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Nicolas Meletiou, Pixabay
01.03.2022

Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe’s circular economy

From the perspective of European consumption, textiles have on average the fourth highest negative life cycle impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and mobility. A shift to a circular textile production and consumption system with longer use, and more reuse and recycling could reduce those impacts along with reductions in overall consumption. One important measure is circular design of textiles to improve product durability, repairability and recyclability and to ensure the uptake of secondary raw materials in new products.

Key messages

From the perspective of European consumption, textiles have on average the fourth highest negative life cycle impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and mobility. A shift to a circular textile production and consumption system with longer use, and more reuse and recycling could reduce those impacts along with reductions in overall consumption. One important measure is circular design of textiles to improve product durability, repairability and recyclability and to ensure the uptake of secondary raw materials in new products.

Key messages

  • In 2019, the EU textile and clothing sector had a turnover of EUR162 billion, employing over 1.5 million people across 160,000 companies. As was the case in many sectors, between 2019 and 2020, the COVID-19 crisis decreased turnover by 9% for textiles as a whole and by 17% for clothing.
  • In 2020, textile consumption in Europe had on average the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change from a global life cycle perspective. It was the consumption area with the third highest impact on water and land use, and the fifth highest in terms of raw material use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • To reduce the environmental impacts of textiles, a shift towards circular business models, including circular design, is crucial. This will need technical, social and business model innovation, as well as behavioural change and policy support.
  • Circular design is an important enabler of the transition towards sustainable production and consumption of textiles through circular business models. The design phase plays a critical role in each of the four pathways to achieving a circular textile sector: longevity and durability; optimised resource use; collection and reuse; and recycling and material use.

Textiles are identified as a key value chain in the EU circular economy action plan and will be addressed in the forthcoming European Commission’s 2022 EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles and EU sustainable products initiative. This briefing aims to improve our understanding of the environmental and climate impacts of textiles from a European perspective and to identify design principles and measures to increase circularity in textiles. It is underpinned by a report from the EEA’s European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use available here.

1. Production, trade and consumption of textiles
Textiles is an important sector for the EU economy. In 2019, the EU textile and clothing sector had a turnover of EUR162 billion, employing over 1.5 million people in 160,000 companies. As was the case for many sectors, between 2019 and 2020, the COVID-19 health and economic crisis decreased turnover by 9% for textiles as a whole and by 17% for clothing (Euratex, 2021).

In 2020, 6.9 million tonnes of finished textile products were produced in the EU-27. EU production specialises in carpets, household textiles and other textiles (including non-woven textiles, technical and industrial textiles, ropes and fabrics). In addition to finished products, the EU produces intermediate products for textiles, such as fibres, yarns and fabrics (Köhler et al., 2021).

The textiles sector is labour intensive compared with others. Almost 13 million full-time equivalent workers were employed worldwide in the supply chain to produce the amount of clothing, textiles and footwear consumed in the EU-27 in 2020. This makes the textiles sector the third largest employer worldwide, after food and housing. Most production takes place in Asia, where low production costs come at the expense of workers’ health and safety.
 
Textiles are highly globalised, with Europe being a significant importer and exporter. In 2020, 8.7 million tonnes of finished textile products, with a value of EUR125 billion, were imported into the EU-27. Clothing accounts for 45% of imports in terms of volume, followed by household textiles, other textiles and footwear (Eurostat, 2021a). The EU imports mainly from China, Bangladesh and Turkey, and exports mainly to the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States (Euratex, 2020).

Consumption
European households consume large amounts of textile products. In 2019, as in 2018, Europeans spent on average EUR600 on clothing, EUR150 on footwear and EUR70 on household textiles (Köhler et al., 2021; Eurostat, 2021b).

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic, involving stay-at-home measures and the closure of companies and shops, decreased textile production and demand overall (Euratex, 2021). As a result, the consumption of clothing and footwear per person decreased in 2020, relative to 2019, while the consumption of household textiles slightly increased. Average textile consumption per person amounted to 6.0kg of clothing, 6.1kg of household textiles and 2.7kg of shoes in 2020 (see Figure 1).

Apart from this COVID-related drop in consumption in 2020, the estimated consumption of clothing and footwear stayed relatively constant over the last decade, with slight fluctuations between years (see Figure 2). Similarly, the consumption of household textiles was also relatively steady, with a slight increase over the decade.

When calculating the ‘estimated consumption’ based on production and trade data from 2020, and excluding industrial/technical textiles and carpets, total textile consumption is 15kg per person per year, consisting of, on average:

  • 6.0kg of clothing
  • 6.1kg of household textiles
  • 2.7kg footwear.

For 2020, this amounts to a total consumption of 6.6 million tonnes of textile products in Europe. Textile consumption estimates are uncertain, as they vary by study, often using different scopes and calculation methods.

2. Environmental and climate impacts of textiles
The production and consumption of textiles has significant impacts on the environment and climate change. Environmental impacts in the production phase result from the cultivation and production of natural fibres such as cotton, hemp and linen (e.g. use of land and water, fertilisers and pesticides) and from the production of synthetic fibres such as polyester and elastane (e.g. energy use, chemical feedstock) (ETC/WMGE, 2021b). Manufacturing textiles requires large amounts of energy and water and uses a variety of chemicals across various production processes. Distribution and retail are responsible for transport emissions and packaging waste.

During use and maintenance — washing, drying and ironing — electricity, water and detergents are used. Chemicals and microfibres are also emitted into the waste water. Meanwhile, textiles contribute to significant amounts of textile waste. At the end of their life, textiles often end up in general waste and are incinerated or landfilled. When textile waste is collected separately, textiles are sorted and reused, recycled or disposed of, depending on their quality and material composition. In 2017, it was estimated that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new products (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).

To illustrate the magnitude of the impacts of textile consumption on raw material use, water and land use and greenhouse gas emissions compared with other consumption categories, we have updated our calculations of the life cycle environmental and climate impacts in the EU. We used input-output modelling based on data from the Exiobase database and Eurostat. In line with the reduced textile consumption level in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the environmental impacts decreased from 2019 to 2020.

Raw material use
Large amounts of raw materials are used for textile production. To produce all clothing, footwear and household textiles purchased by EU households in 2020, an estimated 175 million tonnes of primary raw materials were used, amounting to 391kg per person. Roughly 40% of this is attributable to clothes, 30% to household textiles and 30% to footwear. This ranks textiles as the fifth highest consumption category in Europe in terms of primary raw material use (see Figure 3).

The raw materials used include all types of materials used in producing natural and synthetic fibres, such as fossil fuels, chemicals and fertilisers. It also includes all building materials, minerals and metals used in the construction of production facilities. Transport and retail of the textile products are included as well. Only 20% of these primary raw materials are produced or extracted in Europe, with the remainder extracted outside Europe. This shows the global nature of the textiles value chain and the high dependency of European consumption on imports. This implies that 80% of environmental impacts generated by Europe’s textile consumption takes place outside Europe. For example, cotton farming, fibre production and garment construction mostly take place in Asia (ETC/WMGE, 2019).

