The leather-shoe industry posted high growth last year but experts at a seminar in HCMC on Monday urged a restructuring of the sector to help address its shortcomings and improve its export performance in the longer term. Diep Thanh Kiet, vice chairman of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), told a seminar on prospects for leather-shoe-bag and apparel sectors that now was the right time to restructure these sectors to enable them to achieve sustainable development. Kiet s

The Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), one of the largest Vietnamese companies, has shown interest in setting up its textile and garment factory in Moscow, Denis Butsayev, Moscow region’s Minister of Investments and Innovations, said after a meeting with Vinatex representatives, reports Interfax news agency. According to the Minister, Vinatex would like to set up its textile and apparel factory in the suburbs of Moscow. Vinatex includes more than 120 joint stock companie

The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) has now settled the footwear wage strike dispute. This comes after footwear employers tabled an improved wage offer last week, following a meeting held with them the previous week. On Friday, 19 June 2014, the offer was accepted by members. All indicators are that all our members have heeded our call and returned to work by yesterday, 23rd July 2014, showing an effective end to the strike. The settlement pa

Country’s textile exports have shown 30 per cent increase after getting the status of GSP Plus from the European Union, President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Dr Shimail Daud said here on Tuesday. “During the first two months of this year, the textile exports have shown 30 per cent increase whereby earning an additional amount of foreign exchange to the tune of $ 105 million,” Dr Shimail said while talking to a delegation of traders and businessmen. RCCI Senior Vice

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa formally launched the Sri Lanka Apparel Brands Association (SLABA) in the presence of a large gathering of key apparel industry players in Colombo. Minister Rajapaksa also launched the Association’s new website on the occasion. Actually, the Domestic Garment Manufacturers Association (DGMA), founded by the late AYS Gnanam, has now been rebranded as SLABA with Indradatta Dharmawardane as its new chairman. SLABA’s objectives are

Textile exports in the current financial year are expected to grow 25 per cent to $50 billion, Union textiles minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar said on Monday. He noted growth was sluggish last year, with exports registering $40 billion against a target of $43 billion. He said the industry is set to witness robust growth this year. After inaugurating the 59th National Garment Fair organised by the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India here on Monday, the minister acknowledged India’s labou

Powerloom weavers in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts have sought 50 per cent subsidy to go in for solar power. The association has appealed to the Union Government to increase the subsidy from the existing 30 per cent as the weavers do not have the financial resources to go in for renewable energy. They are hit by the power problems in the State for the last five years and are unable to run the units with diesel generators. A small-scale powerloom unit with 10 looms needs five kw energ

Global 2014/15 cotton mill use is forecast at 112.3 million bales, 2 percent above the previous season. Mill use in China is expected to rebound in 2014/15 to 37.0 million bales—up from an estimated 35.5 million bales this season and the highest in 3 years. During the last several seasons, China’s relatively high domestic cotton prices encouraged yarn imports and constrained domestic mill use. However, policy adjustments reducing price support levels are expected to boost cotton mill use in

The exports from Pakistan to European Union (EU) during the first two months of implementation of GSP Plus have showed northward trend, said the Minister for Commerce Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan in a statement while revealing the statistics of trade. According to sector-wise trade analysis of exports to EU during January-February 2014 there has been a substantial increase of 30.68pc in textile garments from last year's exports in January-February. The total exports of textile garments during t

Leather footwear and handbag exports are expected to top US$12 billion this year, achieving the target, the Viet Nam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso) said. They were worth $10.4 billion last year to rank third in the country's list of key exports, Diep Thanh Kiet, Lefaso's deputy chairman, said, adding, "The exports were very good in the first half of the year, with footwear exports going up by more than 14 per cent and handbags by over 18 per cent." But Kiet and others at a semin