Pakistan Textile Journal – January 2022

January 2022

Apparel and Knitwear

Calendar of Events

Heimtextil 2022, Frankfurt Dates: June 21st to 24th, 2022 Venue: Frankfurt am Main.

DOMOTEX asiaCHINAFLOOR 2022 th

Dates: May 25

th

to 27 2022.

Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

Apparel Sourcing Paris Autumn Dates: July 4th to 6th 2022.

Venue: Paris

IGATEX Pakistan 2022, Lahore Dates: September 1st to 4th 2022.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

iCADEX Pakistan 2022, Lahore Dates: September 1st to 4th 2022.

FESPA 2022 st

rd

Dates: May 31 to June 3 2022.

Venue: Expo Centre, Lahore.

Venue: Berlin, Germany.

Cinte Techtextil China Apparel Sourcing Paris Autumn Dates: July 4th to 6th 2022.

Venue: Paris

International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens

ITM 2022

Dates: September 6th to 8th, 2022. th

th

Dates: June 14 to 18 , 2022.

Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Istanbul Yarn Fair

Techtextil 2022, Frankfurt

ITMA ASIA + CITME 2022

Dates: February 24th to 26th 2022.

Dates: June 21 to 24 , 2022

Dates: November 20th to 24th, 2022.

Venue: Istanbul, Turkey.

Venue: Frankfurt am Main.

Venue: NECC, Shanghai, China.

Textile Asia 2022, Faisalabad Dates: March 26th to 28th 2022.

Venue: Faisalabad Expo Centre.

FILTECH 2022 Dates: March 8th to 10th, 2022 Venue: Cologne, Germany.

st

th

Texprocess 2022, Frankfurt Dates: June 21st to 24th, 2022 Venue: Frankfurt am Main.

INTEX SOUTH ASIA 2022 th

th

Dates: July 27 to 29

2022.

Venue: Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Index 2023 Dates: April 18th to 21th, 2023.

Venue: Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

ITMA 2023 Dates: June 8th to 14th, 2023.

Venue: Milan, Italy.

Founded in 1951 by Mazhar Yusuf (1924-2009) Vol. LXXI No. 01 January 2022

Rs. 565.00

Publisher Nadeem Mazhar Editor in Chief Amina Baqai Associate Editor Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon Associate Editor Shahnawaz Khan Production Manager Mazhar Ali

EDITOR’S PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 2022 brings new hope amid high expectations for the textile industry

TEXTILE BRIEFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 NEWS & VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AROUND THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Hony-Editorial Board Dr. Hafizur Rehman Sheikh

CORPORATE NEWS CEMATEX Launches Start-Up Valley to Support Entrepreneurs . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 TMAS: Digitalisation demands streamlined solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Ph.D (UK) F.T.I. (UK)

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Syed Mahfooz Qutab C.TEX, F.T.I (U.K), B.Sc. Fellow I.C.T.T Atlanta, GA; (USA)

Dr. Zubair Bandukda PhD (Textiles), CText ATI

18 Editorial & Advertising Office B-4, 2nd Floor, 64/21, M.A.C.H, Miran M. Shah Road, Karachi - Pakistan Tel: +92-21-34311674-5 Fax: +92-21-34533616 Email: info@ptj.com.pk URL: http://www.ptj.com.pk

DYES AND CHEMICALS Huntsman Textile Effects showcases End-To-End Systems for Sportswear Sustainability and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 DyStar’s Continued Commitment to the Protection of its Global Intellectual Property Portfolio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

PTJ Europe Ltd. Correspondence & Mailing address: PTJ Europe Ltd. 93 Fleming Place, Bracknell, RG12 2GN, United Kingdom Tel: +44 792 2228 721 Registered Office: Dairy House, Money Row Green, Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 2ND, UK Registered no. 09141989

Available on Gale and Factiva affiliated international databases through Asianet Pakistan

Printed at: Color Plus Korangi, Karachi.

Published by Nadeem Mazhar from D-16, K.D.A. Scheme No.1. Karachi.

FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS DENIM PREMIERE VISION to return to Italy in Fall 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Heimtextil Summer Special: One-time summer edition takes place in June 2022 . . .26 Techtextil and Texprocess 2022: Discover innovations live once again . . . . . . . . . . .28 International Istanbul Yarn Fair will meet up with its visitors and exhibitors . . . . . . .29 Texworld Evolution in Paris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

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34 37 PERSONALIA VDMA awards young engineers for their work on circular economy and sustainability . . .32

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FEATURES U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Recognized and Published in ITC Standards Map . . . . . .34 Autocoro 10 – ingenious networking of economy and sustainability in rotor spinning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Changes and opportunities through automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 MonforClean brings big savings for Albarrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 French textile equipment back on track post COVID-19: UCMTF . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 LYCRA Company driving digital transformation for the apparel industry . . . . . . . .41

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EVENTS The Success of Pakistani Textile Industry Celebrated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

APPAREL AND KNITWEAR Knitwear sector, a mainstay in textile industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Readymade Garments: A flourishing sector in the textile industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

by Prof. Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education.

Manufacturing standards and fair labor costing at MG Apparel with timeSSD from DataS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Careers advice day at Mayer & Cie: Three Lammerberg Realschule year nine classes visit circular knitting machine manufacturer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

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SPECIAL REPORT 10 tips for doing business with European buyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

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2022 brings new hope amid high expectations for the textile industry Our previous issue provided our readers with a compendium of the annual textile statistics and analysis covering the last fiscal year from July 2020 - to June 2021. Despite the global Covid 19 crisis, it was a period of record-breaking value-added textile exports.

January 2022

Apparel and Knitwear / Denim

Pakistan has fared well in the textile and apparel exports because of the extensive backward and forward linkages that start from cotton production to high value-added textile exports. The textile supply chain includes the growers/ginners of cotton and spinners, weaving mills, garment and apparel units, including knitwear and home textiles.

The global buyers of textiles have realised that Pakistan is uniquely equipped to meet the demand for textiles and apparel. While other economies suffered the most adverse consequences of lockdowns and high infections, Pakistan did not stop production and was able to deal most effectively with the pandemic. In fact, according to The Economist, Pakistan has ranked among the top three economies with the highest normalcy index post-Covid 19.

January 2022.

Pakistan’s exports showed remarkable performance during FY 2021. Exports grew by 18% during FY 2021 as compared to the same period of FY 2020 and reached US$ 25.3 billion.

It is reassuring that the trend has continued in the first half of the current fiscal year.

Pakistan’s textiles exports surged by 26.05 per cent to US$9.381 billion during the first half of the current fiscal year 2021-22, as compared to US$7.442 billion in the corresponding period last year.

When we look at the scenario of value-added textiles, the situation is very positive.

For example, half-year exports of bed wear increased 19 per cent to US$1.66 billion from US$1.4 billion. Towels exports were up by 17.54 per cent to US$523.7 million from US$445.7 million. Readymade garments went up 22.93 per cent to US$1.831 billion from US$1.490 billion. Exports of knitwear increased by 35.21 per cent to US$2.5 billion from US$1.849 billion last year, while synthetic textile exports increased by 34.24 per cent to US$224.847 million from US$167.500 million.

In contrast, the exports of all other textile materials increased by 26.59 per cent to US$384.601 million from US$303.822 million.

Cotton yarn exports increased by 52.33 per cent to US$610.427 million during the half, from US$400.733 million last year. Cotton cloth exports grew by 21.35 per cent to US$1.134 billion from US$935.009 million, yarn (other than cotton yarn) increased 110.07 per cent to US$28.279 million from US$13.462 million. Meanwhile, on a year-onyear basis, the textile exports grew by 15.89 per cent during December 2021 compared to the same month of last year.

The situation is not without challenges, the primary being the availability of cotton, the key raw material for the industry. This year, the sector expects an adequate supply of cotton to meet the requirements. In addition, the availability of natural gas is a significant issue for the textile industry that adapted well to the natural gas-based captive power plants over the last two decades.

With the dwindling supply of natural gas, the industry struggles to meet its production commitments. The growth in exports will remain dependent on the steady supply of energy.

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Textile Briefs National

Bilateral trade has been increased since the second phase of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 2020, and more Pakistani products have been able to enter the Chinese market.

Tariffs on some 75 percent of goods from both sides have been gradually reduced to zero since 2020.

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The textile sector of Pakistan is all set to swell due to record exports after gaining an edge over its South Asian competitors Bangladesh and India amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The country's textile exports are expected to surge

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40% from a year earlier to a record US$ 21 billion in the 12 months ending in June bringing cheer to its flailing economy.

The leather goods

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exports witnessed an increase of 9.41 per-

cent during the first half of the financial year (2021-22).

Pakistan exported leather goods worth US$ 319.791 million during July-December (2021-22) against the exports of US$ 292.279 million during July-December (2020-21).

Pakistan has lost textile

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exports of US$ 250 million in December

2021 in the wake of gas supply closure to the sector in Punjab for 15 days.

According to Chairman Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, their country is interested in importing more of textile products, meat and livestock; fruits and vegetable; surgical goods and skilled and semi-skilled work force from Pakistan.

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According to PBS, tex-

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tile exports grew significantly by nearly

26% year-on-year to US$ 9.4 billion in the first half of current fiscal year 2021-22 and fetched 62% of the overall export earnings.

Value-added textiles

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exporters has said the industry was on the

brink of a breakdown owing

According to MoC, the issue of gas prices for the textile and apparel sectors, assumed in the Textile and Apparel Policy 2020-25 including Captive Power Plants (CPPs) are yet to be resolved.

to over a 100-day long gas

Textile and garment exports from Sri Lanka are likely to cross the 5B USD mark in 2021. The sector registered a steep fall of 21 per cent year-on-year to 4.423 billion US dollars in 2020. The country has already earned 4.404 B USD until October.

2021. In the second quarter

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blackout and with their production virtually hitting rock bottom, delivering on international commitments had become seemingly impossible.

Textile Briefs International

Readymade garment (RMG) exports from Bangladesh increased by 28.02 per cent to US$ 19.900 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2021-22 compared to exports of $15.545 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal.

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China set its 2022 import quota for Australian wool at 40,203 tonnes, up 5% from 38,288 tonnes a year earlier, according to a statement on the Ministry of Commerce website. China grants dutyfree treatment to Australian wool up to the quota level.

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Turnover in Germany’s retail trade witnessed a record high in 2021.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

The real turnover in retail trade was 0.6-1.2 per cent higher and the nominal turnover was 2.8-3.4 per cent higher in 2021 compared with 2020, the year with the highest turnover ever recorded.

India’s finance minister

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rejected the proposal and deferred the

increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from the current 5 per cent to 12 per cent on fabrics and other textile products. A similar request from the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) was also rejected.

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The Turkish textile and apparel industry will have to pay higher prices for electricity and natural gas in the New Year.

However, for electricity-generating industrial use, the price increase is 15 per cent.

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The US real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.1 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of

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(Q2), it increased by 6.7 per cent. In the advance estimate issued in October, the increase in real GDP was 2 per cent.

Vietnam, along with

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Cambodia, Bangladesh and more recently

Burma, is a major supplier of clothing and textiles to the European Union. Its economy has been one of the best performing in 2020 with 2.9 percent growth.

Production has been on the rise since China, for the past decade, has wanted to move upmarket in its production.

Textile exports rise 26pc in first half of current fiscal year Textile and clothing exports grew 26 per cent year-on-year to $9.38 billion in the first half of this fiscal year, mainly on the back of a massive depreciation in the rupee’s value and a steady rise in global demand.

The year-on-year growth in December was recorded at 15.89pc, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Monday.

The government has yet to announce the much-awaited textile and apparel policy pending for the last few years.

Several drafts have been presented before the Economic Coordination

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Committee, but the policy has yet to be approved.

In the budget 2021-22, the government drastically reduced duty and taxes on the imports of several hundred raw materials to bring down the input cost of exportable products. Liquidity issues were also resolved to a considerable extent by a timely release of refunds and the payment of cash subsidies.

Data showed that ready-made garment exports jumped 22.93pc in value and but the quantity data was not available for the period during JulyDecember, while the exports of knitwear edged up 35.21pc in value but dipped 0.73pc in quantity. Bedwear exports grew

19.04pc in value and 20.24pc in quantity.

Towel exports were up by 17.54pc in value and 7.15pc in quantity, whereas those of cotton cloth rose by 21.35pc in value and 12pc in quantity.

Among primary commodities, cotton yarn exports surged 52.33pc and those of yarn made from material other than cotton by 110pc. The exports of made-up articles — excluding towels — rose by 11.36pc, while those of tents, canvas and tarpaulin dipped by 9.18pc during the period under review.

The export of raw cotton jumped 197pc to US$1.76m during the six months compared to last year.

The import of textile machinery jumped 88.24pc in July-December,

News & Views reflecting expansion or modernisation in the textile industry.

To bridge the shortfall in the domestic sector, the industry imported 377,573 tonnes of raw cotton in July-December compared to 331,583 tonnes a year ago, an increase of 13.88pc.

Similarly, the import of synthetic fibre dropped 10.32pc as the industry imported 216,513 tonnes this year compared to 241,429 tonnes. The import of synthetic and artificial silk yarn fell 5.30pc to 199,975 tonnes from 211,160 tonnes in the year-ago period.