Water use
Producing and handling textiles requires large quantities of water. Water use distinguishes between ‘blue’ water (surface water or groundwater consumed or evaporated during irrigation, industry processes or household use) and ‘green’ water (rain water stored in the soil, typically used to grow crops) (Hoekstra et al., 2012).

To produce all clothing, footwear and household textiles purchased by EU households in 2020, about 4,000 million m³ of blue water were required, amounting to 9m³ per person, ranking textiles’ water consumption in third place, after food and recreation and culture (see Figure 4).

Additionally, about 20,000 million m³ of green water was used, mainly for producing cotton, which amounts to 44m³ per person. Blue water is used fairly equally in producing clothing (40%), footwear (30%) and household and other textiles (30%). Green water is mainly consumed in producing clothing (almost 50%) and household textiles (30%), of which cotton production consumes the most.

Water consumption for textiles consumed in Europe mostly takes place outside Europe. It is estimated that producing 1kg of cotton requires about 10m³ of water, typically outside Europe (Chapagain et al., 2006).

Land use
Producing textiles, in particular natural textiles, requires large amounts of land. The land used in the supply chain of textiles purchased by European households in 2020 is estimated at 180,000 km², or 400m² per person. Only 8% of the land used is in Europe. Over 90% of the land use impact occurs outside Europe, mostly related to (cotton) fibre production in China and India (ETC/WMGE, 2019). Animal-based fibres, such as wool, also have a significant land use impact (Lehmann et al., 2018). This makes textiles the sector with the third highest impact on land use, after food and housing (see Figure 5). Of this, 43% is attributable to clothes, 35% to footwear (including leather shoes, which have a high land use impact because of the need for cattle pasture) and 23% to household and other textiles.

Greenhouse gas emissions
The production and consumption of textiles generate greenhouse gas emissions, in particular from resource extraction, production, washing and drying, and waste incineration. In 2020, producing textile products consumed in the EU generated greenhouse gas emissions of 121 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in total, or 270kg CO2e per person. This makes textiles the household consumption domain responsible for the fifth largest impact on climate change, after housing, food, transport and mobility, and recreation and culture (see Figure 6). Of this, 50% is attributable to clothes, 30% to household and other textiles, and 20% to footwear. While greenhouse gas emissions have a global effect, almost 75% are released outside Europe, mainly in the important textile-producing regions in Asia (ETC/WMGE, 2019).

About 80% of the total climate change impact of textiles occurs in the production phase. A further 3% occurs in distribution and retail, 14% in the use phase (washing, drying and ironing), and 3% during end of life (collection, sorting, recycling, incineration and disposal) (ECOS, 2021; Östlund et al., 2020).

Textiles made from natural fibres, such as cotton, generally have the lowest climate impact. Those made from synthetic fibres (especially nylon and acrylic) generally have a higher climate impact because of their fossil fuel origin and the energy consumed during production (ETC/WMGE, 2021b; Beton et al., 2014).

3. Design as an enabler of circular business models for textiles
To reduce the environmental and climate change impacts of textiles, shifting towards circular business models is crucial to save on raw materials, energy, water and land use, emissions and waste (ETC/WMGE, 2019). Implementing and scaling circular business models requires technical, social and business model innovation; as well as enablers from policy, consumption and education (EEA, 2021).

Circular design is an important component of circular business models for textiles. It can ensure higher quality, longer lifetimes, better use of materials, and better options for reuse and recycling. While it is important to enable the recycling and reuse of materials, life-extending strategies, such as design for durability, ease of reuse, repair and remanufacturing, should be prioritised. Preventing the use of hazardous chemicals and limiting toxic emissions and release of microplastics at all life cycle stages should be incorporated into product design.

Designing for circularity is the most recent development in design for sustainability. Expanding a technical and product-centric focus to a focus on large-scale system-level changes (considering both production and consumption systems) shows that this latest development requires many more disciplines than traditional engineering design. Product design as a component of a circular business model depends on consumer behaviour and policy to realise its potential and enable implementation. Figure 7 shows the linkages between the circular business model, product design, consumer behaviour and policy. All are needed to slow down and close the loop, making it circular.

17.11.2020

KfW: EUR 20 million for textile workers affected by the Corona pandemic

  • Rapid assistance to more than 200 000 people affected

Many hundreds of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh are at risk of sliding into poverty as a result of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. According to EU estimates, about half of the four to five million workers in the sector have either been laid off or made redundant since spring 2020 – in some cases without social security to back them up. To mitigate the dramatic economic consequences, the EU is now redirecting its existing sector budget support to Bangladesh. From now on, around EUR 90 million is to be channelled into a new government programme to finance wage substitution benefits for workers made redundant in the textile sector - including the leather and shoe industries – or at least to provide a short-term interim solution for workers who have been dismissed. German Financial Cooperation (FC) is now increasing these EU funds by EUR 20 million.

  • Rapid assistance to more than 200 000 people affected

Many hundreds of thousands of textile workers in Bangladesh are at risk of sliding into poverty as a result of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. According to EU estimates, about half of the four to five million workers in the sector have either been laid off or made redundant since spring 2020 – in some cases without social security to back them up. To mitigate the dramatic economic consequences, the EU is now redirecting its existing sector budget support to Bangladesh. From now on, around EUR 90 million is to be channelled into a new government programme to finance wage substitution benefits for workers made redundant in the textile sector - including the leather and shoe industries – or at least to provide a short-term interim solution for workers who have been dismissed. German Financial Cooperation (FC) is now increasing these EU funds by EUR 20 million.

"The textile sector," says KfW office manager Anirban Kundu, "is the backbone of the economy in Bangladesh. The export share of the textile industry alone accounts for 86% of the economy, and the total trade volume is around USD 40 billion. If it is doing badly, the whole country is doing badly."

The corona pandemic is therefore causing enormous disturbances in the sector. Many orders were cancelled and goods already produced were often not taken. "Even though the situation has eased somewhat in the meantime," Kundu continues, "things remain critical - not least because of increased price pressure or because orders have not reached the previous level." As a result, the people affected find themselves in an emergency situation that threatens their very existence. Some employees on leave of absence only receive wage substitution benefits for the first 45 days. Dismissed employees who were not previously employed for a certain minimum period of time do not receive any support at all.

Still many workers on leave even though production resumes
In April 2020, the Bangladeshi government launched four economic support packages totalling around EUR 7.3 billion to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. With the emergency aid now launched at short notice, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is topping up the existing EU sector budget support of EUR 93 million by up to EUR 20 million. This grant to the national budget for 2020 not only makes it possible to re-finance wage substitution payments for released textile workers, but also provides support, at least in the short term, to those who are particularly hard hit by a dismissal: for example mothers who do not receive benefits after the birth of a child, or those women and men who have been employed by a company for less than a year.

From November onwards, they are to receive the equivalent of around EUR 30 per month, initially for a maximum of three months, and possibly more. To ensure that this money reaches its destination, it will be transferred electronically to the bank accounts of those concerned via appropriate government platforms. The relevant export associations in the textile sector provide monthly updated figures on the number of workers released or dismissed.

