionaries are working to make our future outfits as smart as we want to look.
Egyptian cotton exports increased during the third quarter of the agricultural season 2018-2019 to 510,200 metric quintals compared to 160,100 metric quintals during the corresponding period of the previous season, a rise of 218.8 percent owing to the increase of cotton production, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced.
This Labor Day marks the 125th anniversary of the national holiday that celebrates and honors the American worker. For a lot of people, it’s a day that symbolizes the end of summer, marked by a trip to the beach, a barbecue, or a day of shopping sales. But it began as an observance of the nation’s labor force, and all that it produced here.
For most of the apparel industry, that has all changed, with production taking place around the world. Perhaps that’s why the brands that still produce in the U.S. feel a sense of pride about it—and believe their customers do, too.
The U.S. is the world's leading cotton exporter, with an industry estimated to generate more than $21 billion of products and services a year. Drought and climate change are having an effect on the crop, though. So scientists in Boston are growing cotton in labs to develop new ways to reduce environmental stress.
"Virtually every major crop in the U.S. and around the world is at significant risk to climate change, and cotton is no exception to that," Geoffrey Von Maltzahn said.
Thirty-two luxury, fashion and textile companies have signed a new commitment to protect climate, biodiversity and the oceans of the world, calling the new initiative the Fashion Pact.
Representatives presented the idea of the new agreement to the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, at a special meeting in Paris on August 23. Mr Macron arranged for the leaders of the G7 group of the wealthiest states in the world to see a presentation on the Fashion Pact during the G7 Summit in Biarritz, which takes place from August 24-26.
Inditex starts closing the loop. Zara, the biggest chain of the Spanish giant by revenue, has launched its first line Denim from Denim, of garments created from the cotton extracted from other used jeans.
The company stated that they recycled old garments to subtract cotton and reuse it to create new items. It’s the first collection of the brand using denim waste.
If anyone doubts the staying power of cotton, consider that it was used 7,000 years ago for clothing in Ancient India, according to “The History of Clothing.” Its popularity has only continued, as modern performance technology has enhanced cotton’s natural properties so brands and designers can meet consumer demand for the fiber.
Nanotex, a leading provider of nanotechnology solutions for textiles, has a number of innovations that are applicable to cotton, said Kathryn Czuchra, marketing manager.
India ranked fifth in the global textile and clothing exports in 2018 though it was in the second position between 2014 and 2017, according to the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.
Sanjay K. Jain, chairman of the Confederation, has said in a press release that the space vacated by China was largely occupied by the least developed countries, including Vietnam and Bangladesh. India has not been able to tap the opportunities because of its competitive disadvantages and trade barriers in the international markets.