APTMA claims textile export loss of US$ 250 million due to gas shortage Pakistan has lost textile exports of US$ 250 million in December, 2021 in the wake of gas supply closure to the sector in Punjab for 15 days.

According to the working done by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), the Punjab textile sector has sustained losses of US$ 250 million in exports because of suspension of gas supply in December 2021.

Shahid Sattar, Executive Director, APTMA, when contacted, confirmed that US$ 250 million worth of textile exports were lost last month, which will never be recovered after mills in Punjab were denied gas for 15 days.

However, sanity prevailed in the government circles and the Ministry of Energy restored gas from December 29 though with less gas supply of 75mmcfd by mid-January while pledging that it will be increased up to the optimum level after the peak winter season was over.

However, sources said that the gas being supplied to the export sector is less than 75mmcfd despite the fact that the industry is purchasing gas at US$9 per MMBTU instead of US$6.5 mmcfd during the winters.

Meanwhile, Commerce Ministry sources said that textile mills in Punjab are not getting smooth supply of electricity from the national grid due to interruptions, causing huge losses to the industry which may go up to US$ 250400 million per month.

APTMA also agitated against interruptions in electricity supply in a

letter to Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to PM on Commerce and Textiles, on Jan 7, 2021, which is causing a huge loss to the industry.

The complaint mentioned abrupt interruptions in electricity supply between January 1-5. Each interruption causes waste of half an hour and up to two hours in restarting the machinery, resulting in losing material and rendering capacity grossly underutilized, the letter said. It said that mills are currently running on 80 percent capacity, which signifies 20 percent loss of exports. And this adds up to losses between US$ 250US$ 400 million in exports lost every month.

The APTMA built its case based on the grid performance in various electric power distribution companies (DISCOs).

The grid daily wise report suggests that the electricity is full of jerks, low and high voltages and tripping, the letter concluded. Shahid Sattar, Executive Director, APTMA, said reportedly new machinery installed in many mills under new investments was burnt due to sudden surge in voltages.

RLNG provision to power plants may be curtailed if domestic demand increases Answering a question, he said most of the stay applications against the SNGPL on the issue of gas supply to industry have been withdrawn by the petitioners and the remaining, if any, would be withdrawn by Wednesday (today).

Punjab reportedly needs three LNG cargoes in January to meet the increasing demand in all sectors, including domestic, which is presently receiving over 1,000mmcfd of gas these days. The government expects the arrival of one cargo next month, but the schedule for the remaining two is uncertain due to delayed order placement. If no cargo arrives by Jan 10, the situation could get out of control and lead to suspension of supply to all sectors, except domestic consumers.

On the other hand, the Gas Load Management Plan for winter 2021-22 is being implemented following a decision of the Cabinet Committee on Energy.

Under the plan, the general industry (non-export) is being provided gas on a weekly rotation basis with one day off for each sector. The cement industry is also being treated on a par with the general industry. The plan also allows five per cent extra supply to gas-fired power plants during winter as compared to last year’s actual consumption.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for SNGPL said the decision was taken to facilitate export industries. “The government, SNGPL and the industrial sector have taken this decision unanimously to keep the textile industry running. Therefore, gas shall be restored from Wednesday morning,” the spokesman said in a press release.

The government, after an extensive meeting with the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Pakistan Textile Exporters

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News & Views

Association and others concerned, had on Monday announced to provide 75mmcfd of gas to captive power-run textile export industry from Wednesday till March 31, 2022 subject to a written submission from the exporters that they would get the stay orders withdrawn immediately and their energy audits carried out till June 30, 2022.

Pakistan and China revive Joint Economic Committee after 11 years After an 11-year break, Pakistan and China have agreed to resume talks within the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) framework. The JEC forum has been placed on hold as everything is being settled through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project for the last eight years.

According to an official statement, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan delivered the opening remarks at the 15th Session of the Pakistan-China Joint Economic Committee on Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.

He praised China's government for hosting the JEC's 15th session after an 11year gap. China Vice Minister Ren Hongbin, and Economic Affairs Division Secretary Mian Asad Hayaud Din cochaired the JEC virtual meeting.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Ayub expressed his pleasure at the completion of a 70-year friendship between Pakistan and China, which he described as "unprecedented."

He pointed to the 1982 Bilateral Agreement for the Establishment of a Joint Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technical Collaboration as the bedrock of bilateral cooperation to emphasise the significance of the occasion.

China shows interest in Pakistan’s textile industry In terms of bilateral cooperation and exchange, China is interested in strengthening investment cooperation with Pakistan in textile and garment industry, said China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles (CCCT) on Saturday.

Talking to a national news in China, vice president at CCCT Zhang Xian said potential of a combination of strengths and weaknesses provides opportunities for deepening cooperation between the two countries' textile industries.

"China is willing to strengthen investment cooperation with Pakistan in the textile and garment industry," Zhang said, adding that collaboration and competition coexist for textile industry in both countries and Sino-Pak co-op in textile industry is ‘untapped’.

''Pakistan and China are perfect partners and there's a lot that can be done," remarked the vice president.

Pakistan is one of the world's leading cotton producers, ranking among the top five in terms of yield, with cotton textile products accounting for 40 percent of its exports.

As a major garment producer, Pakistan's export of home textiles, clothing, and other processed products to the European Union, the United States, and other countries and regions has witnessed a rapid growth these years, which has also driven rapid growth in yarn and fabric imports from China, promoting the cooperation between China and Pakistan in the industrial chain.

However, the different stages of industrial development between the two countries also create broad space for closer cooperation, noted Zhang Xian.

According to Pakistani customs statistics, Pakistan's imports of textiles and apparel from China accounts for 62 percent of its total imports, which makes China its largest source of textile and garment imports. As per statistics released

by General Administration of Customs of China, the country’s imports from Pakistan are mainly cotton yarn and Pakistan ranks third among China's import sources of cotton yarn.

Around the World

BANGLADESH Bangladesh garment exports rise 28.02% in July-December 2021 Readymade garment (RMG) exports from Bangladesh increased by 28.02 per cent to US$19.900 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2021-22 compared to exports of US$15.545 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal, according to the provisional data released by the Export Promotion Bureau. Knitwear exports gained more than woven RMG exports.

Knitwear exports increased by 30.91 per cent to US$ 11.161 billion in JulyDecember 2021-22, as against exports of US$ 8.526 billion during the comparable period of the previous fiscal, as per the data.

Exports of woven apparel increased at a slower rate of 24.50 per cent to US$ 8.739 billion during the period under review, compared to exports of US$ 7.019 billion during the comparable period of 2020-21. Woven and knitted apparel and clothing accessories’ exports together accounted for 80.57 per cent of US$ 24.698 billion worth of total exports made by Bangladesh during JulyDecember 2021-2022.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Meanwhile, home textile exports (Chapter 63, excluding 630510) also rose by 30.77 per cent to US$ 715.95 million during the six-month period under review, compared to exports of US$ 547.48 million during July-December 2020-21. In the fiscal ending June 30, 2021, readymade garment exports from Bangladesh increased by 12.55 per cent to US$ 31.456 billion compared to exports of US$ 27.949 billion in the previous fiscal. However, this value was lower than US$ 34.133 billion exports made during July-June 2018-19.

If the present growth trend continues, Bangladesh, this fiscal, should surpass the value of RMG exports achieved in 2018-

19, and may also surpass the garment export target of US$ 35.144 billion set for the ongoing fiscal year.

CHINA Import quota for Australian wool in 2022 China has raised the import quota for Australian wool in 2022 from the previous year, the commerce ministry said recently, in line with the terms of a bilateral trade pact. The move came after Beijing increased import quotas for Australian wool in 2021, even as souring

Around the World relations between the two countries affected shipments of several major Australian commodities including barley and coal.

China set its 2022 import quota for Australian wool at 40,203 tonnes, up 5% from 38,288 tonnes a year earlier, according to a statement on the Ministry of Commerce website. China grants dutyfree treatment to Australian wool up to the quota level, which increases by 5% every year until 2024, under a bilateral free-trade agreement signed in 2015.

The import quota for wool and wool tops from New Zealand in 2022 was set at 369,36 tonnes and 665 tonnes respectively, unchanged from 2021, according to the statement. Chinese wool firms were seeking to expand sources for wool imports to cut reliance on Australian shipments, state media outlet Global Times reported in March.

GERMANY German retail turnover in 2021 expected to be up by 0.9% over 2020 Turnover in Germany’s retail trade witnessed a record high in 2021, according to an estimate of the Federal Statistical Office. The real (price-adjusted) turnover in retail trade was 0.6-1.2 per cent higher and the nominal (not priceadjusted) turnover was 2.8-3.4 per cent higher in 2021 compared with 2020, the year with the highest turnover ever recorded.

The resulting mean year-on-year rates of change were 0.9 per cent on a real basis and 3.1 per cent on a nominal basis.

However, the results for the months of January to November 2021 indicate that parts of shop-based retail trade, such as retail trade in textiles, clothing, footwear and leather products, suffered losses in turnover in the second year of the coronavirus crisis as well, according to an official release.

INDIA Indian FM rejects Textiles Ministry proposal to defer GST hike India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a meeting rejected the proposal put forward by the ministry of

textiles to defer the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from the current 5 per cent to 12 per cent on fabrics and other textile products. A similar request from the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) was also rejected.

As a result, GST rates will go up as scheduled with effect from January 1, 2022, from 5 per cent to 12 per cent on all types of fabrics, and on garments with retail value below INR 1,000. The GST rate on man-made fibre, however, will come down from 18 per cent to 12 per cent. The rates on cotton, cotton yarn and synthetic yarn will remain unchanged at 5 per cent, 5 per cent, and 12 per cent respectively.

The GST Council at its last meeting had decided to change the GST rate to address the inverted tax structure in the MMF textile value chain. The GST of 18 per cent, 12 per cent and 5 per cent levied on MMF, MMF yarn and MMF fabrics created build-up of credits and cascading costs, as the tax on inputs was at higher rates than finished products.

This further led to accumulation of taxes at various stages of MMF value chain and blockage of crucial working capital for the industry.

SRI LANKA Textile & garment exports set to cross US$ 5 billon Textile and garment exports from Sri Lanka are likely to cross the 5 Billon US$ mark in 2021. The sector registered a

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Around the World steep fall of 21 per cent year-on-year to 4.423 billion US$ in 2020. The country has already earned 4.404B US$ until October, growing at 20.8 per cent yearon-year, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka says.

Garments exports were up 23.6 per cent year-on-year to 4.011B US$ billion during the first ten months of last year, while textile exports increased by 37.3 per cent and fetched 285.5M US$.

Exports of other made-up textile articles fetched 107M US$ during January-October 2021, registering a 44.2 per cent decline year-on-year. Textiles and garments exports accounted for 56.07 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the ten-month period.

Imports of textiles and textile articles too, rose by 31.2 per cent to 2.471B US$, while clothing and accessories imports were up marginally by 6.5 per cent to 176.6M US$ during January-October 2021.

During October, earnings from textiles and garment exports surged by 42.5 per cent to 510.6M US$, compared to exports of 358.2M US$ in the same month of 2020. Expenditure on textiles and textile articles jumped by 21.9 per cent year-on-year to 265.8M US$, while clothing and accessories imports shot up by 54.8 per cent to 19.8M US$.

In 2020, Sri Lanka's clothing exports fetched 3.939B US$, a fall of 24.3 per cent over 5.205B US$ in 2019. Imports of textiles and textile articles decreased by 19.7 per cent to 2.335B US$.

TURKEY Textile industry enters New Year with higher energy prices The Turkish textile and apparel industry will have to pay higher prices for electricity and natural gas in the New Year. This too at a time when Western countries, especially those in Europe, are actively considering sourcing more of their textile and apparel from Turkey under their near-shoring strategy, and the country’s inflation is at a 19-year high.

Citing the increase in global energy prices, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority of Turkey has raised power consumption charges by over 100 per cent for high-demand commercial users.

Separately, BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS), the state-owned crude oil and natural gas pipelines and trading company in Turkey, has raised

natural gas prices by 50 per cent in January. However, for electricitygenerating industrial use, the price increase is 15 per cent.

Meanwhile, the annual consumer inflation rate in Turkey has shot up to a 19-year high of 36.08 per cent in December, a sharp rise compared to 21.31 per cent in November. According to economists, the high rate of inflation is due to the decrease in value of lira, mainly owing to the policy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to keep interest rates low.

Addressing an event in Istanbul last week, Erdogan urged citizens to keep all their savings in lira. He also advised people to deposit their gold savings with the country’s banks.

USA US real GDP rises at annual rate of 2.1% in Q3 2021: BEA US real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.1 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, according to the second estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In the second quarter (Q2), it increased by 6.7 per cent. In the advance estimate issued in October, the increase in real GDP was 2 per cent.

The increase in third quarter GDP reflected the continued economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the update primarily reflects upward revisions to personal consumption expenditures and private inventory investment, BEA said in a release.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Around the World The increase in private inventory investment reflected increases in wholesale trade (led by nondurable goods industries) and in retail trade (led by motor vehicles and parts dealers). The increase in PCE reflected an increase in services that was partly offset by a decrease in goods.

A resurgence of COVID19 cases resulted in new restrictions and delays in the reopening of establishments in some parts of the country. Government assistance payments in the form of forgivable loans to businesses, grants to state and local governments, and social benefits to households all decreased.