"Subsidy does not release employers from their obligations"
Some 215,000 workers benefit directly from the payments through the German contribution alone, but indirectly almost four times as many benefit from them: Not only the family members, but also the communities where the textile workers live, as well as transport companies, street traders and other local service providers. Without this rapid support and the resumption of production, lasting economic damage to Bangladesh's already small and fragile economy can be expected. But Anirban Kundu also makes it clear: "It is by no means the intention to release employers from their legal obligations to continue to pay wages. Rather, the aim is to ensure that the emergency aid reaches workers who are no longer entitled to statutory continued payment of wages, so that they can at least make up for some of their misery."

 

 

Foto: Pixabay
07.04.2020

Natural textile sector responds to Corona with creativity and cooperation

While you can read everywhere that the fashion industry is on the verge of collapse and is demanding funding from the government, many textile and leather companies with an ethical background are actively and jointly working on creative solutions so to avoid closing.
It is now becoming clear that smaller sustainability pioneers have some advantages over the retail giants and big brands. Flexibility, a strong connection between suppliers and customers and credibility are now paying off.

While you can read everywhere that the fashion industry is on the verge of collapse and is demanding funding from the government, many textile and leather companies with an ethical background are actively and jointly working on creative solutions so to avoid closing.
It is now becoming clear that smaller sustainability pioneers have some advantages over the retail giants and big brands. Flexibility, a strong connection between suppliers and customers and credibility are now paying off.

Mobility is trump card
The precarious economic situation in the stationary retail sector forces companies to take new and creative paths. Close and emphatic customer loyalty and the flexibility of smaller shopkeepers pave the way. And the ideas and measures are manifold. Some redirect their goods to online trading, offer a delivery service.  Life videos from the shops, which present and explain the goods, or participation campaigns for consumers are further examples. Manufacturers and brands are also rethinking. For example, some companies are producing face masks to cushion the decline in sales somewhat, while others are shifting the short-term production focus to basic products that are easy to market online.
 
Supply chain safety
The leather and textile industry are currently not only facing the problem of falling sales. The fragile global markets, which supply raw materials and services for large corporations, are currently becoming a threat. If the economies in China and Bangladesh come to a standstill, the German fashion market will no longer be able to obtain sufficient goods in the short term. Companies that produce in Germany or in other economically stable countries are now at an advantage.  Some of the companies that purchase raw materials from abroad are already ordering them for the next production cycle, on the one hand to give the supplier a certain amount of security, and on the other hand to be prepared for the post Corona era.

Community spirit
An ethical business practice does not only mean acting in an environmentally and socially responsible manner with regard to supply chains. Credibility, trust and empathy are just as important now if the fashion industry does not want to lose itself in price dumping and fierce competition. The press talks about billion-dollar cancellations, corona bargains and bankruptcies. Many IVN members show that there is another way. Suppliers tell us that they are holding back orders until the end of April in order to give the trade some financial leeway. Retailers usually at least consult with their suppliers if they are unable to call up a complete order. Retailers with online shops spontaneously take in goods from friendly brands, even if the products do not fit into the company's own portfolio. Brands advertise their customers' sales channels in social media, orders are bundled. People talk to each other - the customer with the supplier, but also competitors with competitors.

Slow fashion
Conventional fashion is subject to extremely fast cycles - "fast fashion" is the keyword. To a lesser extent, the fashion industry at least follows the seasonal seasons. Currently, the spring collection is hanging in the shops and cannot be sold in June. This is no different for sustainable fashion. However, the fashion trends are less pronounced, so that the current merchandise can still be worn next spring. The sustainable consumer attaches somewhat less importance to the fashion aspect and green fashion is fashionable but also tends to be more timeless than conventional fashion.

The mood
Naturally, companies from the natural fashion scene are now also forced to reduce their operating costs if they want to survive. This means short-time work, and if the situation continues for a longer period of time, this will certainly include layoffs. And of course, all niche market players are also deeply concerned. But whoever we have spoken to so far, we hear stories of opportunity, gratitude and activity.
Some see an opportunity in involuntary pauses - for example, this forced pause is certainly beneficial to climate protection. There is a very real chance also, that the fashion cycle can now be shifted back a month and thus be brought back into line with the real situation.

Many IVN members are grateful, for example, that they are based in Germany. The health care system is at least still stable at present and the black zero enables our government to set up a rescue fund. Many are also grateful for the solidarity and trust that is shown to them. From the end consumer to the business partner to the landlord, who would rather reduce or suspend a rent claim than lose a long-term tenant.
The mood is battered, but not yet in the basement. It is to be hoped that everyone will soon be able to resume their economic activities in the normal framework and that the privileges and advantages enjoyed by the sustainable fashion industry will be sufficient to ensure that everyone comes through this crisis as unscathed as possible.

 

Source:

Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft e.V.

TECHNICAL TEXTILES CONTINUE STEDAY RISE IN SHARE OF TOTAL EU TEXTILE PRODUCTION Foto: Gerd Altmann, Pixabay
26.11.2019

TECHNICAL TEXTILES CONTINUE STEDAY RISE IN SHARE OF TOTAL EU TEXTILE PRODUCTION

  • European Textile and Clothing Sector consolidates satisfactory evolution in 2018

The EU textile and Clothing industry finished the year 2018 with a consolidation of the positive key figures achieved over the last 5 years. First data published by Eurostat enhanced by EURATEX’s own calculations and estimates show a total industry turnover of € 178 billion, a minimal increase to last year’s € 177.6 billion, but significantly above the 2013 figure of € 163.8 billion. Investments of € 5.0 billion again increased slightly, as they did every year since 2013.

Employment of 1.66 million registered a small dip compared to 2017 but remained essentially unchanged over the last 5 years – a remarkable achievement for a sector that keeps realizing labour efficiencies. As a result, the average turnover per employee has increased from 97,000 € in 2013 to 107,000 € in 2018. Over the last 10 years, turnover and value-added per employee have increased by over 30%.

  • European Textile and Clothing Sector consolidates satisfactory evolution in 2018

The EU textile and Clothing industry finished the year 2018 with a consolidation of the positive key figures achieved over the last 5 years. First data published by Eurostat enhanced by EURATEX’s own calculations and estimates show a total industry turnover of € 178 billion, a minimal increase to last year’s € 177.6 billion, but significantly above the 2013 figure of € 163.8 billion. Investments of € 5.0 billion again increased slightly, as they did every year since 2013.

Employment of 1.66 million registered a small dip compared to 2017 but remained essentially unchanged over the last 5 years – a remarkable achievement for a sector that keeps realizing labour efficiencies. As a result, the average turnover per employee has increased from 97,000 € in 2013 to 107,000 € in 2018. Over the last 10 years, turnover and value-added per employee have increased by over 30%.

The brightest spot again is the export figure, which grew by 7% compared to last year and for the first time reached € 50 billion. The industry’s extra-EU exports which now stand at 28% of annual turnover, up from less than 20% 10 years ago, is the clearest proof of the increasing global competitiveness of Europe’s textile and clothing companies.

European high quality textiles and premium fashion products are in growing demand, both in high income countries such as the United States (our biggest export destination in non-European countries with € 6 billion), Switzerland, Japan or Canada, but also emerging countries such as China and Hong Kong (over € 6.7 billion in combined exports), Russia, Turkey and the Middle-East.

