US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) yesterday issued five withhold release orders (WROs) on products, including apparel and cotton, imported from China that are produced with state-sponsored forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), where Beijing “is engaged in systemic human rights abuses against the Uyghur people and other ethnic and religious minorities”.Pic: Shutterstock“By taking this action, DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] is combating illegal and inhumane

The 26th edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles has concluded successfully on August 26. This year, the fair welcomed a total of 643 exhibitors and attracted over 25,000 trade buyers. Despite the challenging times we are all facing, the fair continued to be the ideal platform to connect global suppliers and buyers from the home textile industry.Pic: Messe Frankfurt/ Intertextile Shanghai Home TextilesIn view of the current international travel restrictions, the fair launched a brand new

The Buckle Inc, a US-based fashion retailer, has announced 6.0 per cent net sales growth to $216.0 million in its second quarter (Q2) for fiscal 2020 ended on August 1, 2020, compared to the sales of $203.8 million in the same period previous fiscal. Company’s net income for during the quarter jumped to $34.6 million (Q2 FY19: $16.3 million).Pic: ShutterstockGross profit for Q2 FY20 was $93.3 million ($78.6 million). Selling, general and administrative expenses for the period were down to $47.8

As the pandemic has prompted Japanese companies to diversify their supply chain, the Indian textile sector has the potential to serve the specific needs of this sector despite India’s share in the Japanese market being negligible, Indian ambassador to Japan Sanjay K Verma recently said virtually inaugurating the 7th edition of India Tex Trend Fair in Tokyo.“India can provide a more resilient supply value chain to Japan as India has comparative advantage in the textile sector in terms of low-cost

The entire supply chain has been ruptured in 2020 due to the pandemic, and no predictions hold relevance in the uncertain market. Now when factories have started reopening post-lockdown, the apparel factory owners have gotten into the most critical issue – lack of funds, which is making it quite difficult for most of the factories to even survive, let alone be profitable.However, one thing is certain that digitalisation in garment factories is going to be the ‘new normal’ because the factories h

UK-based premium apparel manufacturer Article 10 plans to launch a stock product service for start-up and smaller customers with no minimum order quantity, according to owner Karandeep Mattu, who said the step will allow the company—growing at 50 per cent annually—to take on more menswear customers and expand into ladies and kidswear markets as well.Pic: ShutterstockThe company was held back by the lack of skilled employee, without which it could have witnessed a growth of over 200 per cent year

The US is preventing key exports from China’s Xinjiang region because of claims of being produced incorporating forced labor. Cotton and tomato products, two of China’s main commodity exports, are proposed bans. The trump administration has increased pressure on China to treat the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang.In recent years China in xinjiang, with a threat of separatism and terror, has massively increased its security. In what China says are re-educational camps, up to a million persons have been

Timberland, the VF Corp. owned footwear and apparel company, is setting an ambitious goal of building the supply chain with a “net positive impact” on the world by 2030 in retaliation for its carbon footprint. The two-fold approach would impact the pipeline’s two ends. Timberland aims to eventually provide regenerative agriculture to all its natural resources and products from suppliers that are also following a circular design approach.“We’ve always believed that a greener future is a better fu

Bringing an allegation against the Chinese government that Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities were forced to work against their will, U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week could hand down a mandate that would bar imports of cotton and textiles from China’s embattled Xinjiang region.With sanctions slated to take place later this month, fashion firms have been working around the clock since last month to trace their cotton supply chains and identify how much comes from Xianjiang in case th

US off-price retail chain Century 21 Stores recently announced plans to commence a wind down of its retail operations and going out of business sales at its 13 stores across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida after serving customers for nearly 60 years. It has voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in a bankruptcy court in New York.Pic: ShutterstockThe decision follows non-payment by the company's insurance providers of approximately $175 million