The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the GDP estimate for the third quarter because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified.

VIETMAN Textile and clothing sector is recovering After an unprecedented wave of layoffs, the sector recovered rapidly in the last quarter by abandoning its "zerocovid" policy.

Vietnam, along with Cambodia, Bangladesh and more recently Burma, is a major supplier of clothing and textiles to the European Union (and the Western world in general). Its economy has been one of the best performing in 2020 (2.9 percent growth). Production has been on the rise since China, for the past decade, has wanted to move upmarket in its production. Nike, New Balance, Puma and Adidas, to name but a few, depend on this Southeast Asian country for much of their production. However, the pandemic - starting with the strict confinement of the Ho Chi Min region, with the army delivering the meals - did not spare this new workshop of the world.

A trauma for the 1.3 million migrant workers who came from the countryside and returned to their native region from July to September. The country has indeed experienced the pandemic with the Delta variant, which caused a surge in infections from last summer. The epidemic bounced back in early November. On November 29, VnExpress International, the English version of Vietnam's leading news website, sounded the alarm: "Factories may be offering higher wages and better benefits to attract workers as their end-of-year order books fill up, but they are receiving few applications amid lingering fears of Covid-19.

The media reported in November that a Nike subcontractor was offering 100 dollars a month bonuses to its workers - a quarter of their salary - and a New Balance supplier was promising free transportation for those returning to Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Thi Thanh, vice president of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association, recently told to media that many Christmas orders from foreign countries would not be fulfilled. However, Le Courrier du Vietnam now claims that the sector is recovering, especially since the government has relaxed measures to prevent and control the epidemic, abandoning its "zero Covid" policy.

Cao Huu Hiêu, general manager of Vinatex, told the media that 90 percent of the employees of the group's

companies had already returned to work.

At present, nearly 100 percent of the group's employees are present in their companies. "The high growth rate in the fourth quarter has enabled the textile and garment industry to achieve the export target of USD 39 billion for the whole year, an increase of almost 12 percent compared to 2020. Already, growth in the sector has returned to preCoronavirus levels. Exports to the EU have reached 3.7 billion dollars, up 14 percent.

The good figures are explained by strategic choices: the high profits are due in particular to the choice of factory managers to give priority to the yarn industry, which has risen from 20 to 5055 per cent of total production. The concern remains, however, that logistics costs are still four to five times higher than before the pandemic. Other challenges include a shortage of empty containers, shipping congestion that forces companies to deliver goods by air, and fluctuations in key export markets.

The sector is targeting USD 38-39 billion in export sales in the worst case scenario, USD 42.5-43.5 billion in the best case scenario.

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Corporate News

CEMATEX Launches Start-Up Valley to Support Entrepreneurs A key selection criterion is the environmental, economic and/or disruptive impact of the innovation, solution or product.

The owner of ITMA and ITMA branded exhibitions, CEMATEX will provide selected young enterprises with solutions for the textile and garment industry with a grant to exhibit at the Start-Up Valley during ITMA 2023. The CEMATEX Start-Up Grant will cover the rental costs of a special design stand and fittings, as well as entitlements such as business matching. ITMA 2023 will be held at Fiera Milano Rho, Milan, from June 8-14, 2023.

“We are excited to launch this initiative to attract innovative startups to ITMA 2023,” CEMATEX president Ernesto Maurer said.

“The Start-Up

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Valley will be a good complement to the ITMA Research & Innovation Lab.” “As the largest textile technology exhibition attracting leading textile and garment manufacturers from around the world, ITMA offers young entrepreneurs a useful platform to put their innovations in front of a global audience, to find investors and collaborators and to leverage industry connections and professional networks.”

To be eligible for the grant, start-ups must have a product or service that is within ITMA 2023’s exhibit profile. The company should also be incorporated for not more than eight years, and

has either generated revenue for at least a year or raised capital from investors or grants from other incubator programs.

A key selection criterion is the environmental, economic and/or disruptive impact of the innovation, solution or product.

Interested start-ups may apply for the CEMATEX grant by June 30, 2022.

Successful applicants will be advised by Oct. 28, 2022. 

TMAS: Digitalisation demands streamlined solutions Fully integrated production lines from single source suppliers have increasingly become the norm in the textile industry and make complete sense in meeting today’s complex supply chain needs, according to TMAS – the Swedish Textile Machinery Association.

“Over the past few decades, textile mills have transitioned from consisting of collections of individual machines serviced and maintained largely by in-house mechanics as well as separate supplier companies for each part of the production line,” says TMAS Secretary General Therese Premler-Andersson.

“Those in-house engineering service teams have diminished over the years, while the introduction of electronic drive systems in the 1980s and 90s also put an increased emphasis on the need for third party electrical engineers, operating separately to the machine builders.

“Subsequently, mechanical machines and electronic drive systems became much more integrated, and more recently, with the advent of digitalisation, entire production lines are becoming centrally controlled with remote, instantaneous connections to their suppliers for service and maintenance.

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“In this context, the integration of machinery and automation specialists as single-source suppliers makes perfect sense, while partnerships between machine builders and their customers have never been more important.”

The recent acquisition of Nowo textile machinery from its previous owner, Brandstones Ab Oy, by TMAS member ACG Kinna, she adds, is a good example of this general trend.

Nowo, headquartered in Turku, Finland, designs, manufactures and exports high-end textile production machinery mainly for the fibre processing industry. At the end of the 1980s it introduced the highly successful Nowo Vac pillow filling system, which has been its best-selling system, alongside the Noworoll ball fibre machine, introduced in the 1990s.

Nowo’s machine range covers the entire production process from bale opening to weighing and filling, and complete production lines are tailored to the specific needs of customers. The company can also deliver individual machines such as bale openers, cards, cross-lappers, pickers, mixing devices,

material silos, sucking devices, anti-static units etc. Seven patents cover the company’s technologies.

Founded in 1977, ACG Kinna Automatic, based in Skene in Sweden, specialises in customised and costefficient solutions for the production of pillows and quilts. All of its design, manufacturing and final line testing is carried out in Sweden and the reliability and longevity of its machines has earned it the trust of the world’s largest furniture and home decoration retailers and Europe’s largest manufacturer of pillows and duvets, among many customers.

“We see good opportunities for growth for Nowo’s technology, alongside and in combination with the extensive ACG Kinna product portfolio,” said ACG Kinna CEO Christian Moore. “We aim to continue the good cooperation with Nowo’s current suppliers and partners and will accelerate the development of fully integrated production lines based on the know-how of both companies. As new Nowo MD, Jurgen Jürimä brings a wealth of fibre and textile knowledge to the team and this will enable us to take Nowo textile machines to the next level in automated, seamless production.”

Dyes and Chemicals

Huntsman Textile Effects showcases End-To-End Systems for Sportswear Sustainability and Performance Huntsman Textile Effects, global leader in innovative solutions and environmentally sustainable products brought its complete end-to-end suite of highperformance solutions for sports apparel to Performance Days Digital Fair during 1-2 December 2021.

Driven by growing consumer interest in active and healthy lifestyles, coupled with the growing number of national sports participation programs that promote healthy living, the global sportwear market shows no signs of slowing. Brands that aim to satisfy this high-growth market need to be able to produce performance apparel that not only delivers sought-after functional capabilities and desirable aesthetics, but also comes with low environmental impact.

“Sportswear consumers increasingly demand both sustainability and performance. While achieving this balance has traditionally been a challenge, new technologies are changing the game,” said Dhirendra Singh, Senior Director, Global Market Strategy and Innovation, Huntsman Textile Effects.

“With a partner like Huntsman, brands today can offer garments that perform well for every wear - garments that are breathable and dry quickly, resist stains

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and odors, and retain their good looks and great performance through hard workouts and frequent washing. Even better, they can do so in ways that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Sustainability breakthroughs Huntsman introduced the latest addition to the third generation of its revolutionary AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range at Performance Days.

AVITERA® ROSE SE delivers brilliant bluish-red shades while reducing the water and energy required for production by upto 50% and increasing mill output by upto 25% or more. It also significantly out performs the best available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends in terms of value, reducing recipe costs, minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing.

Also in the spotlight were ecofriendly solutions for the challenges of achieving full whites and consistent shades on recycled polyester (rPET) with right-first-time quality. Huntsman’s rPET processing solutions include pretreatment chemicals, fluorescent whitening agents, state-of-the-art washfast dyes, and finishing solutions for high-performance protection and comfort.

Innovations in protection effects In partnership with Sciessent, Huntsman is also bringing revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to Performance Days.

These include Sciessent’s Agion Active® X2, a next-generation odorcontrol solution that combines advanced technologies to both capture and fight odor-causing bacteria for garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing. The partners are also previewing a new solution: Sciessent’s NOBO™, a cost-effective odor adsorber that provides odor control on virtually any fabric.

Other featured innovations included Teflon Eco Dry with Zelan™ R2 Plus technology. A breakthrough in sustainable water repellency, it contains 30% renewably sourced plant-based raw materials and meets or exceeds performance levels possible with traditional fluorinated technologies.

Another exciting Huntsman solution is the new PHOBOL® Extender UXN – a product that optimizes water-repellent finishes for long-lasting fabric protection.

It is free from butanone oxime, which has recently been re-classified in Europe and restricted above certain limits in products by bluesign®.

Dyes and Chemicals

DyStar’s Continued Commitment to the Protection of its Global Intellectual Property Portfolio DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation is pleased to announce our continued commitment to the protection of our global intellectual property portfolio.

challenges of the rapid global business recovery and exploring exciting growth opportunities across the emerging markets, our team needs to stay vigilant and vigorously protect our global intellectual property portfolio.

continued success as a leading global

As an innovative global chemical organisation, DyStar’s intellectual property portfolio is an important part of our DNA. To date, our innovation encompasses more than 1,000 patents, trademarks and patent applications worldwide. We take pride and recognise that this will enable us to continually protect and enhance the organisation’s ability to invest in delivering sustainable innovative products and solutions for the global supply chain.

This has again been demonstrated in a recent incident, where DyStar had to charge three former employees who had neglected to protect DyStar’s intellectual property, and were also under suspicion of having shared DyStar’s proprietary information with the competition.”

determination to pursue and investigate

Globally, DyStar offers an ethical work environment with diverse workplace culture supported by a strong foundation of trust and confidence between our employees and multiple stakeholders.

This has set a good fundamental towards protecting our global assets on the whole, which will also contribute to our

party whether for commercial or for

Eric Hopmann, Chief Executive Officer of DyStar Group explains: “As DyStar continues to focus on managing

brand.

Our publicly available documents on our Code of Conduct and privacy statements, further highlights DyStar’s potential breaches or infringements of our intellectual property portfolio, including innovations, trade secrets and unauthorised distribution of any confidential materials to anyone or any personal benefit.

For anyone who has information about a potential infringement of DyStar’s intellectual property portfolio, please reach out to our compliance desk at compliance@dystar.com.

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DENIM PREMIERE VISION to return to Italy in Fall 2022 Denim Première Vision announced the date and location of its Fall 2022 trade show.

The event will take place Nov. 23-24 and return to Superstudio Più in Milan, the same venue where it held its Fall 2019 and Fall 2021 shows.

Though the upcoming Milan Fashion Week is in a state of flux, with names like Giorgio Armani already bowing out, Denim Première Vision show manager, Fabio Adami Dalla Val, is optimistic that it will be able to take place.

“After the success of the first edition in 2019, we realized that Milan is a dynamic city that is able to attract the denim community and the denim ecosystem that has still his core in Italy.

The good result that we had in October 2021 confirmed this, therefore we are more convinced about that choice and also the first reaction of our partners are positive,” he said.

“Milan is a city that represents the identity of Denim Première Vision with a focus on fashion and business at the heart of the denim industry. Milan offers exhibitors and visitors everything they need.”

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The show plans to work on increasing its presence in Italy and establish more collaborations with the city to be better connected with Milan, he added.

Denim Première Vision’s next event will take place in Berlin, May 17-18 at Arena Berlin, and remotely through a week-long virtual event. The show is working with registered exhibitors to develop new and innovative projects to present at the event.

With Germany being a key market for many exhibitors, and Berlin being an “attractive hotspot for the fashion,” Adami Dalla Val anticipates a lot of excitement for the event.

“Indeed they recognize also the fact that Denim Première Vision is an international event that will be able, once again, to attract visitors from different countries,” he said.

Fairs and Exhibitions

In 2018, organizers announced it would take a “roaming event” approach to selecting the locations for its denim industry event. It kicked off the program in London in December 2018, followed

by Milan the next season. Denim Première Vision went virtual due to the pandemic until October 2021, when it returned to Milan as a physical and online event.

Following Italy’s health and safety guidelines, a total of 3,750 visitors attended the show dedicated to Spring/Summer 2023 collections.

Attendance was 57 percent Italian and 43 percent international, primarily from France, Spain, the U.K., and some from Turkey and the U.S. On-site covid testing was available as well.

“Indeed Milano at the moment is a great opportunity but we will monitor the evolution of the market trying to support the needs of our partners,” Adami Dalla Val said. “We will explore new opportunities among European fashion capitals and we will hold the event where it makes sense for the business of our exhibitors and visitors.”

Première Vision New York is moving forward with its in-person Jan. 18-19 event at Center 415.