European exports benefit from faster economic growth in many non-European markets, but also from better market access as a result of successful EU trade negotiations with countries such as South Korea, Canada or Japan.

Since 2015, export growth has slightly outpaced import growth, which means that our trade deficit of approximately € 65 billion has stopped widening. Rather than an absolute import growth, recent  years have brought important shifts in the main import countries. While China remains by far the number one import source, lower cost countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam have gained in relative importance, especially for clothing.

Technical textiles are an undisputed success story of the European industry. Exact figures for this part of the industry are difficult to compute due to the dual use of many yarns and fabrics for both technical and conventional applications. National statistics become available only with a significant time lag or remain unpublished for smaller EU countries. For 2016, EURATEX estimates that EU industry turnover of technical textiles, (including yarn-type, fabric-type and non-woven materials but excluding any made-up articles) reached about € 24 billion or 27% of total textile industry turnover. Over the years this percentage has steadily grown and is expected to continue to do so in the future.

Italy and Germany are Europe’s biggest producers of technical textiles, each producing over € 4.5 billion worth of technical textiles per year. The highest share for technical textiles in national textile turnover is registered in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Finland and central European countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic or Slovenia. The fastest growth of technical textiles over the last 10 years has been achieved by Poland, followed by Belgium, Austria and Portugal. This clearly demonstrates that technical textiles are gaining in importance all over Europe.

Labour productivity is much higher in the technical textiles part of the industry. Turnover per employee stands at € 215,000, more than twice the average textile and clothing industry rate. In this regard, EURATEX Innovation & Skills Director Lutz Walter indicates how “innovation and employee expertise are fundamental to reach and defend the strong technical textile position of the EU industry”.

In terms of international trade, both exports and imports of technical textiles have grown continuously over the years, with an almost zero trade balance in Euro terms. However, when looking into the product category types, it is clear that Europe’s trade balance is massively positive in higher added value products such as medical textiles, highly technical finished fabrics and non-wovens, but negative in such categories as bags, sacks, tarpaulins or cleaning cloths.

Again the United States is Europe’s largest technical textiles customer, followed by China, which has registered very fast growth in recent years.

 

More information:
Euratex Technical Textiles
Source:

EURATEX

Photo: pasja1000 Pixabay
19.03.2019

SRI LANKA'S APPAREL AND TEXTILE EXPORTS RECEIVE A BOOST

  • Modernization of production facilities required

Thanks to the reactivated GSP import status of the European Union, Sri Lanka's textile and clothing industry is looking to the future with confidence and expects better sales opportunities abroad.

The textile and clothing industry is of macroeconomic importance for Sri Lanka. The sector accounted for almost 43 per cent of the country's total exports in 2018 and provides employment for nearly 350,000 workers in the formal sector and about twice as many in the informal sector. In total, this is about 33 percent of all jobs in the manufacturing industry. The majority of employees are women.

  • Modernization of production facilities required

Thanks to the reactivated GSP import status of the European Union, Sri Lanka's textile and clothing industry is looking to the future with confidence and expects better sales opportunities abroad.

The textile and clothing industry is of macroeconomic importance for Sri Lanka. The sector accounted for almost 43 per cent of the country's total exports in 2018 and provides employment for nearly 350,000 workers in the formal sector and about twice as many in the informal sector. In total, this is about 33 percent of all jobs in the manufacturing industry. The majority of employees are women.

The textile and clothing industry contribute around 6 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP). "In view of the development of other sectors, it is very unlikely that another industry will reach this level of performance in the short to medium term," Jeevani Siriwardena, head of the Export Development Board (EDB), said in an interview with Germany Trade and Invest. The textile and clothing industry will continue to be an important sector for the Sri Lankan economy.

Short to medium-term prospects are good
On May 18th 2017, the European Union (EU) reactivated the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status for Sri Lanka after a seven-year time-out. This means that when goods are exported to the EU, the island state is exempted from customs duties on more than 66 percent of customs tariff lines. "Without GSP status, Sri Lanka's export losses are said to have cost around 32 billion between 2010 and 2017," stressed Ravindi Ranaraja, Deputy Head of the Export Service Division of EDB, in a GTAI interview. In particular, the strongly export-oriented clothing and textile industry will benefit from the regained GSP status. Sri Lanka's textile and clothing industry is looking to the future with confidence and also expects better sales opportunities abroad.

Sri Lanka's textile and clothing exports to the EU and Germany in 2018
(in USD million; change year-on-year in %)  
HS-Code Definition
 
EU
 
Change
 
Germany *) Change
 
61 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted 1,177 0.7 232.55 9.6
62 Garments and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted 874 7.6 151.59 18.1
63 Other made-up textile articles; sets worn clothing and used textile articles 52 18.2 7.8 13.5
Total   2,103 3.9 391.92 12.8

*) Estimation
Sources: Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association; press releases; calculations by Germany Trade & Invest; Destatis, February 2019

Positive impulses are already visible. According to the latest foreign trade figures available, Sri Lanka was able to increase its total exports of textiles and clothing (HS codes 61, 62 and 63) by almost 4.8 percent to approximately USD 5 billion in 2018. Exports to the EU increased by 3.9 percent to USD 2.1 billion. Exports to Germany were able to recover a plus of 12.8 percent.

It is not yet certain that Sri Lanka will be able to make up for the losses of the past. In the meantime, countries such as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, which have already enjoyed tariff concessions in foreign trade with the EU for the entire current decade, have passed by the island state. Bangladesh in particular, recorded a strong increase in its clothing and textile exports compared with Sri Lanka..

Sri Lanka textile and clothing exports 2018 (HS codes 61, 62, 63)
Country In USD million 1)
China 172.4
Vietnam 36.0
Bangladesh 32.9
India 20.9
Indonesia 2) 14.0

1) Estimation; 2) Forecast
Sources: Press Releases; Calculations Germany Trade & Invest, February 2019

Sri Lanka focuses on higher quality products
Numerous domestic textile producers are switching to the production of higher-quality garments in order to maintain their competitiveness. "In Sri Lanka, the focus is not on mass but rather on higher quality products," confirmed M. Raghuram, Chief Executive Officer of Brandix, one of the country's largest clothing companies, in an interview with GTAI. The island state concentrates on the production of just a few product categories such as underwear, sportswear or lounge wear..

Sri Lanka has become a location for the manufacture of high-quality garments. This is also confirmed by the World Bank. In its 2016 study "Stitches to Riches" (website), it found that Sri Lanka outperformed its competitors India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in terms of quality, delivery times, reliability and sustainable social responsibility.

Sri Lanka serves fastidious international companies such as Victoria Secrets, GAP, Nike or Marks and Spencer. According to expert estimates, the production of the top 10 Sri Lankan textile and clothing companies accounts for around 85 percent of the industry's total exports.

