Facing flat growth, Indonesian textile industry may see more layoffs unless the government takes some swift action to help the industry, a leading Indonesian daily has mentioned. Several textile manufacturers in Bandung regency have already dismissed some workers and cut down working days from seven to three due to weak sales, according to the Indonesian Textile Association (API). Rising costs, especially due to increase in electricity tariff and depreciation of Indonesian currency rupiah,

Africa should be able to quadruple its exports, literally without a lot of trouble, creating another 500,000 new jobs. Photo: Reuters Africa's textile and apparel exports to the United States could quadruple to $4 billion over the next decade through an extended duty-free trade treaty, a US official said on Wednesday. The trade program known as the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), currently before American lawmakers, provides eligible sub-Saharan countries duty-free access to

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)-affiliated Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) has announced that its members in the cotton textile sector will receive an 8.5 per cent wage increase this year. This is in consequence of a wage agreement signed between SACTWU and the South African Cotton & Textile Processing Employers’ Association (SACTPEA), in August last year, SACTWU said in a statement on its website. The agreement was negotiated and concl

Bangladeshi RMG producers are now facing stiff competition to penetrate into the market of the United States in the wake of the production cost hike and losing competiveness. Yet, export of Bangladeshi RMG products to the US market has grown by 7% in April 2015, to US$1.8bn, a good rise from 2.3% decline in 2014, according to data recently released by OTEXA. Besides, overall export to the US market also seen a 7.24% gain to $1.9bn. RMG manufacturers attributed production, political unre

DESPITE slowing exports of leather goods, Thai leather manufacturers have declined to move their production overseas, since most of them are small and medium-sized enterprises, and Thailand has high technology and advantages. Veera Lertruangpunyavut, vice president of the Thai Leather Goods Association, said manufacturers here had tried to add more innovation and technology to their production systems, not only to survive in the industry but also to ensure business growth. He said Thailand

Workers sew sportswear at a factory in Bim Son Town in the central province of Thanh Hoa.(Photo: VNA) Clothing and apparel is expected to remain the country's top export item in the foreseeable future, contributing almost 20 percent of the projected growth in total merchandise exports in the decade to 2030, according to an HSBC report. Global Trade Connection, released on June 4, said Vietnam has also built up a strong presence in the global market for telecommunications in recent years an

Vietnam’s geographical location in Asia, with good access to India, China and South East Asia, leaves it well-placed to trade with fast-growing neighbors, according to a forecast by UK-based bank HSBC. Vietnam’s fastest-growing export destinations in the decade to 2030 will be China, India and Malaysia, HSBC said in itsGlobal Connections report, which was released this week. It expected Vietnam's exports to all these markets to grow by at least 14 percent per year. HSBC's forecasts echo

The textiles ministry has launched the revamped website of handloom export promotion council, www.hepcindia.com with special focus on promoting Brand India Handloom products to buyers across the world, the ministry said in an official statement. From design to content, the entire website has been revamped to make it more user-friendly and interactive. This would enable buyers across the world to better understand and appreciate the unique value proposition of Indian handloom products. The web

Huntsman Textile Effects, a division of Huntsman Corporation and a leading manufacturer of dyes and textile chemicals, is increasing its footprints in Vietnam. Its latest venture is a bonded warehouse near Ho Chi Minh City which will open later this month. The new facility is part of Huntsman’s efforts to address critical business challenges and collaborating with mills and brands in order to drive sustainable growth and create value in Vietnam’s textile industry. To help customers stay ah

Indian textile manufacturers face the pressure of cheap import of synthetic yarn from China. They blame the 12.5 per cent excise levy on the product for not being able to compete in price, and have urged the government to remove it. In the first 11 month of 2014-15, staple fibre import rose to $197 million as compared to $149 mn in the same period of 2013-14, showed data compiled by the Synthetic & Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC). In the past two years, Chinese cost of