Featuring 109 exhibitors from 19 countries, the trade show will offer Spring/Summer 2023 collections from fabric, designs, leather, manufacturing, and accessories companies. The show’s partnership with CFDA’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative will provide visitors the opportunity to discover local manufacturing solutions.

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Fairs and Exhibitions

Heimtextil Summer Special: One-time summer edition takes place in June 2022 Clear vote of approval from exhibitors and industry partners: Heimtextil, the leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles, will be held as a one-time Summer Special from 21 to 24 June – at the same time as Techtextil and Texprocess, the respective leading trade fairs for technical textiles and nonwovens and for the processing of textile and flexible materials.

summer this year. We need a platform to present our new products to the market.

The industry needs to see each other again, a personal relationship is important. We hope that the situation this summer will allow exhibitors and visitors to travel freely and that the fair will mark the beginning of a return to normality," says Francisco Jover Pastor, CEO of Jover Group.

“It is great to see the high level of trust that our exhibitors have in us, even after more than two years of the pandemic. The results of the vote and the first confirmations of participation show: The need to finally return to personal business meetings and new global contacts in face-to-face exchanges before the end of this year is as strong as ever – even if the reunion this year will take place in a different setting than usual," says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, delighted at the positive response.

"It means a lot to us that Heimtextil 2022 will be held as part of the Summer Special. In June, we will finally be able to connect personally with the global trade again at a central location and show live what is possible with Tencel lyocell and modal fibers for the interior sector.

Especially for home textiles, it is very important to see and touch the products.

We are looking forward to many new contacts and to seeing long-time customers and companions again at Heimtextil 2022 this summer," said Ebru Bayramoğlu, Head of Global Business Development at the Lenzing Group.

First manufacturer and brands have already confirmed their participation – including long-standing Heimtextil exhibitors such as the Jover Group, the Lenzing Group and Hohmann Weberei: "From our point of view, it is a good decision to reschedule Heimtextil to

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"We are positive about the summer date and will participate with the same booth planning for June that was planned for the January event," announces Martin Buchta, CEO of Hohmann Weberei.

Synergy effects through parallelism with Techtextil/Texprocess Thanks to the parallelism of the three trade fairs, national and international buyers will be able for the first time to experience global trends and innovations along large parts of the textile value chain bundled in one place - starting with fibers and yarns, through functional textiles, textile technologies and production and finishing processes, to the end product for textile interiors and recycling.

"The close proximity to Techtextil and Texprocess provides Heimtextil buyers with exciting new perspectives on innovative functionalities of technical textiles or also nonwovens as well as processing technologies for the home textiles industry. Through these synergies, we create additional incentives to attract national and international buyers for the re-launch of Heimtextil in summer," explains Schmidt.

The simultaneous presence of retailers, interior designers, textile engineers, architects, material experts from research and development, as well as machine and technology specialists, will also give exhibitors at all three trade fairs unique networking opportunities.

Fairs and Exhibitions

Techtextil and Texprocess 2022: discover innovations live once again Awards will honour outstanding achievements relating to sustainability in the sector.

Restart after the pandemic: Techtextil and Texprocess are once again set to bring together the technical textile and textile processing sectors at physical events in Frankfurt am Main from 21 to 24 June 2022. Trade visitors can look forward to numerous exhibitors and a broad spectrum of themes.

“The sector is in motion again and people have a great need to find out about the latest developments and see innovations live. Over the last one and a half years or more since the outbreak of the pandemic, companies have had faced a variety of new challenges. Many of the companies have undergone a complete restructuring and, simultaneously, launched a host of innovations. Now, they want to discuss them with an international audience of trade visitors”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

"Techtextil and Texprocess will provide a look ahead in June 2022. The distortions of the industry due to the pandemic and the commitment to sustainability are directing the focus even more toward flexible, digitally automated and sustainable production structures.

Among other things, these will also be more regional than before," said Elgar Straub, Managing Director, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies.

"Adapted technological solutions exist and are increasingly in demand. The high registration numbers show the need for exchange."

Both trade fairs will be held as hybrid events with many supplementary digital services for exhibitors and visitors in addition to the live exhibition and programme of events.

Sustainability as a key theme From the UN Decade of Action, which calls for the implementation of sustainable development targets on a global level by 2030, to the EU Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, or the

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New: area for international textile start-ups

Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (‘Lieferkettengesetz’) recently passed by the German government, which makes companies responsible for human-rights infringements in their supply chains, sustainability is a vital subject that is also driving the textile industry and to which, given its size and impact on people and nature, the sector can make a substantial contribution.

With Sustainability@Techtextil and Sustainability@Texprocess, the two leading fairs will put the spotlight in June 2022 on the sustainability concepts of the companies and organisations taking part.

Expert discussions will supplement the subject. Moreover, a special category of the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation

Dynamic and multifarious: the textile sector is in motion and textile start-ups are active in numerous future-oriented fields, such as 3D design, blockchain, ecommerce and sustainability. For the first time, Techtextil and Texprocess will introduce international start-ups for technical textiles and textile processing on a special area supplementing the popular ‘Young Innovative Companies from Germany’ area supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, which spotlights companies based in Germany that have been on the market for a maximum of 10 years.

Focus on the denim industry at Texprocess From cotton growing, via dyeing processes that conserve water, to finishing: the timelessness of denim fashion has not only given rise to a host of myths and facts revolving around sustainability but also to a multitude of innovations in the sector. With the Denim Future Factory (DFF), the denim industry will be a thematic focal point at Texprocess 2022.

Fairs and Exhibitions

International Istanbul Yarn Fair Will Meet Up With its Visitors and Exhibitors in February Manufacturers operating in the yarn industry, which is the most important raw material of the ready-to-wear and textile indusrty will come together 18th time at Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center. The Istanbul Yarn Fair organized by Tüyap, will show on the latest trends, innovations and technologies between the dates 24-26 February 2022.

The readt-to-wear and textile industry, which shines all over the World, gets its success from the yarn industry.

The production and export capacity of Türkiye in the yarn industry, especially in cotton yarn, is increasing every year.

Istanbul Yarn Fair, one of the most important exhibition in its scope, will bring together the rising Turkish textile industry and the biggest producers of the world at Tüyap Fair Convention ans Congress Center.

The Fair Full of Success The previous Istanbul Yarn Fair hosted 296 companies and company representatives from 22 countries, 8.372 professional visitors from 86 countries in 15.250 sqm. area.

The important hosted buyers from Bulgaria, Algeria, Morocco, India, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tunisia, Ukrain and Pakistan visited the fair. With the power taken from this results, it is expected to host over 3 hundreds exhibitors and over 10 tousands visitors in 18th edition of the fair.

The Effective Marketing Channels The important marketing activities continue for the Istanbul Yarn Fair in Türkiye and abroad. Collaborations are made with national, international, sectoral, local broadcasting organizations and NGOs at the fair, where the effective marketing channels including conventional and digital tools, are used.

The yarn industry professionals are invited to visit the fair thanks to Tuyap foreing offices from the 4 countries, and representatives network from over 80 countries.

The Large Scale of Scope Attracts Attention Thousands of yarn types from cotton to wool, from elastan to acrylic, from silk to viscose and bobbins, spool and reels will be presented to ready-to-wear and textile industry professionals. The exhibition where those interested can see many product options at the same time, will be held on 24-26 February, 2022 as a platform where new business contacts are established.

The Digital Solutions of Hybrid Exhibition The visitors and exhibitors will gather digitally through the Business Connect Program –an online business network platform- thanks to the digital solutions developed by Tüyap. They will be able to organize their online and in person meetings and continue their communication from here. The exhibitor will be at just one click away from their

potantial customers and new business partners thanks to this online service. By searching and filtering through the Business Connect Program, the exhibitors will be able to find suitable business contacts, send requests, message and plan meetings between February 21 and March 4, 2022. During the fair – February 24-26, 2022- visitors and exhibitors who have made a meeting plan will be able to meet online or face-to-face througt Business Connect Program. The exhibitors will be able to continue to find new business partners and match the suitable contacts after the post exhibition period – February 27-March 4, 2022 – Thanks to this digital richness provided by the fari, business connections will no longer be limited to the date of the fair.

All Hygiene Measures Have Been Taken Through the fairs it organizes, TÜYAP, which directs the development of many industries from defence to packaging, from agriculture to construction, will meticulously implement the COVID-19 measures it applies at every fair, also at the Plast Eurasia meeting. TÜYAP, as the first exhibition centre to receive the Turkish Standards Institute COVID-19 Safe Service Certificate, will create a safe fair environment for its exhibitors and visitors with the measures it takes.

International Istanbul Yarn Fair will be open to visit from 10.00 to 18.00 on Febsuary 24 and 25, 200 and from 10.00 to 17.00 on February 26, 2022.

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Fairs and Exhibitions

Texworld Evolution in Paris Live to be discovered from 7-9 February: the Trend Book that accompanies the return of the Texworld Evolution Paris trade fairs to the Parc des Expositions de Paris - Le Bourget celebrates fertile confrontation, those areas where opposites express their creative power.

Texworld Evolution Paris, which will be held from 7 to 9 February at the Parc des Expositions de Paris - Le Bourget, will be the opportunity to discover the Trends Forum imagined and designed by the art directors of Texworld Paris, Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud. Their thoughts, which structure the Interface inspiration book, trace the creative outlines of Spring-Summer 2023 fashion.

Displayed at several points in the exhibition area, this new forum highlights for the first time the expressive lines born out of these two years of crisis. It interrogates the new forms of "living together", the barriers between communities, cultures and materials by exploring the power of these interfaces in creative terms: the junction between

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

digital and tangible, natural and synthetic, hard and soft... These associations, which give a particular place to materials and fibres, are to be explored through four major themes.  Border. « Between us, a border has been built. Invisible. [...] What shall we do with it? [...] A border is not an impassable limit, it is an opportunity. » This theme gives the material its rightful place, both frank and hard when it delimits (granite connection) and soft when it protects (warm



membrane). This axis is based on a large tonal palette that runs from graphite to arctic blue, but always in rather muted and "earthy" aspects.

Alliance. « Because recognizing that we share the same destiny is the first act of intelligence. [...] For the first time we are looking in the same direction. And we want to move forward together. [...] » This ethereal and spiritual creative line devotes palettes of blues and greens, where the material (carved embroidery) and the fibre (fibrous protrusion) are

Fairs and Exhibitions expressed in tones - transparent or opaque - in a spirit where nature often shines through.  Connections. « A little bit of us has crept into you. [...] We are not quite the same as before our alliance. We have enriched each other. [...] To open up gaps to see the light emerge. » This theme is the one that carries the initial claim the best. Oriented towards synthetics and fluorescence, it expresses all aspects of the material in an assumed way, up to showing the accidents. It is the area of "mixing" and Interfaces, of fluorescent angora and knitted (recycled!) plastics.  Surface. « And without realizing it, the world grew again. The meetings revealed their secrets, the secret of immortality. They gave birth. New territories. Unknown zones. Vaster. [...] Finally, a perspective. » While moving away from transparency, this theme also plays on the points of contact and exchange between virtual and real, between earth and space, through a palette of blues and greens that can be imagined as "flat surfaces" in the style of "flat design".

The mixtures (crystalline membrane) and contrasts (antic collage) that confront the materials are not forbidden.

Visitors to the show will be able to discover these major thematics through all the material samples and finished products selected by the show's artistic directors to illustrate concretely each of the creative universes of Spring-Summer 2023 fashion.

Providing maximum convenience for visitors, Apparel Sourcing, Avantex, Leatherworld and Texworld Paris belong to the cluster of related trade shows organised by Messe Frankfurt France, held in one and the same location, on the same dates and where entry is free upon presentation of professional credentials.

All details about textile trade shows organised by the Messe Frankfurt group throughout the world can be found at the platform: www.texpertisenetwork.messefrankfurt.c om

Background information on Messe Frankfurt The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Group employs approximately 2,300* people at its

headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 30 subsidiaries around the world. In 2021, the company had to contend with the challenges posed by the pandemic for the second consecutive year. Annual sales will be approximately €140* million after having been as high as €736 million in 2019 before the pandemic. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. Wehave close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales

network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.

Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). 

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Personalia

VDMA awards young engineers for work on circular economy and sustainability The Chairman of the Walter ReinersStiftung foundation of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association, Peter D. Dornier has awarded prizes to three successful young engineers. The award-winning works provide practical solutions on the topic of circular economy. For example, the recycling of carbon fibres, which are used to produce lightweight components for the automotive industry. Or the environmentally friendly production of yarns from crab shells. Another topic was medical applications: The processing of ultra-fine yarns into stents for aortic repair.

The award ceremony took place online on 9 November as part of the AachenDresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference.

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vital components used in medicine. The stents made of ultra-fine yarns are made possible by an innovative modification of the classic tube weaving process.

The Walter Reiners Foundation rewarded the doctoral thesis of Dr. Martin Hengstermann with the promotional prize in the dissertation category, endowed with 5,000 euros. The thesis deals with the production of recycled carbon fibres. These can be used to produce lightweight components for motor vehicle and aircraft construction or the wind energy sector.

New Prize Sustainability / Circular Economy

With a creativity prize, endowed with 3,000 euros, the foundation honoured the diploma thesis of Irina Kuznik, TU Dresden.

She used a creative approach to realise solutions for processing chitosan into fibre yarn.

