Long staple cotton production in Egypt will be expanded and 128 firms owned by the public business sector are being renovated to boost production, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said inaugurating the second ‘Destination Africa’ fair for apparel and textiles at Cairo recently. The government also is keen on renovating public spinning and weaving firms, he said. The two-day fair last week was jointly organized by the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian Exporters Association – Expolink. Egyp

Research is needed for producing new resistant varieties ofcottonas it is the most profitable crop in thecountry, Pakistan’s minister for national food security and research Sikandar Hayat Bosan said at a recent meeting in Lahore on cotton seed attended by federal secretaries, owners and representatives of private seed companies, and researchers. The only option to increase per acre lint yield is by applying modern technology as sucking and chewing pests are damaging cotton crop in Pakistan r

Huntsman Textile Effects, a leader in high quality dyes and chemicals for textile industries, has unveiled the new PHOBOTEX RSY non-fluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) that raises the standard for repellency on high-performance synthetic textiles. PHOBOTEX RSY delivers best-in-class performance to support non-fluorinated formulations. The new product will allow brands and retailers to meet global demand for eco-friendly clothing that require extreme rain- and stain- protection. PHO

The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has welcomed including certain leather products in the lower slab of the goods and services tax (GST), saying the decision will boost the sector’s growth. Reducing GST on leather goods and finished leather to 18 per cent and 5 per cent respectively is a big relief, according to CLE chairman Mukhtarul Amin. Goods on which the GST Council recommended reduction in rate from 28 per cent to 18 per cent include clothing accessories of leather, guts, furskin, a

The 20 per cent rise in cotton yarn prices due to cartelization by local manufacturers, who are holding stock to create artificial shortage, has hit the export-oriented Pakistani apparel sector hard, says the Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), which has urged the government to take measures to address the issue. PRGMEA (north zone) senior vice chairman Sheikh Luqman Amin said the export target would not be achieved due to high energy cost and discrim

Sharp increase in cotton yarn prices in Pakistan by almost 20% has hit hard the export-oriented value-added textile sector. Newly-elected senior vice chairman of The Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association( PRGMEA,North Zone), Sheikh Luqman Amin said that the unprecedented surge in cotton yarn rates during the cotton crop season is not understandable, as the prices are usually at the lowest ambit these days. He added that the cotton yarn prices have increased by aro

The spot rates of cotton have reduced by Rs100/maund as recorded at the Karachi Cotton Exchange. The spot rates decreased to Rs6,450/maund (37.324kg) and Rs6,912/40kg. Ex-Karachi rates also fell to Rs6,595/maund and Rs7,067/40kg after an addition of Rs145 and Rs155 as upcountry expenses, respectively. An analyst said the spot rates declined because of an increase in the arrivals. He added that demand remained still high in the market, but any arrival in bulk or decline in quality will decreas

The opening of Zara and H&M in Hanoi after their success in HCM City has shown the thirst for international brands among Vietnamese people, especially young people. There were long queues at the opening of H&M on November 11 and Zara on November 9. Vietnamese young people are willing to pay for fashion and entertainment and fast-fashion brands such as Zara and H&M are huge attractions. Quynh Anh, an employee of a tourism firm in Hanoi, said she had spent nearly VND10m (USD440)

Applying new technologies to reduce production cost and increase competitive edge is the urgent solution for the garment-textile industry given global fiercer competition. It is also necessary for businesses to seek more markets outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and reinforce its niche on major ones such as the US, the EU, and Japan to maintain growth. Another potential markets are countries from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), particularly Russia. Whereas the

China's sharing economy will grow about 40 percent this year to 4.5 trillion yuan ($680 billion), an official with the national economic planner said Wednesday. "The sharing economy is expected to maintain annual growth of about 40 percent over the next few years," according to Meng Wei, spokesperson of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). In 2016, the sharing economy had total transactions of 3.45 trillion yuan, more than double the 2015 figure, involving more than 600