Intertek has formed a strategic partnership with Bangladesh Export Import Company Limited (BEXIMCO). Under it, Intertek will have exclusive rights to operate & manage the new PPE quality assurance laboratory of BEXIMCO in planning and set-up, providing guidelines on equipment, managing daily operations, provision of technical experts, delivering accreditations.The operational lab will cater to all customers across the PPE ecosystem in Bangladesh including the Government of Bangladesh (Minist

Needless to say, how this COVID-19 became a game-changer in every aspect pushing for a new global order. In the first quarter of 2020, this pandemic led to a 3% drop in global trade values. Other forecasts from various agencies earmarked: trade volumes decreasing between 13% and 32% in 2020 (WTO, 2020), global growth falling to -3% (IMF, 2020) and different maritime seaborne scenarios ranging from a return to sector average (around 3% p.a.) after 2022 to growth rates falling by 17% by 2024.Figur

As the global coronavirus pandemic keeps worsening, the organisers of Garment Machinery and Textile trade fair (GT Korea) have decided to cancel the event and hold it in May 2022. The event was to be held from November 26-28 this year, but now stands cancelled. GT Korea is held every 2 years, so next exhibition is to be held at KINTEX, South Korea in 2022.The worldwide sewing and textile industry is closely interrelated. So, the organisers made a decision that it will not be possible to hold the

India’s Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) recently wrote to textiles minister Smriti Irani seeking export assistance in the wake of supply chain disruption arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its chairman Siddh Nath Singh urged the ministry to restore the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) benefit to the earlier 7 per cent from 5 per cent now.Employing more than 20 lakh weavers, mostly in rural areas, the carpet industry is export-oriented and earns more than ₹12,000 crore of eq

India has allowed the export of 4 crore surgical masks and 20 lakh medical goggles every month. Earlier export of 2/3 Ply surgical masks, medical goggles and face shields were banned in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. "Monthly export quota of 50 Lakh units of medical coveralls for COVID-19, 20 lakh medical goggles has been permitted." the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said.Pic: ShutterstockAll other items that are part of PPE kits remain prohibited, it said."Followi

Apparel has witnessed weaker consumer spending sentiment in India due to the financial uncertainty amid COVID-19 and is one of the ‘shrinking’ categories as consumers facing or expecting a crunch in their income increasingly prioritise essential goods and services, according to a consumer sentiment survey report by Facebook and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).Pic: BCG & FacebookReleased recently, the report, titled ‘Turn the Tide’, noted that as consumers are not stepping out of their homes as

European retail RFID software specialist Detego and American IT installation expert Spencer Technologies have announced a new partnership to deliver Detego's retail RFID platform to the US market. Spencer Technologies will provide its expertise and services in both implementation and support for US retailers looking to utilise RFID-bases Saas platform.Pic: DetegoDetego's retail RFID platform is already live in approximately 800 stores and 5 distribution centres across the US.‘‘We are rea

AbTF is publishing the ninth edition of its annual aggregated verification report. This report represents AbTF’s continued commitment to transparency in 2019 and informs the interested public about cotton companies’ compliance with the CmiA Standard, says a press release.During the course of 2019, the number of CmiA-verified partners rose to 24 cotton companies, and CmiA-verified cotton is now being cultivated in eleven countries in SubSaharan Africa. Trained in the CmiA Standard, the independen

Los Angeles-based Boyish Jeans, a sustainable denim brand, has integrated Retraced company’s block chain-based transparency to its e-commerce website.Image Courtesy: medias.fashionnetwork.comWith this step, the brand wants to provide complete transparency to its supply chain showing its responsible efforts and achievements.The brand joined the platform in March 2020 and since then has worked to add its three partners Bossa, Stroma Denim and Lenzing to the system, collecting the information on th

It’s not just in the US and Europe, it’s everywhere!Image Courtesy: proactiveinvestors.co.ukCoronavirus has caught hold of, and devoured, almost every big and small apparel firm across the globe over the past 4 months.While we have been talking about many big retailers and apparel firms going insolvent lately, there are many who have got lost in the crowd amidst all the uncertainties and chaos. One such group is the Israel-based innovative tailoring provider Bagir Group Ltd., which has now gone