Kenyan export processing zone (EPZ) apparel company Nguo Yetu is planning to engage Kenyans working abroad, including the United States whose market offers preferential treatment to apparel and textile products from most African countries, in expanding its distribution footprint. The company with 300 employees also plans to get into partnerships with foreign companies in certain strategic markets.Pic: Shutterstock"You [the Kenyan diaspora] can take advantage of such trade agreements like AG

Global technical textile demand continues to touch historic lows, but technical textiles are showing resilience, raising hopes of a quick recovery in 2021. An updated edition of the study which also tracks the COVID-19 impact on the market offer insights on how demand will evolve during 2020-2030.Figure:Technical textiles have been among rapid growth areas of the textile industry that are commonplace, from gym gear and sportswear to car seats and in airbags.Technical textiles have been among rap

Huntsman Textile Effects, which is a leading global provider of high-quality dyes, chemicals and digital inks, has launched HIGH IQ® Lasting Black eco – thereby extending its industry-leading HIGH IQ® brand assurance programme.The new colour-retention programme, which is based on Huntsman’s award-winning AVITERA® SE Black reactive dye, will help mills, brands and retailers meet global demand for eco-friendly black shades that retain their intense colour even after repeated washing.Black shades h

The government’s directive to states and union territories not to impose lockdown outside containment zones without approval comes as a silver lining for the retail industry that has been battling local restrictions, according to the Retailers Association of India (RAI), which said retailers are depending a lot on the upcoming festive season for business recovery.Pic: ShutterstockWeekend and partial lockdowns were being implemented at the local levels earlier despite orders from the home ministr

The novel coronavirus pandemic has aggravated issues related to competitiveness in the Indonesian textile industry, as people are buying fewer clothes due to falling incomes. The textile and garment industry contracted by 14.23 per cent year on year (YoY) in the second quarter of this year as domestic and global demand slowed, compared to an annualised growth rate of 20.71 percent in the corresponding period in 2019, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS).Pic: ShutterstockThe textile industry c

The US Trade Representative (USTR) recently sought a list of retailers that cancelled work orders with Bangladeshi firms due to the coronavirus pandemic. The US government is expected to urge the retailers to accept their shipments of work orders cancelled earlier. About 95 per cent of all exports from Bangladesh to the United States are garments.Pic: PR NewswireA senior USTR official expressed his organisation's willingness to carry out this initiative during a virtual meeting of the Trade

Indonesia’s textile industry is yet to be fully prepared to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical workers treating COVID-19 patients, according to Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s deputy chairman for trade Benny Soetrisno, who recently said the domestic textile industry's focus remains increasingly unwavering on apparel products, while the potential for non-apparel textile products is immense.Pic: Shutterstock"For non-apparel textile products, it is still

As global operations in the fashion, apparel and textile sector—badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic—slowly resume, 15 major companies, brands and organisations recently published an open letter stressing the need for the sector to build back better and more sustainably from this crisis and to ensure that the pandemic helps speed up the sector’s transformation.Pic: WWF-UKLaunched during 2020’s virtual World Water Week, the letter’s signatories include multinationals like H&M, Tchibo, Burberry,

Flipkart recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Assam government to promote the state’s art, craft and handloom sectors by bringing them into the e-commerce fold. The partnership with the Assam industries and commerce department under the Flipkart Samarth scheme will enable national market access for Assam’s artisans, weavers, and craftsmen, allowing them to showcase their hallmark products on Flipkart’s marketplace.Pic: ShutterstockBoth sides will focus on creating avenues

Two African-American millennials have set up a new company - Kassa Trade Organisation, or Kassa Trade - in the apparel manufacturing sector. The company works directly with factories in South America, helping them minimise costs and provide lower prices to retailers and designers who need inventory. Retailers can refill their orders via text message.Pic: ShutterstockKassa Trade was founded in early 2020 with the goal of bringing apparel manufacturing into the 21st century. Kassa Trade works dire