The environmental conditions of the textile industry and machine construction are changing. Topics such as climate protection and the circular economy are becoming central. From this perspective, the board of the Walter Reiners Foundation has decided to further develop the foundation's prize system.

Mr Kai-Chieh Kuo was awarded the diploma/master's thesis promotion prize of 3,500 euros. With his master's thesis, which was written at RWTH Aachen University, Mr Kuo contributes to the production of

In 2022, the foundation will for the first time offer a prize with a focus on design / sustainability. Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Foundation, explained: "Already in the design phase, one can set the parameters

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

so that a textile product can be reintroduced after use into the economic cycle for a high-quality application. For example, through the appropriate use of materials and finishing. We are looking for solutions for resource-saving design, technology and manufacturing processes."

The award ceremony of the Walter Reiners Foundation 2022 is to take place again as a presence event. It is planned for the end of June at the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt.

Walter Reiners Foundation – recruiting and promoting talent The VDMA Textile Machinery Association is actively involved in promoting young engineers through its Walter Reiners-Stiftung foundation. Every year, the foundation awards promotion prizes for the best dissertation and diploma or master's thesis, as well as creativity prizes for clever bachelor's and semester theses.

By providing financial support for university excursions to VDMA member companies and to the leading trade fair ITMA, it provides students with regular insights into practice. 

Features

U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Recognized and Published in ITC Standards Map MEMPHIS, TENN The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has been recognized and published in the standard mapping process by the International Trade Centre, giving brands and retailers around the world greater choice when it comes to sourcing sustainably grown cotton.

The ITC Standards Map is the world’s largest database for sustainability standards. It offers users access to comprehensive, verified, and transparent information on over 300 standards for environmental protection, worker and labor rights, economic development, quality, and food safety, as well as business ethics.

To be included in the Standards Map, an organization must address at least one pillar of sustainable development (economics, environment, social), and/or focus on ethics or quality management.

As part of its core program, the Trust Protocol is focused on continuous improvement of six key sustainability metrics including land use, soil carbon,

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.

The addition of the Trust Protocol in the Standards Map provides brands and retailers a unique perspective from the U.S. cotton industry. Through the collective work of its members the Trust Protocol aims to measure sustainability progress, collaborate on research, and identify and mitigate industry challenges.

By joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, members can be sure they are sourcing responsibly produced, quality fiber, and reducing environmental and social risk in their field-to-mill supply chain.

“The Trust Protocol aims to set a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton that provides brands and retailers the critical assurances that the cotton fiber used in their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Inclusion in the ITC Standards Map signals to businesses and

consumers that a trusted independent organization has verified this information.”

“During a time of increased supply chain scrutiny, brands and retailers face challenges in keeping track of sustainability initiatives and meeting requirements,” said Mathieu Lamolle, Senior Advisor at ITC. “We appreciate that organizations such as the Trust Protocol voluntarily submit their sustainability metrics for verification and mapping in our Standards Map database, so that companies can make betterinformed decisions about certification and involvement in sustainable production of their raw materials.”

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, recognized by Textile Exchange and Forum for the Future, and part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cotton 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, Cotton 2040 and Cotton Up initiatives.

Features

Autocoro 10 – ingenious networking of economy and sustainability in rotor spinning Saurer has sold more than a million Autocoro spinning positions with individual drive technology to rotor-spinning mills all over the world.

Automation – one of the Autocoro’s recipes for success – has been further perfected in the new Autocoro 10.

The Autocoro 10 is perfectly tailored to sustainable raw materials, especially those that consist largely of recycled and regenerated materials. These raw materials are ecologically valuable, but with other spinning systems they can be also potential productivity killers. With SynchroPiecing 36, the Autocoro 10 offers a 50% higher piecing capacity than the previous generation, which ensures particularly high productivity, especially when regenerated material is being processed. The new lighting concept results in further efficiency potential. The generally coarser yarns made from regenerated fibres result in short spinning cans, and empty cans have to be exchanged for full cans more frequently.

The lighting concept of the Autocoro 10 shows the operator with widely visible colour signals which cans need to be replaced and when, improves the overview of the staff, reduces travel times and promotes more efficient use of staff.

Autocoro 10 – targeted for sustainable raw materials Due to the focus on coarser yarns when regenerated materials are spun, full packages have to be replaced with empty

tubes much more frequently than with fine yarns. For this reason, the package changing capacity of the Autocoro 10 has been increased by 25% to up to 8 changers. The high material throughput when spinning the regenerated fibres can also lead to increased fibre fly and dust accumulation and, as a result, to shortened cleaning intervals. Here, too, more package doffing units score points, because they prevent fluff from accumulating at the spin box.

The automatic cleaning function of the Autocoro is perfected with its new Vacuum Trash Cleaner, which removes unwanted particles from the dirt channel during spinning. In this way, these rotorspinning machines automatically stay cleaner when processing all raw materials.

The manual interventions required by the operating personnel are reduced, and so are the personnel costs.

Milestone for more productivity Automation is rooted in the Autocoro 10, in its DNA. The result: Unique, profitable functions that ensure worldwide higher productivity, such as seamless lot changes during production.

Even with only three seamless lot changes per month and machine, the additional annual production of all Autocoro spinning mills worldwide with medium fineness already adds up to over 3 000 40-foot containers with yarn compared to the production of rotor-spinning machines that cannot handle a smooth lot changes

Autocoro packages protect the environment Autocoro packages are particularly sustainable. Digital winding technologies such as DigiWinding set the benchmark for excellent unwinding properties and higher productivity in weaving and knitting mills. This also reduces the specific area consumption per produced square metre of fabric and knitting, as fewer weaving and knitting machines are needed to produce the required quantity.

In addition, thanks to their design with their straight flanks, these packages reduce transport and packaging costs worldwide by making better use of the space in cardboard boxes and containers and reduce cavities in them. Already when these packages are on the way to the next location for further processing, Autocoro spinning mills save around 5 500 to 6 000 40-foot containers every year, which corresponds to the transport capacity of a medium-sized container ship, plus the savings for in-house transport in the spinning mill.

Autocoro 10 – just switch on and get started Another great asset of the Autocoro is its outstanding reliability. Set up, switch on, produce. Only the Autocoro is predictable and highly profitable from the first minute of operation – as proven by around a million spinning positions all over the world.

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Features

Changes and opportunities through automation Swiss innovations for smooth processing...and new future business models For most textiles, finishing processes are not actually the last stage. Products often need an extra touch of expertise to make them perfectly ready for the customer. At this point in the value chain, that usually means manual tasks – but now there are technical solutions and intelligent systems which can handle complex operations better, while adding extra value and assured quality.

Automation brings reliability and efficiency, ultimately saving costs to produce the right quality every time.

Swiss companies are already specialized in many of these disciplines, with machinery for fabric inspection and presentation, labelling and tracking, folding and packaging.

They have the technology to inspire a new vision at the post-production segment of the textile manufacturing processes. Optimization of workflows, with bottleneck management, is an obvious potential benefit. And it delivers measurable returns on investment. The wider picture with automation will prepare companies for the IoT and Industry 4.0. This article presents the latest developments in the field from

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Swiss Textile Machinery member companies.

Digital workflow and process control The Swiss company Maag Brothers is a leading supplier of high-end machines for quality assurance in the final make-up processes, specifically fabric inspection, plating/folding, selvedge printing and packaging. Maag reports on a practical example from a mill in India which recognized the potential of automation.

An analysis at the customer’s mill identified the main goals as modernization of the workflow at quality control and packing processes. Maag’s new system covers tasks from fabric inspection to dispatch, and offers transparent and easily adjustable processes with real-time process control.

It’s a digital solution, resulting in a slim organization, paperless, and the basis for further optimization towards Industry 4.0 to exploit its full potential. The customer’s own calculation showed a ROI for the installation at less than three years – along with a reduction in manpower and savings in fabric costs for shade samples.

Perfectly labelled, efficient data...

Smooth processes start with a label.

Swiss company Norsel is an expert in grey

fabric labelling systems, for piece tracking through all textile processes. High-quality label printing and proper sealing on all kind of fabrics ensure readability and sustainability after dyehouse processes such as mercerizing, high temperature dyeing and even hot calendering. No roll mix-up during dyeing, easy sorting of fabric rolls and rapid delivery make processes in the mill much more efficient.

Using RFID codes lifts fabric inventory control to the highest level, with all information readily transferred to a database and integrated through any ERP software.

It’s a foolproof way to avoid the risk of human errors from hand-written notes on grey fabrics and article sheets, by opting for reliable, secure and forward looking solutions.

Sample collections – the silent salesmen First impressions count, so fabric producers like to present their collection perfectly – and that’s only possible with automated solutions. Swiss producer Polytex continuously refines its solutions, underlining its leading position in sample making equipment. Fully-automatic highperformance sample production lines are designed to satisfy the highest

Features expectations. Fully-automatic lines or robotic machines set the standards for quality and performance. Even the most demanding clients can achieve their goals with impeccable samples, quickly and efficiently made, for flawless collections that are sure to impress.

reliably handling chaotically behaving materials. They see process optimization potential and the impact. We observe a slow but continuous change of mindset installing sophisticated technology even in the last steps of textile finishing,” says Philipp Rueedi, CFO at Espritech.

driven by sustainability and changes in consumer mindsets. “We believe that the time is right – the machines and solutions certainly are – to push automation also to the very end of the production line, replacing intensive manual work and take the chance for reshoring.

Automation drives buying

New business models

First impressions are also the trigger for quick purchase decisions. The proof is there on every store shelf. Customers of Espritech are also well aware of it. They trust this Swiss producer of automated folding machinery to provide the final touch of class to home textiles and apparel products before they go on display. The folding systems are generally large mechatronic devices, loaded with latest technologies in mechanics, electronics, sensors and pneumatics.

“Textile producers are amazed how folding machines solve the tricky task of

The advantages of automation in mills with high-volume production are obvious: consistent quality, increased efficiency, waste reduction in some cases, as well as significant medium-term cost reductions in every case.

The current situation is kind of a transition time which is expected to last for a couple more years in the textile industry,” says Rueedi. He adds that any investments in these prime markets pay off much faster because of higher labour costs.

That description focuses on the aims of modern mills in low-cost markets. But producers in Europe and USA could reach out for more. For them, automation could be a game-changer, offering unique new opportunities.

Reshoring is a growing trend now. It shows great potential and is definitely

Innovation transformed through automation can do much more than simply replacing the nimble fingers of humans. It also enables new business models, guaranteeing prosperous future business, alongside greater job security.

Swiss Textile Machinery members are ready to take customers towards this promising future.

Governor Punjab welcomes Textile Institute members Textile institute Manchester Lahore Chapter members headed by the Chairman Mr. S.M Qutab were warmly welcomed by the Governor Punjab, Chowdhry Ghulam Sarwar recently. This meeting was held to appreciate the contribution of Governor Punjab for a conference organised by the Textile Institute. The members presented him with a shield in recognition of this support. The members also apprised the honorable Governor of the role Textile Institute Lahore Chapter is playing for the betterment of the textile sector of Pakistan. Prominent members present at the meeting included Nusrat Ali Chishti and Sheikh Mansoor among others.

Governor Punjab Chowdhry Ghulam Sarwar receiving the shield from S. M. Qutab and Nusrat Ali Chishti (right) and Shaikh Mansoor (left)

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Finished roll coming off the line at Albarrie.

MonforClean brings big savings for Albarrie Albarrie – a major player in North America’s industrial nonwovens industry – is now benefiting from one of the first Monforts Montex stenter installations equipped with the full range of MonforClean heat recovery and exhaust air purification technologies.

shipping containers to Albarrie’s production facility. The line was originally scheduled to be fully operational in the Spring of 2020, but the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic inevitably led to several delays during the start-up and commissioning process.

“Through the challenges of the pandemic, Albarrie staff worked remotely across time zones with Monforts technologists and product specialists to access and configure the machine and run it through a rigorous testing schedule prior to launch,” said Kevin Horner, Albarrie’s Director of Operations.

With the new three-chamber Montex stenter at its plant in Barrie, Ontario, the Canadian company is treating specialised needlepunched nonwovens up to 4mm thick. These have applications in a wide range of filter media and performance fabrics.

The new Montex is enabling Albarrie to heat set and dry its materials to produce denser, higher quality fabrics which can also be finished and delivered to customers more rapidly.

Across timezones It took a crew of skilled millwrights, electricians and product specialists to build the line which was delivered in 11

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

The Albarrie team at the new machine in the company’s plant in Barrie, Ontario,

Features Assistance closer to home also came from PSP Marketing, which represents Monforts in North America from its base in Charlotte, North Carolina, and reports that there is currently a push for the replacement of stenter frames in the USA. “There’s a move by a number of our customers to bring more manufacturing back to North America which is definitely a benefit to us,” said PSP vice-president Alex Franco. “And the trend to smaller lot sizes and speed to market is something at which the latest Monforts technologies excel.”

Energy savings

The line’s MonforClean capabilities include an air-to-air cross flow heat exchanger and an electrostatic precipitator

The Albarrie Montex line’s MonforClean capabilities include an airto-air cross flow heat exchanger and an electrostatic precipitator providing the ability to purify the exhaust air and to recover energy to a maximum of 22,500 cubic metres of air per hour, resulting in a radical reduction in the conventional heat supply required. The MonforClean was developed in cooperation with partner KMA Umwelttechnik, based in Königswinter, Germany.

