The Lao garment industry needs more than 10,000 tailors each year to supply local factories, but there remains a lack of skilled workers in the country. Meanwhile, new garment factories are also on the drawing boards to exploit growing exports to European Union (EU) nations but investors are still concerned about the short supply of local tailors.Vice President of Association of the Lao Garment Industry, Dr Xaybandith Rasphone explained that at present, there were 98 garment factories in the

Vietnam is about to sign some important trade deals including the Trans Pacific Partnership, the EU-Vietnam Trade Agreement, the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and has already signed an economic agreement with the Eurasian EcVietnam’s garments and textiles sector has put forward plans to grasp the opportunity and maintain its current growth rate.onomic Union.To gain the maximum benefit from these deals, Vietnam’s garments and textiles sector has put forward plans to grasp the opportunity an

H&M, the single largest buyer of garments from Bangladesh, is ‘dramatically behind schedule’ in making improvements in the factories it sources from, according to a study released October 1 by the Clean Clothes Campaign, in collaboration with several labour groups. The report only looked at H&M’s ‘Platinum’ and ‘Gold’ suppliers — the factories that supposedly boast the highest standards in labour and environmental protections. They account for 56 of the 229 factories H&M uses in

Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan has blamed the lack of value addition and rising cost of doing business for the falling exports. While addressing the opening ceremony of a four-day exhibition organised by Pakistan Carpet Manufac­turers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) on Tuesday, he said that the prime minister would announce a relief package for export oriented sector this week. The package would include reduction in cost of doing business, cut in power tariff and ease in loc

China's exports of textiles and garment surged 5.78% month-on-month in August to near US$ 28.83 billion, according the figures released by the General Administration of Customs on September 8. The exports of textile yarn, fabric and made-up goods edged up moderately over July to US$ 9.74 billion, while the exports of garment and accessories climbed 7.6% month-on-month to near US$ 19.09 billion. In January-August of 2015, China's exports of textiles and garment totaled about US$ 193.32 billio

German retail giant Lidl will increase its garment purchase from Bangladesh by 20 percent in 2015 as the company thinks the country is still competitive for low prices. In 2014, the company purchased 251 million pieces of apparel from Bangladesh, Markus Reinken, buying director of Lidl, said in an interview with The Daily Star in Narayanganj. Currently, the company purchases garments worth $700-$800 million from Bangladesh a year, said a company official. “Bangladesh is an important sou

A conference was organized last week in Sri Lanka with the participation of the delegation and members of the textile industry where a three team members delegation representing the Chinese government were present to brief on the Chinese regulations and testing standards, and trends in global textile testing. The Chinese market is vast and growing but many countries have failed to break into the textile market due to the lack of knowledge of their standards. Their standards are different to t

Suzhou Glacier Import & Export Co. Ltd, a Chinese global textile manufacturer plans to set up a new plant in Travelers Rest, it will be the first factory outside of China for the company that will make textiles for the automotive industry. The company’s president, Wilber Xu, said that the company will be investing $24 million to open a new manufacturing facility in a 170,000 square foot existing building. It is expected to hire 109 people in the new jobs. Xu said that his company was

In August of this year, China imported 70,000 tons of cotton, a drop of 36,000 tons by 33.96% from July, down 130,000 tons or 65.0% from a year earlier. From last September to this August, China’s cotton import totaled 1.67 million, down near 1.33 million tons or 44.4% year-on-year. The cotton import totaled slightly over 1.10 million tons in the first eight months of this year. Source: China Textile Leader Express

India will lead in production of cotton in 2015/16, says the latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates and will surpass China as the top producer this season. While yields in India remain well below the world average, India is forecast to produce 29 million bales in 2015/16 or 27 per cent of the global cotton crop. According to USDA, India's ascension to the world's leading-producer status largely results from having the most cotton area. Harvested area in India is expected t