The ambitious goal is to increase the garment industry's export revenues to USD 8 billion by 2025, which will require an annual growth of 6 percent. For this Sri Lanka must improve capacity, technology and resource problems. "It is becoming more and more difficult to find suitable personnel. For many young people working in the garment and textile industry in Sri Lanka is simply unattractive”, Nilanthi Sivapragasam, Chief Financial Officer of the conglomerate Aitkence Spence, told GTAI. The training of the workforce is also a major challenge. "Training new employees is very time-consuming and labor-intensive," confirms Sivapragasam.

Imports of German machinery decline
In addition, Sri Lanka's textile companies must modernize their machinery and expand their capacities in order to further increase productivity and added value. Accordingly, there is a great demand for technically sophisticated textile machines in the country. This offers good opportunities and chances for machine suppliers. According to experts, the demand for textile printing and dyeing machines, stenter frames and finishing technology will develop particularly dynamically in the future.
 
In Sri Lanka itself only relatively simple machines are being produced. High-end technology is mainly imported. China is the most important supplier of textile machinery, accounting for about one third of all imports. India has also been able to significantly increase its machine exports to Sri Lanka in recent years. In 2017, India achieved exports of USD 6.3 million, an increase of 46.7 percent, compared with exports of USD 2.6 million in 2010.

German machine exports suffered enormous losses. Sri Lanka's imports of textile machinery from Germany amounted to USD 16.5 million in 2017, a decrease of 54.2 percent. Over the past years, Germany has lost share of its deliveries. According to industry experts, this trend will continue: Made in Germany stands for quality and continues to be very popular in Sri Lanka; however, German machine manufacturers are often unable to keep up with the low-cost products from China or India.

Sri Lanka's imports of textile and clothing machinery
(SITC 724; USD million) 
Country 2016 2017 Change
China 56.3 51.8 -8.0
Japan 26.6 18.3 -31.1
Germany 36.0 16.5 -54.2
Singapore 13.6 14.5 -6.8
India 4.3 6.3 46.7
Total 192.8 155.3 -19.5

Source: UN Comtrade, March 2019

Contact addresses
Title Internet address Remark
Germany Trade & Invest http://www.gtai.de/srilanka Foreign trade information for the German export industry
AHK Sri Lanka http://www.srilanka.ahk.de Contact point for German companies
Sri Lanka Export Development Board http://www.srilankabusiness.com/edb State organization responsible for the development and promotion of exports in Sri Lanka. 

 

More information:
Sri Lanka
Source:

Heena Nazir, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

CHINA'S TEXTILE AND APPAREL INDUSTRY FEELS US PUNITIVE TARIFFS Photo: Pixabay
05.03.2019

CHINA'S TEXTILE AND APPAREL INDUSTRY FEELS US PUNITIVE TARIFFS

  • Nevertheless - automation, environmental compatibility and energy efficiency increase machine imports

China's textile and clothing industry is modernizing. High-quality textile machines are in demand. But because of the trade dispute with the USA, investments are also postponed.

How the trade dispute between the USA and China affects its business is currently being discussed by China's textile and apparel manufacturers - and in particular by the companies located in the high-quality sector: Of the approximately USD 119 billion, that they sold abroad in 2018, about two thirds went to the United States.

  • Nevertheless - automation, environmental compatibility and energy efficiency increase machine imports

China's textile and clothing industry is modernizing. High-quality textile machines are in demand. But because of the trade dispute with the USA, investments are also postponed.

How the trade dispute between the USA and China affects its business is currently being discussed by China's textile and apparel manufacturers - and in particular by the companies located in the high-quality sector: Of the approximately USD 119 billion, that they sold abroad in 2018, about two thirds went to the United States.

According to the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), 41 percent of the clothing sold in the USA, 72 percent of the shoes and 84 percent of the accessories come from China. On the other hand, the producers of intermediate products or textiles are less or hardly affected by the punitive tariffs, because here the dependence on the USA is not quite as great. Apparel manufacturers in Vietnam and Bangladesh, for example, generally are also buying in China.

Following previous punitive tariffs on Chinese imported goods, in September 2018 the USA imposed a 10 percent punitive tariff on a wide range of other Chinese imported goods, including goods from the textile and clothing industry. On January 1. 2019, the tariffs should originally be raised to 25 percent, but at the beginning of December 2018 US President Trump and China's President Xi agreed not to increase the tariffs until March 1st 2019.

Companies are reluctant to invest
It is hardly possible to make predictions about the outcome of the conflict. In view of the uncertainty, many of the companies affected are therefore waiting for the time being. German textile machine manufacturers are also feeling the effects of this, whether due to lower demand for machines from Germany or locally. According to a representative of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) in Beijing, many investments have been stopped.

But apart from the upheavals, the modernization process of the Chinese textile and clothing industry is far from complete. Gone are the days when the numerous street markets in China were flooded with cheap clothes. They're hard to find these days. Their manufacturers either had to modernize or have since disappeared from the market.

Number of Chinese textile and clothing companies down sharply
China's textile and clothing industry has been through tough years of consolidation and modernization. In fact, between 2013 and 2017 alone, the number of predominantly private-sector companies in the sector fell by almost 11 percent to around 33,500.

Chinese customers don't want any more junk - and can usually afford better. According to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), they spent about RMB 1,371 billion; equivalent to about USD 207 billion; (1 USD = about 6.6114 RMB, annual mean rate 2018) on clothing and shoes in 2018. This is 8 percent more than in the previous year.

Rising personnel costs force automation
On the one hand, consumer demand has grown and led companies to invest in better machines, on the other hand, the constant pressure on personnel costs has forced them to automate their processes. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of employees in the sector fell from 10.9 million to 7.8 million.

Many have tried (and are trying) to escape the pressure by relocating their companies - for example to the interior of the country, where the wages are lower, or to cheaper foreign countries. However, the great migration movement did not take place, as most of them see themselves too strongly interwoven with their suppliers. Some are also skeptical about the move to the West, arguing that it would only be a temporary solution - and that sooner or later the wages there would follow.

Traditionally, the industry has concentrated on the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang and Shandong. There, the average gross monthly wages of urban workers rose between 2013 and 2017 (latest available figures) by between 38.9 per cent (Fujian) and 48.5 per cent (Guangdong) - with significantly lower inflation rates.

Development of the Chinese textile and clothing industry 2013 to 2017
(% change over previous year) *)
  2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Cjamge
Number of companies 37,376 36,642 36,488 35,197 33,326 -5.3
.Textile industry 21,666 20,821 20,545 19,752 18,726 -5.2
.Clothing industry 15,710 15,821 15,943 15,445 14,600 -5.5
Number of employees in 1,000 persons n.a. n.a. 9,140 8,667 7,784 -10.2
.Textile industry n.a. n.a. 4,645 4,362 3,912 -10.3
.Clothing industry n.a. n.a. 4,495 4,305 3,872 -10.1
Turnover in RMB bn. 5,553 5,934 6,222 6,458 5,700 -11.7
.Textile industry 3,608 3,829 3,999 4,084 3,611 -11.6
.Clothing industry 1,945 2,105 2,223 2,374 2,089 -12.0

*) only companies with an annual turnover of more than RMB 20 million are included.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

Environmental legislation and energy efficiency as additional investment drivers
The industry also has to deal with a generally stricter environmental legislation, which increasingly is being implemented. Added to this is the growing importance of the energy efficiency aspect.