The fully automated system is powered by a Siemens SPS S7 controller and KP 700 touch panel from which the recycled energy can be continuously monitored and savings calculated.

“The further integration of a washing system which automatically cleans the heat recovery and the exhaust air filter is a serious benefit to US manufacturers because the labour costs for the normally manual cleaning work is so high,” said Franco.

“This is an exciting time here at Albarrie and this new Montex stenter will ultimately open new doors for our business,” said Horner. “We have noticed significant improvements in many areas compared to our old unit, such as the cleaning access and the ability to easily clean, which reduces down-time, while the efficient burners and exhaust system allow quicker start up and cool down periods. In addition, more controllable features allow for increased quality control and the air filtration system reduces smoke and pollutants, keeping pollutant-free air in our neighborhood.”

The three-chamber Montex stenter is fitted with the latest Monforts Qualitex 800 PLC control system with WebUI, providing ease of operation, a full operating cost overview and maintenance monitoring.

“The new stenter has been very easy to learn for the operators,” Horner said.

“It is easy to monitor and the controls are

simple and easy to understand. While reviewing the requirements for the new machine, energy savings were part of our OEM score card. Energy costs are rising, and with carbon taxes being implemented, having our stenter use natural gas will result in energy savings.

We are still early in the process of reviewing the consumption data from the new unit compared to the older unit, but currently, the early data indicate that we are consuming on average the same amount of energy, but achieving 1.5 times the amount of BTUs per hour for the same consumption. Most importantly, all of our products run without problems.”

“This was a big investment for Albarrie, but it was an investment for the future, one that will ensure we have the capability to remain competitive in the fabricated textile market for years to come,” added Executive Director Margaret Driscoll.

Full configuration of the Monforts and KMA Umwelttechnik line.

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Features

“French textile equipment is back on track post COVID-19”

Hugues Schellenberg, President UCMTF

The French textile equipment is getting back on track post the pandemic, as per the French Textile Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (UCMTF). When the COVID-19 hit, projects of many customers were postponed and even the sales of parts went way down as, all over the world, the textile factories closed down for several weeks or even months.

“Now, we are back on track but face new challenges.

During the 2021 first semester, the order intakes have benefited both from a catchup effect and from the strategic need of our customers to design new products, and invest in state-of-the-art technological equipment to produce them in a secure and sustainable way. Solid sales are following but we face a challenging cost inflation environment and supply chain constraints,” said Hugues Schellenberg, UCMTF president said in a press release.

Fil Control offers electronic control devices for machines producing or processing yarns. “For sensors, electronics components are key points. Manufacturers like STMicroelectronics, Texas Instrument and Microchip have been increasing their delivery time from 8 weeks in 2020 to more than 84 weeks today for many components. Some of these manufacturers don’t even provide delivery date confirmation anymore and require a 18-month order plan without cancellation or modification. On top of it, the average price of such components has increased drastically,” Cedric Schlicher from Fil Control, said.

“The solution for us is to mobilise the R&D department to find an equivalent or even to modify the design of the product to avoid using missing components. When an equivalent or a

redesign isn’t possible, the last way is to use so-called “electronic brokers” that resell stock for 5 to 20 times the original price. By increasing our stock policy ahead of time, and by working constantly together between R&D/sales/purchase departments Fil Control has shown his flexibility and resilience.

We have adapted our organisation and built solutions to keep our delivery service as high as possible in this current situation,” Schlicher explained.

Dollfus & Muller do not incorporate electronic devices in its equipment but still have to face the world-wide logistical hurdles. “Many times we had to change our production programme to make sure that we could deliver almost each and every order in time.

Fortunately, we have stocks of raw material which allows us to switch from one production program to another. Regarding the huge rise in price for logistics, we had to discuss with our customer for at least share the increase in the cost and increase our prices in a responsible manner. Up to know we found comprehensive customers who are probably facing the same challenges. Let’s hope that 2022 will come back to reasonable pricing and timing,” said Schellenberg as the CEO of Dollfus & Muller.

For the specialty equipment manufacturer, Ebelmann who offers special precision mechanics, mainly oriented towards spare parts for weaving machines, orders have been coming back strongly since the beginning of the year and are now above the pre-pandemic level.

“Our delivery time is longer than usual due to the delays we incur to receive our raw materials, particularly steel and tungsten carbide. Procurement of our raw materials has become a real time-consuming part of our activity and our delivery times are causing some tension with our customers. Another source of friction with them is due to the price increases we are suffering on these raw materials and the energy. We have to pass these cost increases to our customers as our margins cannot absorb them,” Laurent Lejosne, Ebelmann CEO, said.

The President UCMTF, Hugues Shellenberg mentioned that along with their customers, members companies are now back on the track to same or even above the level of activity before the pandemic.

“While we face new challenges in the short and long run we remain focused on executing our strategies of customeroriented R&D and global customer service. These strategies enabled us to build strong momentum before the COVID crisis that allowed us to navigate through the crisis. They remain the right strategies to deliver balanced growth and value. Let’s hope that 2022 will come back to reasonable pricing and timing,”Schellenberg concluded. 

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

The LYCRA Company launches online customer portal, driving digital transformation for the apparel industry The LYCRA ONE™ portal includes the latest innovations, fabric library, knowledge center, certification services, and merchandising assets, allowing mills and retailers to collaborate digitally The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the launch of their LYCRA ONE™ Online Network Exchange. The new online customer portal empowers brands, retailers, and garment makers to connect to a global network of mills all in one convenient platform focused around the science of comfort, fit and performance.

Prior to the pandemic, there was already a need in the marketplace for a digital experience allowing brands and retailers to connect with mills and manufacturers in a virtual capacity without losing the inherent advantages of an in-person connection. Through the LYCRA ONE™ portal, users can source innovative fiber solutions using the digital fabric library. Users can also directly connect with mills to begin or expand on business relationships, learn about capabilities, and view product catalogs.

“The LYCRA Company has a rich legacy of innovation, and we must embrace digital transformation. The launch of the LYCRA ONE™ portal leverages our connectivity across the apparel and personal care value chains and offers a one-stop seamless solution to rapidly move our customers’ ideas from concept to launch,” said CEO of The LYCRA Company, Julien Born.

LYCRA ONE™ features a knowledge center where users can access exclusive content such as webinars, white papers,

and videos covering new fiber technologies, industry trends, marketing, sustainability, and more. These resources help educate users on maximizing the value of The LYCRA Company and its innovative solutions to deliver products that can meet their consumers’ needs and provide inspiration for new ideas.

Customers will discover innovative marketing and merchandising solutions through the LYCRA ONE™ portal, including brand assets and garment hang tags. Additionally, requests can be submitted for trademark license agreements and fiber certifications that help to reinforce the quality of products backed by the power of the LYCRA® brand.

To learn more and register for the LYCRA ONE™ portal, visit one.lycra.com and select the signup button, or contact info@itextiles.com.pk to know more about the LYCRA ONE® portal.

About The LYCRA Company The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its innovative products, technical expertise, sustainable solutions, and unmatched marketing support. The LYCRA Company owns leading consumer and trade brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®,

COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX®, and TACTEL®. The LYCRA Company’s legacy stretches back to 1958 with the invention of the original spandex yarn, LYCRA® fiber. Today, The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit www.thelycracompany.com.

About iTextiles® iTextiles® is the sales representative of The LYCRA Company in Pakistan. It is a multi-disciplinary textile solutions company that creates, manages and innovates the entire value chain in performance textiles. Started in 2006 as a trading concern for fibers, the company has rapidly evolved to become a leading value chain manager in the region, supplying raw material to and representing some of the biggest international companies and their brands.

LYCRA® and LYCRA ONE™ are trademarks of The LYCRA Company. 

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A celebration of Pakistan’s textile industry

by MMG Engineering Associates (Pvt) Ltd. Muneer S. Godil of MMG Engineering Associates (Pvt) Ltd. held celebration in connection with the latest brilliant success of Pakistan Textile Industry at his family residence in Karachi.

Mr. Jamil Qasim, Vice Chairman of APTMA - ALL PAKISTAN TEXTILE MILLS ASSOCIATION & CEO of Zaman Textile Mills Pvt. Limited and Muhammad Azfar Ahsan Minister of State and Chairman, BOARD OF INVESTMENT were the Chief Guests at the event.

Mr. Martin Dawson Deputy head of Mission British Deputy high Commission, Mr. Toshikazu Isomura, Consul General of Japan, H.E. Dr. June Kuncoro Hadiningrat Consul General of Indonesia, Ms. Birgit Nicole Kuhlmann, Deputy Head of Mission Consulate General, was the Guest of Honour at the occasion.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Knitwear sector, a mainstay in textile industry

by Prof. Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education.

Textile is the most important manufacturing sector of Pakistan and has the longest production chain, with inherent potential for value addition at each stage of processing, from cotton to ginning, spinning, fabric, dyeing and finishing, made-ups, and garments. This sector contributes nearly one-fourth of industrial value-added and employs about 40 percent of the industrial labor force.

Barring seasonal and cyclical fluctuations, textiles products have maintained an average share of about 60 percent in national exports.

Pakistan’s exports of knitwear and other knitted garments and hosiery always play the leading role in exports growth, as the industry continued to show its flexibility to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This textile subsector earned a huge amount of foreign exchange. According to Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA), the knitwear garment exports of Pakistan had surged 36.57% in the fiscal

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

year 2020-21. Total exports of the country rose from US$21.4 billion in FY20 to US$25.3 billion in the previous fiscal year and the share of textile in the overall exports came in at 60.86%.

“Hosiery products have kept a major share of 15% in the textile group and this segment has the potential to contribute 25% to the total textile exports of the country,” PHMA said.

According to Association, the share of knitwear garments in total exports would rise to 20% in the fiscal year 2021-22.

Had the government keenly considered proposals of the knitwear sector and addressed all problems and issues of businessmen, the contribution of knitwear garments to the total exports would have been much higher in the fiscal year 2020-21.

Table 1:Import of Knitting and Embroidery Machines Value : Rs. Million

Machines

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

Circular Knitting Machines (Dia - 165 mm)

2,097

574

249

Circular Knitting Machines(Dia >165 mm)

1,184

620

101

131

210

69

Multi-Head embroidery Machines

5,511

2,802

853

Other Circular Knitting Machines

670

595

62

14,394

4,801

1,334

Flat Knitting Machines (Stitch Bonding)

Total Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Apparel and Knitwear The export value of hosiery products rose from US$ 2.8 billion in FY20 to US$ 3.8 billion in FY21. “Knitwear exports recorded an increase of 36.6% despite the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said. “The segment also emerged as the highest foreign exchange earner, of US$ 3.81 billion, in the previous fiscal year.”

The foreign exchange earned by the sector was 25.83% higher than the export revenue earned from exports of readymade or woven garments and 37.68% more than the receipts for bedwear exports. If the export of knitted bed sheets and fabric were included, the total foreign exchange earned by the knitwear sector would soar to US$ 4.5 billion, accounting for 29.2% of the entire textile group and 17.91% of the total exports.

The exporters of the hosiery sector must be appreciated for achieving the milestone despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Consequently, the government should also focus on the knitwear sector as it had the potential to enhance exports manifold.

The Association also pointed out that major exports of Bangladesh included knitwear products as well and they covered 43.66% of total exports of that country. Since the annual global demand for knitwear stood at US$ 208 billion but Pakistan’s share in the global knitwear exports stood at a meager 1.83%.

Pakistan had the resources to enhance hosiery exports within a short time frame.

Table 2: Export of Knitwear and (Hosiery) From Pakistan Year

Quantity (000 Doz)

Value (US $ Million)

Average (Per Doz)

2016-17

114,091

2,362

22.69

2017-18

108,503

2,711

25.07

2018-19

1,175,673

2,899

24.64

2019-20

105,777

2,794

26.42

2020-21

126,670

2,781

20.92

Source: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

Knitwear exports consist of knitted and processed fabrics knitted garments; knitted bed sheets, socks, etc. The export performance of knitwear during the period under review is given in the table below.

Today knitwear is also synonymous with trendy fashionable wear for casual sportswear as well as smart casual workwear. Pakistan knitwear (hosiery) industry is playing a vital role in the value addition of the textile sector. This sector has export potential, despite remaining under pressure from its competitors, mainly Bangladesh, India, and the Far Eastern nations.

The knitwear (hosiery) sector, being the largest foreign exchange earner as well the largest contributor in the textile and total export of the country, demands deserving attention of the government to diversify knitwear products to bring more innovations and incentives to boost its exports.

Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producer in the world and is an important player in the global textile market. Its knitwear industry is the highest valueadded textile sector in the country and is distinguished by the high quality of raw material and competitive value of the end product.

Textile Made-Up Sector Being value-added segment of the textile industry made-up sector comprises different subgroups namely towels, tents & canvas, cotton bags, bed-wear, hosiery, knitwear and readymade garments including fashion apparel. Export performance of made-up sector during the period July-March FY2021 is presented in the table below.

Hosiery Industry The industry sustains directly livelihood of 210,000 skilled workers and 490,000 unskilled workers. Another 350,000 people benefit from allied cottage industries. Thus, the industry provides, directly and indirectly, sustenance to well over a million people.