Both are good news for German textile machinery manufacturers, according to VDMA estimates. As a result, the market for high-tech machines is expanding and the resulting demand is still far from being met by local production. China imported USD 4.2 billion worth of textile machinery in 2018, an increase of 6.7 percent over the previous year. A further customer potential arises from the growing importance of technical textiles.

According to Chinese customs statistics, German suppliers supplied textile machinery worth USD 1.1 billion to China in 2017 (latest available data) - a whopping 28.3 percent more than in the previous year. Despite this success, however, they had to cede their previous leading position as the main supplier country to Japan. However, this statistic shows only one side of the medal. Almost all well-known manufacturers are now represented in China with their own production facilities - and no figures are available about their activities.

Imports of textile machinery to China by selected countries
(SITC item 724; in US$ million, change from previous year and percentage share)
  2015 2016 2017 Change Share 2017
Total, thereof from 3,354 2,907 3,897 34.1 100.0
.Japan 728 765 1.169 52.8 30.0
.Germany 1,219 851 1.101 29.4 28.3
.Italy 415 347 448 29.1 11.5
.Taiwan 206 187 203 8.6 5.2
.Belgium 134 124 173 4.0 4.4
.Switzerland 104 111 126 13.5 3.2

Sources: UN-Comtrade; Calculations by Germany Trade & Invest

Environmental model companies point the way ahead

Already today there are manufacturers with ambitious plans in environmental protection. One of them is the Dongrong Group. Based in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, the Cashmere company has been selected by the government of the Autonomous Region, together with a dairy company, as a model company for environmental protection. This included President and owner Cheng Xudong having his company - by the way inspired by the German Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai 2008 - sealed energetically (albeit not with materials "Made in Germany").

The next big step will be the purification of the company's own waste water. "Cheng describes his goal as follows: "Fish, suitable for consumption in our canteen, should be able to swim in it. The company is already now growing vegetables for the canteen itself. In his efforts it is financially supported by the state. But certainly not all entrepreneurs are so ambitious.

And there is still an old Chinese saying for many companies: "The sky is high - and the emperor is far away". In other words, what the central government decides in Beijing does not necessarily have to be implemented in the huge hinterland. But all these efforts show in which direction the journey goes.

 

More information:
China USA Tariffs
Source:

Stefanie Schmitt, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

PIXABAY
04.12.2018

CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA WITH UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK

  • Exports rise in the country's most important industrial sector.

Phnom Penh (GTAI) - Cambodia's clothing exports are growing steadily. However, two factors cloud the prospects for the future.

Cambodia's garment industry is the backbone of the Kingdom's export-oriented economy. Industry exports account for around 40 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). More than 800,000 Cambodians are employed in over 800 companies. That is more than 85 percent of all factory workers in the country.

Apparel and footwear exports reached USD 8.0 billion in 2017, according to Cambodian customs. This represented an increase of 9.6 percent compared with 2016. Proud growth rates between 7 and almost 15 percent were already achieved in previous years. GTAI estimates on the basis of partner countries' imports an even higher export volume of around USD 12 billion.

  • Exports rise in the country's most important industrial sector.

Phnom Penh (GTAI) - Cambodia's clothing exports are growing steadily. However, two factors cloud the prospects for the future.

Cambodia's garment industry is the backbone of the Kingdom's export-oriented economy. Industry exports account for around 40 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). More than 800,000 Cambodians are employed in over 800 companies. That is more than 85 percent of all factory workers in the country.

Apparel and footwear exports reached USD 8.0 billion in 2017, according to Cambodian customs. This represented an increase of 9.6 percent compared with 2016. Proud growth rates between 7 and almost 15 percent were already achieved in previous years. GTAI estimates on the basis of partner countries' imports an even higher export volume of around USD 12 billion.

More than 70 percent of the country's total exports of goods regularly come from the sector. Shoes accounted for exports of USD 873 million (+14.4 percent) in 2017. Foreign business with shoes has been improving for some years now and has been able to increase its share of exports to over 10 percent. With an unchanged share of 46 percent compared to the previous year, the EU continued to play a major role among the customers in 2017, followed by the USA with 24 percent.

The value-added volume of the sector is low and the road to an integrated textile industry in Cambodia is still long. Machines, raw materials and design come from abroad in the form of a CMT model ("Cut Make Trim"). Fabrics, yarns and haberdashery have to be imported in order to keep the local clothing industry "on the runway". In 2016, according to the United Nations Comtrade Database, USD 4.1 billion worth of textiles came into the country for processing - about 60 percent of which came from China. Textile imports have risen proportionally to clothing exports in recent years.

The garment industry is dominated by foreign companies, mostly from the Asian neighborhood China, Hong Kong (SVR), Singapore, Malaysia or South Korea. Many manufacturers produce to order for multinational brands such as Adidas, Puma, Gap, H&M, Marks & Spencer or Uniqlo. In principle, the complete contract manufacturing is intended for export.

Rising wages fuel fear of competition
After years of growth the sector is looking to the future with concern. The country is increasingly in danger of losing market share to its competitors - for example in Myanmar, Vietnam or Bangladesh - primarily due to rising wage costs. In January 2018, the monthly minimum wage for workers was raised to USD 170, up from USD 153. Compared to 2013, when a minimum of USD 80 was required by law, there has now been more than a doubling.

The annual agenda included regular increases of around 10 percent. According to the Cambodia Garment and Footwear Sector Bulletin of the International Labor Organization (ILO), workers who worked the full month, including overtime payments and incentives, were paid an average wage of just under USD 243 in 2017. Last year, it was USD 225.

In the past, low wages were mainly responsible for the attractiveness and competitiveness of Cambodian industry. This advantage is crumbling year after year as a result of the increase of minimum wages. An end to this politically motivated development is not in sight. The government can imagine, referring to expert recommendations, that minimum wages will be raised to USD 250 per month by 2023.

If the trend continues, companies are likely to migrate and not too many new investors will pitch their tents in Cambodia, critics warn. In 2017, sector companies invested nearly USD 270 million in 55 projects. This represented 5 per cent of the Kingdom's total investments. In the previous year, this share had been 9 percent.

Industry representatives complain that the costs grow faster than the productivity. Automation of production processes is becoming more and more urgent in order to keep up with productivity. However, both the lack of skilled workers and an infrastructure in need of improvement are serious bottleneck factors. There are also critics who are generally pessimistic about a possible automation in the sector. Cambodia could only score points through low labor cost advantages. Automated mass production is reserved for countries that have a reliable and cost-effective power supply and are closer to the sales markets.

Will the trade routes to the EU remain free?
Even more worrying would be the EU's cancellation of the preferential trading system EBA ("Everything But Arms"). Finally, the exemption of Cambodian clothing from customs duties is at stake on the main market. A discontinuation is likely to trigger a wave of migration of the clothing industry. Quite a few companies have taken the EBA initiative alone as an opportunity to establish themselves in the Kingdom.