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Knitwear exports witness a 35.21% increase Knitwear exports during the first six months of the fiscal year of 2021-22 grew by 35.21 % as compared to exports of the commodity during the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-Dec 2021, Knitwear worth US$ 2,500,461 was exported, as compared to exports of US$ 1,849,596 during the same period of last year.

According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the exports of Ready-made garments increased by 22.93 %, of US$ 1,831,856 as compared to the exports of US$ 1,490,157 of the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, Bed wear exports also increased by 19.04% as the exports during the current fiscal year were recorded worth US$ 1,659,646 as compared to the exports during the same period of last year which recorded US$1,394,182. During this period, Towels exports increased by 17.54 %, worth US$ 523,868 in the current fiscal year, as compared to the exports valuing US$ 445,697 of the same period of last year.

The textile sector has the highest weight of 20.91 in the Quantum Index of Manufacturing (QIM) thus having a significant impact on the overall performance of LSM. Textile production has increased by 5.90 percent during July-March FY2021 against a 2.58 percent decline in the same period last year. Major jump originated from woolen segment production that may be associated with the projections of early onset of the winter season by international agencies. Likewise, the pandemic has proved as a blessing in disguise for garments manufacturers as there is a flurry of export orders from European and American markets for

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Pakistan's garment sector due to the severe impact of COVID-19 on our regional countries. (PES, 2020-21) The main items of export in knitwear from Pakistan are elegant men's T-shirts, fancy ladies’ T-shirts with exquisite embroidery and sequined work, nightshirts for ladies and men's pajama sets, sportswear, and jogging suit, trousers, bed sheets knitted, and socks.

Techniques of designing, printing, embroidery, and dyeing of the fabric have become well developed over the years.

China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Korea, Bangladesh, Jordan, and Kenya are major competitors in the knitwear industry. Pakistan’s textile hub Faisalabad is now witnessing a financial boom as the city is receiving a large number of export orders.

use of garments such as vests and underwear are common in all urban groups. The organized sector exports almost all its products with a very little percentage of local consumption. Often these are brought into the local market because they have either been rejected quality controllers of the firm for which they are manufacturing or because orders have been canceled or due to overproduction. The products made in Pakistan include T-shirts, jogging suits, jerseys, sports shirts, children's wear, gloves, tracksuits, sweaters, socks, etc.

References: 1.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

2.

Pakistan Economic Survey- 2020-21.

3.

Pakistan Knitwear & Sweater Exporters Association (PAKSEA).

Future Prospects

4.

Pakistan's knitwear industry is almost totally export-oriented however domestic

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

Table 3: Country-wise Export of Knitwear (Hosiery) (Value in US$ 000) Country

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

1,083,225

999,633

1550555

United Kingdom

418,566

397,438

625342

Germany

224,263

253,117

324765

Spain

221,320

191,508

214229

Belgium

121,775

101,790

138990

Netherlands

234,612

242,388

275819

4,207

7,460

6722

591,909

601,029

679,734

2,899,877

2,794,363

3,816,156

U.S. America

Turkey All others Total

Source: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

Readymade Garments: A flourishing sector in the textile industry

by Prof. Dr. Noor Ahmed Memon, Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education.

The textile is the most important sector of Pakistan’s economy. In 2021, it contributed almost 4% to the country’s GDP, accounted for one-fourth of industrial value-added, and employed around 50.0% of the industrial labor force.

The readymade garment industry has emerged as one of the important smallscale industries in Pakistan. Its products have huge demand both at home and abroad. The local requirements of readymade garments are almost fully met by this industry. The garment industry is also a good source of providing employment opportunities to a large number of people at very low capital investment. Exports decreased from 43.2 million dozen to 27.7 million dozen in various types of readymade garments worth US$ 2268.56 million during JulyMarch FY2021 as compared to US$ 2170.34 million during July-March FY2020, thus showing a 35.94 percent decrease in terms of quantity while 4.53 percent increase in terms of value. The recent statistics of the readymade garment exports are shown in the table below.

Export of Readymade Garments Readymade garments during the first six months of the fiscal year of 2021-22

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Table 1: Export of Readymade Garments from Pakistan Year 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21

Quantity

Value

Average (Per

(Million Dozs)

(US $ Million)

Doz)

35 40 56 50 28

2,319 2,577 2,654 2,553 2269

66.26 64.24 47.67 60.09 81.01

Source: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

grew by 22.93pc as compared to the exports of the commodity during the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-Dec 2021, readymade garments worth US$ 1,831,856 were exported, as compared to exports of US$1,490,157 during the same period of last year. According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the exports of bed wear increased by 19.04 pc, of US$ 1,659,646 as compared to the exports of US$ 1,394,182 of the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, Knitwear exports also increased by 35.21pc as the exports during the current fiscal year recorded worth US$ 2,500,461 as compared to the exports during the same period of last year which recorded US$1,849,596.

During the period under review, Towels exports increased by 17.54pc, worth US$ 523,868 in the current fiscal

year, as compared to the exports valuing US$ 445,697 of the same period of last year.

Although garment sector exports have increased over the years and it has been the best performing segment of the textile value chain, the sector is underperforming relative to its potential.

Pakistan lags behind its competitors in the global share in the export of garments.

According to statistics, Pakistan’s share in the exports of garments was a meager 1.10% compared to China’s 32.06%, Bangladesh’s 7.66%, Vietnam’s 5.94%, and India’s 3.81%.

Readymade Garments and CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides an unprecedented opportunity for Pakistan to further expand its garment exports to the world

Apparel and Knitwear in the coming years. Under the industrial cooperation pillar of CPEC, Pakistan can take advantage of China’s retraction from the global market due to eroding cost competitiveness. This erosion can be attributed to surging labor costs in China, which was thrice the cost in Vietnam and Pakistan, twice that of India and six times that of Bangladesh. Through strategic positioning, Pakistan can leverage China’s exit by expanding its market share and exports.

Furthermore, CPEC is expected to drive improvement in Pakistan’s garment sector through relieving infrastructure constraints. By ensuring improved energy supply, better internal connectivity, and improved logistics, CPEC is likely to result in shorter factory to market lead times, enhanced global connectivity improving access to new international markets from Gulf to Europe, improved productivity and competitiveness, and increased growth in the sector due to benefits of agglomeration in the SEZs.

Recommendations Pakistan needs appropriate and targeted industrial policy measures to support the garment sector. Since Pakistan’s industry comprises a large share of SMEs, it can follow India’s example, where the government is pitching its SME garments sector globally as a flexible way for big clients to costeffectively produce small, customizable lots. Similarly, medium-sized firms could take advantage of the improvement in ICT to hold stocks in Pakistan for clients to lower their inventory costs. This requires providing support to SMEs so that they may offset their scale disadvantage through access to a reliable supply of inputs and competitive credit.

Government should assist in acquiring internationally recognized quality and safety certifications to increase SME's export readiness.

To improve value-added exports, Pakistan must focus on law and order stability, increasing labor productivity, reducing production costs, and increasing productivity. Most countries in the region have achieved this through a combination of investment in better machines, worker skills along IT and logistics. Pakistan garments industry needs to take the lead in providing demand-based training, not

Table 2: Country wise Export of Readymade Garments Value in $ 000

Country

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

U.S. America

622,772

604,261

858,376

Spain

344,528

291,210

309,019

United Kingdom

295,845

288,062

305,007

Germany

286,967

278,997

312,349

Belgium

145,909

108,987

97,685

Netherlands

200,683

240,259

278,432

1,707,608

108,552

115,667

France

82,078

73,699

92,019

Poland

78,805

67,760

88,643

Sweden

47,244

36,766

48,787

Other Countries

1,158,719

453,693

526,816

Total

2,653,720

2,552,246

3,032,800

Italy

Source: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

just at the entry-level, but also for upgrading the skills of existing workers.

With many firms highlighting the significant absence of skilled middle management, the government could create a common training center for middle managers, while more technical skills could be offered on factory premises, on an appropriate cost-sharing basis.

To improve the cost-effectiveness of Pakistan’s garments in the international market, the government must remove extra taxes on utilities to ensure a uniform power tariff rate that is not significantly higher than regional competitors. Another strategy is for government to promote energy efficiency through investment incentives or tax credits. Moreover, to support firms in restructuring their existing energy system, support could also be earmarked under the Technology Upgrading Fund 20162019. Tax breaks can also be offered for restructuring industrial activity to lower production costs.

Pakistan was a leader among industrializing countries in the 1960s but unlike the East Asian economies, it failed to take advantage of the window of opportunity created by globalization that

gathered momentum in the 70s and beyond. However, extricating the economy from this trap is possible given the potential opportunities that exist for a dynamic sector like Readymade Garments.

Despite considerable constraints on the manufacturing economy, Garment firms have continued to outperform other industrial sectors. China’s transition away from low-value-added garments production provides a window of opportunity for Pakistan to obtain a segment of China’s US$170 billion export share. This is entirely achievable but will require a redoubling of policy effort on the recommendations provided in this study, along with greater initiative and appetite on part of the private sector.

With these in place, there is no doubt that the Garments sector can help Pakistan achieve sustainable economic growth, a reduction in the trade deficit, and improvements in overall societal welfare through stable and well-paying employment.

References 1.

2.

3.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

Pakistan Economic Survey- 2020-21.

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

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Apparel and Knitwear

Manufacturing standards and fair labor costing at MG Apparel with timeSSD from DataS The timeSSD® is the Genuine Cost-Effective time-cost manufacturing solution for apparel brands and manufacturers MG Apparel member of Mahmood Group from Pakistan, a premium quality apparel manufacturer operating on industry 4.0 guidelines, has selected timeSSD® for scientific labor costing, using international standard motion codes and pre-determined times.

MG Apparel, with its conscious choice of striving for a sustainable and environment-friendly eco-system, is a growing manufacturer which produces premium quality innerwear, activewear and non-denim wear.

As part of the progress to its innovative, digitized sustainable framework, the Industrial Engineers team started to evaluate timeSSD in January 2021. Using the free credits provided by default for timeSSD, accessing the comprehensive public library of video tutorials, and with the on-site support of Mr. Sheikh Amin Ahmed from FAM Apparel Solutions Ltd – timeSSD® partner for Pakistan, the Azure Cloud based system were stressed from multiple locations. timeSSD passed successfully the multiple criteria of the evaluation process, including: accuracy, easy to use, availability, collaboration with no instance and no user limit, integration with existing solutions, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO - excellent).

MG Apparel uses timeSSD to establish manufacturing standards precisely and accurately, with correct standard minute values, resulting in a careful capacity planning, line balancing, better manufacturing management, worker motivation and fairly increased efficiency.

With extensive expertise in fashion and apparel manufacturing, the cloud based timeSSD supports in a genuine cost-effective and flexible way the MG Apparel’s current and increasing garment production.

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PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

The accuracy of the standard time, obtained by motion codes with Predetermined Time Standards (PTS), will help MG Apparel to supply garments in the market on the right price and with fair labor costs for the workers.

The unique collaborative features of timeSSD® allows the brands and manufacturers to optimize the International Standard Time Benchmarks, using a common language and fact based negotiations, on the same platform in the Cloud.

timeSSD training The timeSSD workshops were planned remotely on digital channels and started in September.

They were organized a weekly fourhour session during which the IE team was guided by common and individual exercises through the various structure and features of the timeSSD Predetermined Time Standard (PTS) system.

The sessions followed the carefully customized study book combined with the huge experience of the trainer, an active practician engineer in garment factories.

During the workshops practical examples from the company’s shop floor have been used. Between the sessions the engineers exercised individually based on a predefined task list. Free support have been provided by our professionals.

This “learning by doing” approach, supported by the common analysis at the beginning of each session, proved its efficiency during the time. The weekly remote trainings, forced by the Covid pandemic the year before, allowed the participants to perform their daily duties, to apply the accumulated knowledge, to collect the questions arrived from practice and discuss them in the team during the next session. This progressive adoption of the software, having structured - simple and user-friendly interfaces, offers tangible results in each step, increasing the satisfaction of the users.

Students from the neighbouring LammerbergRealschule vistied Mayer & Cie.

Careers advice day at Mayer & Cie: Three Lammerberg Realschule year nine classes visit circular knitting machine manufacturer As the crow flies, Mayer & Cie. and the Lammerberg Realschule in AlbstadtTailfingen are less than a kilometre apart.

So around 70 Year Nine students were able to walk to their Careers Advice Day destination on 26 October. There were plenty of insights for the 14- and 15year-olds to gain into vocational training at the circular knitting machine manufacturer. After an introduction by training manager Michael Fortenbacher the students toured the Mayer & Cie. production halls. Some also visited the Südwestmetall careers advice truck.

“What matters to us is to give students the widest possible range of insights into how we work and the career choices we offer,” Fortenbacher said. He is in charge of technical apprenticeships in

industrial mechanics, textile production mechanics and textile product design, all on offer to male, female and other applicants. “Our high degree of production depth makes the manufacturing process of our products plain to see for students. We start with the retaining ring and 300 metres later the forklift truck drives a finished, packaged circular knitting machine out of the production hall.”

Heike Maier is Head of Human Resources and Apprenticeships. She is in charge of commercial apprenticeships leading to an industrial clerk qualification.

Between them, Maier and Fortenbacher supervise the training of about 20 apprentices a year. The number of apprentices is slightly lower at the

moment, the pandemic having taken its toll on the number of both applicants and trainees.