In addition, the view wanders across the border to Vietnam. Manufacturers there could soon benefit from a free trade agreement with the EU. Vietnam is also participating at the Asia-Pacific Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), while Cambodia remains outside. If the trade arrangements remain unchanged, Cambodia may get off with a black eye. However, the other factors should not be ignored. Transport and general export costs are also considered comparatively high compared with Vietnam or China.

Cambodian exporters are currently benefiting from the trade dispute between the USA and China. The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) semi-annual report supports this assumption. According to the study, apparel and footwear exports rose by 11 percent in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period of last year to reach a volume of USD 4 billion. Since July 2016, clothing, shoes and travel goods (suitcases, bags, etc.) can be delivered duty-free to the USA. According to the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC), shipments of travel goods to the USA in the first half of 2018 reached an amount of around USD 160 million - three times the previous annual exports.

Cambodia's imports of textile machinery amounted to USD 127.3 million (SITC 724) in 2017 according to the UN Comtrade database. This was 11.4 percent more than in the previous year. About 60 percent of the capital goods came from China; the remaining deliveries are relatively evenly distributed among other Asian countries. German deliveries only appear very sparsely in the statistics. Used machines from abroad are more likely to be in demand, but are not recorded statistically.

More information:
cambodja Asien GTAI
Source:

Michael Sauermost, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

PIXABAY
27.11.2018

EGYPT'S TEXTILE AND CLOTHING SECTOR FACING MODERNIZATION

  • State enterprises get better equipment

Cairo (GTAI) - The Egyptian government plans to modernize the textile sector and private companies are investing in new locations. Increasing machine imports and clothing exports are expected.

In the Egyptian textile and clothing industry, the signs are pointing to expansion and modernization. Local media reported on a number of private and public investment projects. According to the newspaper Al Gomhouria, a Chinese producer in the Suez Canal economic zone is planning the world's largest textile factory for USD 6 billion. The Chinese companies TIDA and Shoon Dong Roy want to build a clothing factory for 800 million USD. Sino-Egypt Minkai is planning to build a textile industry complex for around USD 750 million.

  • State enterprises get better equipment

Cairo (GTAI) - The Egyptian government plans to modernize the textile sector and private companies are investing in new locations. Increasing machine imports and clothing exports are expected.

In the Egyptian textile and clothing industry, the signs are pointing to expansion and modernization. Local media reported on a number of private and public investment projects. According to the newspaper Al Gomhouria, a Chinese producer in the Suez Canal economic zone is planning the world's largest textile factory for USD 6 billion. The Chinese companies TIDA and Shoon Dong Roy want to build a clothing factory for 800 million USD. Sino-Egypt Minkai is planning to build a textile industry complex for around USD 750 million.

The Egyptian state also wants to strengthen the textile and clothing production. In November 2018, the Minister of State Enterprise Hisham Tawfiq negotiated an extensive restructuring of the Cotton & Textile Holding Company with Werner International of the USA. According to press reports, the properties of 14 of the 25 cotton ginning plants should be sold. The ministry estimates the value at USD 1.5 billion. This appropriation is intended to cover the repair of machinery and the import of new equipment for the eleven remaining companies.

A free zone for textile production will also be created in Minya on the initiative of the state. This industrial zone is to be built on an area of 2.2 million square metres: The General Authority for Free Zones and Investment intends to launch the project before the end of 2018.

In autumn 2018, the Cotton & Textiles Industries Holding Company and Marubeni of Japan signed a letter of intent. This relates to the construction of a new textile factory in Kafr El Sheikh. A reduced loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation secures the financing of the project.

Import demand for textile and clothing machinery expected to increase
The planned projects are expected to lead to a further increase of a demand of imports. Like other types of equipment, the vast majority of textile and clothing machinery is imported into Egypt. In 2017 the German share of deliveries fell by 8.4 percentage points to an year-on-year comparison to 12 percent. However, this reduction is put into a perspective by the fact that the reference year 2016 was a positive outlier. In 2015, the German share was still 15.8 percent.

Imports of textile and clothing machinery to Egypt (in USD 1,000)
HS-Category 2016 Therof from Germany 2017 Therof from Germany
8444 4,481 2,025 5,554 n.v.
8445 26,105 5,429 32,660 4,807
8446 23,591 13,346 26,170 4,493
8447 15,713 3,052 22,032 4,493
8448 20.574 3,365 18,013 2,698
8449 299 0 1,725 0.4
8451 36,512 2,334 37,887 3,511
8452 23,186 1,698 29,633 1,309
8453 3,678 137 9,892 155
Total 154,139 31,386 183,566 22,028.4

n.a. = not available
Source: Comtrade

Egyptian textile and clothing companies often produce with a lot of manual work and partly with very outdated machines. The government's aim is to create as many jobs as possible due to the continued population growth. On the other hand, a more automated and modern production would allow more complex products. These could be sold at a higher profit, but would also require less human labor.

Important role of the sector companies for the Egyptian economy
The textile and clothing companies in Egypt represent a significant and labor-intensive industry. Local and imported fibers are being processed in the country and there is a broad base of spinning mills, weaving mills, dyeing houses and manufacturers of clothing and home textiles. It is estimated that the companies employ between 1 million and 1.2 million people. A regional focus is Mahala El Kubra. State enterprises are strongly represented in the textile sector, while the private sector plays a greater role in the clothing sector. About 90 percent of the spinning and weaving mills are state-owned.

According to the Readymade Garments Export Council (RMGEC), the garment industry accounts for 3 percent of the country's gross domestic product, 15 percent of exports (excluding oil), and one of three industrial jobs in the country. From January to the end of August 2018, clothing exports to the RMGEC totaled USD 1,040 million. In the same period of 2017, exports amounted to only US$ 980 million.

Egyptian exports of textiles and clothing (selection; in USD million;
change in %)
HS-Category 2016 2017 Change 2017 / 2016
57 303.5 313.9 3.4
60 35.7 44.3 24.1
61 388.0 466.0 20.1
62 756.6 910.7 20.4
63 227.2 231.1 1.7
Total 1,711.0 1,966.0 14.9

Source: UN Comtrade

The Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ) play a special role. These are special zones with Israeli added value, which are fixed during production, and the products enjoy customs advantages when exported to the USA. Since 2005, the QIZ system has provided more private investments in the garment sector. Jeans and other clothing for well-known brands are delivered to the USA from the 25 zones.
Egyptian manufacturers are also generally not always recognizable as such, as they often manufacture for major international brands. Middle East Eye names Calvin Klein, Decathlon, Tommy Hilfiger and Zara as examples. In November 2017 Dice Sport and Casual Wear agreed to supply Levi Strauss & Co. with children's clothing.

The US company Disney even purchases 33 types of products from Egypt. Since 2017, Egypt has been cooperating with the International Labor Organization ILO as part of the Better Work Program. Working conditions are to be improved in 30 clothing factories. According to media reports, for Disney these measures were a reason to extend the licenses of the Egyptian suppliers until December 2019.

Currency effect improves competitiveness
The labor-intensive production benefited from the currency devaluation in 2016. According to a report by the news portal Middle East Eye, Egypt has at least 100 USD monthly salary for workers and is about at the same level as India or Bangladesh and at about 50 of percent Chinese salaries. In addition, prompt and fast deliveries to Europe and the USA are possible.