That is why Michael Fortenbacher and Heike Maier were pleased that the Careers Advice Day was held again after a one-year Covid break. “During the Coronavirus period opportunities to meet with students were very limited. Yet they are absolutely essential because fit and interested students are our skilled workers of tomorrow,” Heike Maier said.

The training managers greatly appreciate the collaboration with Mayer & Cie.’s its near neighbour the Lammerberg Realschule. “We are delighted with the close and active exchange with the teachers and can look back on many good experiences with students at the Realschule.”

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10 tips for doing business with European buyers This present report is prepared by CBI, the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries.

CBI supports the transition towards inclusive and sustainable economies. They help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their economic, social and environmental sustainability. They do this by helping them export products and services to Europe and regional markets. They provide training and coaching as well as up to date market research on important questions about the European market. Furthermore they provide information and assistance for European importers who want to find opportunities in developing countries.

Identifying and finding the right type of buyer is only the first step in doing business. The biggest challenge is convincing potential buyers to do business with you. This requires a clear understanding of European business culture and buyer expectations. This report will help you understand what is needed to gain a competitive edge, to successfully approach a potential buyer and how you can develop a long-lasting business relationship with them.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting effects on the European fashion industry In 2020 the fashion industry went in survival mode and lost €525 billion or one-third of revenue, according to the Boston Consulting Group. Brands and retailers had to shut down stores. Online sales increased, but this only covered part of the loss in sales. European consumers spent less on non-essential goods.

52

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

Manufacturers faced cancelled orders, delayed or even cancelled payments and COVID-19 restrictions in their own countries.

In the summer of 2021, many European countries eased restrictions and markets opened up again. However, there is still risk looming over the market because of unsold stock; fear of another lockdown; lack of liquidity; and international travel restrictions. This results in new requirements from European buyers. They want short-term business based on low order quantities, fast delivery and extended payments. If you can offer those, than there is an opportunity to grow.

You can meet the requirements of buyers while protecting your own business in several ways:  Source from fabric suppliers that can manufacture fabric faster to improve your lead time and responsiveness.  Source from fabric suppliers that can offer you stock service.

 





Keep stock fabrics (pre-paid by the buyer).

Change your manufacturing setup to create the ability to manufacture small orders.

Consider setting up a sample room close to your target market, or use digital tools such as 3D sampling to speed up the approval process.

Ask for prepayments and investigate the financial stability of new buyers.

COVID-19 prevention on the work floor EU buyers will expect you to follow local rules and regulations concerning worker safety and COVID-19 protection.

Make sure you communicate this properly and show the steps you have taken to protect your workers and to create a safe working environment.

Figure 1: 3D design and sampling tools such as CLO3D enable buyers and suppliers to speed up the approval process.

Special Report 1. Try to connect with buyers both personally and professionally When doing business with European apparel buyers, connecting with them personally is just as important as talking business. Most buyers are looking for long-term business relationships because switching buyers too often results in extra costs and uncertainty. When you present yourself for the first time to a potential buyer, introduce your company and yourself first. After your introduction, talk about products and prices. Try to understand your prospective buyer’s cultural and personal background and make them understand yours.

Approaching potential buyers directly works best. The most cost and time efficient way is calling the company you have identified as an interesting prospect or sending them a personal message via internet. You can do this by email or using a LinkedIn message (see section 2).

When a prospective buyer is interested and the situation allows it, try to arrange a meeting, for instance, at an (online) event you are both attending. Exposure in popular European trade media helps build authority and makes it easy for prospects to find you.

2. Advertise your unique selling points If you want to turn leads into buyers, it is very important that you advertise your company’s unique selling points (USPs). Good quality, competitive pricing and on-time delivery are not USPs. They are non-negotiable requirements.

to ensure and promote worker rights and what you are doing to minimise your environmental impact. This includes having good insight in your supply chain and being able to measure and report about impacts. Always try to understand the specific requirements, challenges and ambitions your prospect has. Check your buyer’s website. What kind of collections do you see? What is the main target group? Which certifications does he or she require? What are the company values? Read trade media, such as FashionUnited, Just-Style and The Business of Fashion to learn about trends and challenges your buyer might face.

When making first contact, show that you have understood these issues by adjusting your story to your buyer’s specific needs.

Example of a company advertising its USPs on its corporate website

Unique selling points are qualities of your organisation or product that make you stand out in the crowd of suppliers, such as:  unique designs;  specials skills and associated machinery;  flexibility with low minimum order quantities;  extra-fast delivery;  high service levels;  a transparent supply chain;  a good corporate social responsibility strategy.

Supreme Knits Ltd. is a fictional company supplying European buyers with different types of knitwear. On the corporate website, it does a very good job of presenting the company, including its history and values, services, standards and certifications. Notice that Supreme Knits is selling the company just as much as it is selling the product.

It is becoming ever more important to focus on the sustainability performance of your company. Clearly advertise the standards and certifications that you adhere to, what measures you have taken

Trying to impress a potential buyer with unrealistic claims is a trap many manufacturers fall into. It is true that you have many competitors from all over the world and most European buyers receive

3. Always be honest

multiple offers from manufacturers a day, mostly via email or LinkedIn. Making unrealistic promises, however, is not a good way to win over buyers. Buyers usually know that such promises are unrealistic. Even when they don’t know beforehand, you will not be able to keep them. Always be honest when you connect with a potential buyer.

4. Present your products in a logical manner When you first advertise your products to buyers, do not present every product in your collection, but advertise your skills and associated machinery.

Show detailed pictures on your website or other promotional material of representative styles and include information on the materials you can work with. Show technical details regarding stitching and seaming techniques, prints and washings. Later, when your buyer has placed an order with you, he or she will use a ‘tech pack’ with all the technical specifications needed to make the item.

5. Offer a substantiated price quotation Most European buyers know very well which costs are involved in making and delivering a certain product. Show that you know, too, when you make a price quotation. This will improve your negotiating position and make it easier to negotiate a deal that is satisfactory for both you and your buyer.

53

Special Report Buyers expect to pay less per piece when they order large quantities. Do not quote too high when they want to start with small quantities. It is normal that they want to test the business relationship. Just agree that they will increase order quantities if the collaboration is successful. On the other hand, buyers may ask for a price based on a quantity but lower the quantity once they place the production order. Always mention that your buyer will face an upcharge in case the order quantity is below the quantity mentioned in your quotation.

Margin There are no standard gross profit margins for garment manufacturers. This does not mean you can always calculate any gross profit margin you like. Try to keep your margin realistic. Expect anything between 12% for a big order for a value retailer, such as Primark, for example, to 45% for a small order of 100 pieces, for instance, for a small brand.

Anything above 45% is only realistic in the B2C-business. Try to calculate at least 20% on the FOB (Free on Board) price for any order that covers your minimum order quantity (MOQ).

6. Be prepared to make a good impression when meeting potential buyers Studying your potential buyers, analysing your USPs and preparing nice promotional material is only half the work. The other half is making a professional impression when meeting buyers. This can be in an online one-onone meeting, at an online trade mission or fair or, if the situation allows it, at a physical trade fair, at a matchmaking event or during a personal visit.

One of the biggest mistakes manufacturers make when meeting buyers is to first throw a large selection of samples on the table. Remember: Always try to connect on a personal level first.

Then tell about your company’s history, values and ambitions and do not forget to pay attention to your CSRperformance and strategy. You are trying to sell your company more than you are trying to sell your products.

Aim low

Your country’s image counts

Although buyer requirements when it comes to quality, flexibility and sustainability have become stricter in recent years, most buyer still expect a low or even a very low price. This means it is important that your price-quality ratio is right and that your price range is as competitive as possible. Try to develop a customer pricing strategy. It is okay to offer products (a little) below your regular profit margin to create interest and open doors. When you have passed the registration process, you need to develop a strategy that will enable you to build profitable and sustainable business with your buyer.

Some production countries have a difficult reputation in Europe. For example, after the Rana Plaza factory disaster in Bangladesh in 2013, many European buyers became wary of buying in Bangladesh. This worsened after safety

What to include in a costing sheet When making a price quotation, at least the following costs should be included: CM (working hours for ‘cut and make’), fabrics, size breakdown, labels, buttons, badges, embroidery, printing, sewing thread, interlining, padding, hang tags, safety tags, polybag, carton box, export carton, and wastage. Other factors that influence costing are

54

quantity, quality, delivery date, and payment terms. Do not forget to address each of these issues in your quotation, or you might end up quoting too low and losing money.

PAKISTAN TEXTILE JOURNAL - January 2022

incidents involving foreigners. Pakistan also suffers from an image of being unsafe to travel. Country such as Myanmar or Ethiopia are considered risky by some European buyers because of political turmoil or low wages being paid.

In such cases, you should try to adjust your company policy to mitigate these perceptions. Study your country’s score for ease of doing business, level of corruption, safety risks and CSR risks, and try to adjust your company policy to address possible issues. For instance, when buyers are wary of sourcing in your country because of living wage issues, try to set up a living wage programme.

7. Stay in contact with your buyer regularly One of the main complaints that European buyers express about suppliers from developing countries is that they do not communicate well. In this matter, there is little difference from buyers from different parts of Europe. If you want to grab — and hold — the attention of your buyer or prospect, you need to be proactive, punctual, polite and clear.

This means, for example, that you must be prompt and honest in answering emails, provide clear information, be reachable to your customers, notify them of changes, delays or problems, and stay informed about their business by following their developments, asking questions and trying to understand their challenges.

Special Report 8. Keep buyers happy by finding out their expectations, then try to exceed them Finding new buyers takes a lot of effort, so it is important to keep the ones you have. On top of all legal requirements and the non-negotiable requirements your buyer has, he or she also has many expectations of you. Try to find out what they are. If you do not yet meet all these expectations, try to improve. If you do already meet them, still try to improve and exceed them. This should be a continuous process.

It is not very common in the fashion industry to share evaluations between buyers and suppliers. By doing this, you can stand out of the crowd. Define a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure them throughout the year. For example: ‘How much time do I spend on this buyer? What is the ratio between samples and actual orders? How many rejections do I get? How many claims?

What is my revenue?’

Your buyer will have KPIs for you too, although he or she may not share them with you. Buyers will measure things like: ‘How many orders has this supplier delivered on-time? How many quality complaints do I have? How is the design input and the fabric sourcing? What is the price level compared to my other suppliers? How are the items selling in the shop?’ By measuring your performance and asking for a yearly evaluation meeting, you can find out your buyers’ implicit requirements, prevent issues and work to exceed expectations.

Such organisations will help you analyse your performance and train or coach you to improve, from sourcing materials to production and sales and marketing. Many programmes also have a matchmaking component, meaning they will get you into contact with suitable potential buyers, during a(n online) trade mission or trade fair.

Tips: 









CBI offers export coaching, including marketing advice and matchmaking, such as in trade fair participation, to SMEs in 35 countries. Check the CBI website for an overview of current apparel programmes.

Other organisations that regularly offer coaching programmes for apparel exporters in developing economies include the UNDP, DFID, DANIDA, ITC, GIZ, ICCO, SIPPO and Solidaridad.

PUM is a Dutch NGO that offers practical support by senior apparel industry experts from the Netherlands. Be specific in your request. Some PUM coaches are experts in production management, others know more about marketing and sales.

Investigate if your country has a support organisation for exporting apparel to Europe, such as India’s AEPC or Egypt’s ETDA. Connect with different NGOs active

in your country and ask if you can join an export coaching programme.

10. Focus and expand your business Many manufacturers make the mistake of doing business with many different buyers in different niches and price segments. Although it is not easy to turn down a request for quotation or to stop your business with an existing buyer, having too many different buyers complicates business and will hamper your growth. With every buyer comes a different communication process, different materials, machines, machine settings and skills and different CSR requirements. Your employees will not specialise themselves if they always work on different styles. This hampers efficiency. Focus on the buyers that can make your business grow.

Further reading 



CBI’s 10 Tips for finding European buyers will help understand where interesting prospects exist and how to approach them.

CBI’s 10 tips for organising your exports to Europe will provide quick answers to the most pressing issues that come into play when organising product’s shipment to Europe.

This study has been carried out on behalf of CBI by Frans Tilstra and Giovanni Beatrice for FT Journalistiek.

9. Join an export coaching programme Do not underestimate how difficult it is to strike the right chord with European buyers if you have never done business with them before. Even if you have, it can be difficult to engage with buyers in a professional and convincing manner. If you need help with understanding European business culture, analysing your USPs and doing business with European buyers, connect with an export coaching programme in your country. Several international support organisations help the apparel industry in developing countries with export coaching.

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Classified

ADVERTISERS INDEX JANUARY 2022

Archroma..................................................................IFC Al Ameen ..................................................................3 Al Ameen .................................................................13 AVM Chemicals ...................................................6 & 56 Chhipasons................................................................56 DyStar ........................................................................1 Fine Industries ...........................................................9 IGATEX Pakistan 2022 ...............................................27 ICADEX Pakistan 2022...............................................47 ITMA Asia + Citme 2022 ..........................................IBC ITM 2022 ..................................................................33 iTextiles .....................................................................19 Jet Logistics................................................................56 Rastgar.............................................................. 21 & 56 SPGPrints...........................................................FC & 43 Zhejiang Rifa ..............................................................BC

Established 1951

Established 1951 November 2021

Environment and Sustainability

December 2021

Annual Fact File 2021