On the other hand, the companies are dependent on foreign supplies, which became more expensive. In Egypt especially soft and high-quality long staple cotton is cultivated and exported. Domestic producers, on the other hand, mainly use short-staple cotton and other foreign fibers as raw materials. The RMGEC complained about rising production costs in October 2018. Wages, electricity, water, natural gas, transports and more expensive imports of raw materials contributed to this development.


Further information on Egypt can be found at http://www.gtai.de

 

More information:
GTAI Ägypten
Source:

Oliver Idem, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

20.11.2018

CHINA'S CLOTHING COMPANIESS REPOSITION THEMSELVES

  • AUTOMATION AND STRONGER FOCUS ON THE DOMESTIC MARKET

Beijing (GTAI) - The Chinese apparel industry is repositioning itself. Increased wage costs force more automation, more customers demanding more quality.
Nowhere else in the world so much clothing is being produced as in China. According to the sector portal http://www.ask.com, alone 22.9 billion pairs of socks were being produced in 2017. This was 4.8 percent more than in the previous year, and the production of jeans amounted to more than 0.6 billion pieces according to information from http://www.chyxx.com, an increase of 5.0 percent.

  • AUTOMATION AND STRONGER FOCUS ON THE DOMESTIC MARKET

Beijing (GTAI) - The Chinese apparel industry is repositioning itself. Increased wage costs force more automation, more customers demanding more quality.
Nowhere else in the world so much clothing is being produced as in China. According to the sector portal http://www.ask.com, alone 22.9 billion pairs of socks were being produced in 2017. This was 4.8 percent more than in the previous year, and the production of jeans amounted to more than 0.6 billion pieces according to information from http://www.chyxx.com, an increase of 5.0 percent.
China is not only the world's largest production nation, but also by far the world's largest export nation in the sector. However, countries such as India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Cambodia are catching up enormously due to lower wages. As a result, China - measured by its share of world clothing exports - has lost around 5.5 percentage points since 2013, down to only 32.4% in 2017.

China's share of world clothing exports 1) (in USD billion; shares in %)
  2008 2013 2015 2017
World Export 380 468 471 486
China Export 120 177 175 157
China's share 31.6 37.9 37.1 32.4

1) SITC Pos.84; 2) Partially estimated on the basis of information provided by the ITC
Source: UN Comtrade, GTAI calculation.

By contrast, Bangladesh (+3.7 points), Vietnam (+2.0 points) and Cambodia (+1.3 points) in particular recorded gains in the period from 2013 to 2017. In absolute terms, Chinese apparel exports fell by 15.6% to USD 157 billion since the record year of 2014 (USD187 billion). No improvement is in sight as exports are stagnating in 2018.

Export of clothing 1) by country (in USD million; shares in %)
  2008 Share 2013 Share 2017 Share
World Export 380,000 100.0 468,000 100.0 486,000 100.0
China 120,405 31.6 177,435 37.9 157,464 32.4
ASEAN3) 29,793 7.8 42,123 9.0 61,441 12.6
Vietnam 8,724 2.3 17,230 3.7 27,930 5.7
Kambodscha 3,014 0.8 4,832 1.0 11,250 2.3
Bangladesch 12,035 3.2 19,679 4.2 38,460 7.9
India 10,968 2.9 16,843 3.6 18,313 4.0
Germany 18,183 4.8 19,178 4.1 22,034 4.6

1) SITC Pos. 84; 2) partly estimated on the basis of ITC data; 3) excluding Laos and Brunei
Sources: UN-Comtrade; ITC; GTAI calculation

Rising wage costs as investment driver
Due to rising personnel costs throughout the country, manufacturers were and are under considerable cost pressure. With an average hourly wage for a Chinese worker of the equivalent of around USD 5.2 (2017), China has not only left classic emerging markets such as Thailand (USD 2.3) or Mexico (USD 3.9) behind - not to mention India with USD 0.8 - but is already approaching individual European countries (e.g. Greece 2016: USD 6.0).


Companies have met and continue to meet this challenge through increased automation. Between 2015 (9.1 million) and 2017 (7.8 million) alone, the workforce of the textile and clothing industry shrank by 14.3 percent - according to the Chinese statistical office. More and better machines make it possible to say goodbye to the previous labor-intensive production - and thus lower cost pressure with more precise and faster execution. Imports of textile machinery are also benefiting from this. These rose in 2017 by a whopping 34.1 percent year-on-year to nearly USD 3.9 billion.


Germany no longer number one textile machinery supplier
Although Germany lost its position as most important supplier country for textile machinery to Japan, it was still able to increase its deliveries by 28.3 percent to USD 1.1 billion. This corresponded to a supply share of 28.3 percent. Japanese manufacturers achieved a ratio of 30.0 percent with just under USD 1.2 billion (+52.8 percent). Competition from Italy came to only 11.5 percent. The good performance is remarkable due to the fact that a number of German textile machine manufacturers have invested heavily in recent years in the region in order to be able to meet the wishes of Chinese customers more effectively.

China's textile machinery imports *) by selected countries (in USD million; year-on-year change and 2017 shares in %)
  2015 2016 2017 Change Shares
Total 3,354 2,907 3,897 34.1 100.0
including          
Japan 728 765 1,169 52.8 30.0
Germany 1,219 851 1,101 29.4 28.3
Italy 415 347 448 29.1 11.5
Taiwan 206 187 203 8.6 5.2
Belgium 134 124 173 4.0 4.4
Switzerland 104 111 126 13.5 3.2

*) SITC-Pos. 724
Source: UN-Comtrade; GTAI calculation

Due to the high pressure to modernization Chinese textile machinery imports in the first seven months of 2018 increased by almost 15 percent compared to the previous period. German machine manufacturers in particular benefited from this development, with deliveries increasing by 30 percent in the same period. As Japanese exports of textile machinery to China stagnated at the same time, German manufacturers are likely to take the lead again in 2018.
As the garment exports come under such severe pressure, the industry is now increasingly geared towards the local market. Whereas ten years ago about half of the value of production was exported, today it is only about a third. In fact, the Chinese spent an average of around 4.8 percent of their disposable income or 1,238 Renminbi (RMB; around 183 US dollars; 1 USD = 6.7531 RMB, annual mean rate of 2017) on clothing in 2017, according to the Chinese Statistical Office. With an average disposable annual income of 25,974 RMB and a population of 1.39 billion, this translates into a market volume of approximately USD 255 billion.

China's consumers demand quality and design
This makes the Chinese clothing market one of the largest in the world - and one that is becoming increasingly diversified. Local offerings range from the cheapest mass-produced goods, qualitatively and visually appealing products in the mid-price segment up to luxury and haute couture. Much has changed in the upper price segment in particular. "In the past, the Chinese exported the best qualities, but today they keep them for themselves," says a British sourcing expert who has been working in the Kashmir business for decades, describing the development.

In general, Chinese consumer demand is becoming increasingly sophisticated and differentiated. In addition to the tendency towards recognized brands, an increasing individualization of consumption can also be observed. The question is what fits well, pleases and is also somehow "special". "People in the North used to buy cashmere clothes because they warmed well," explains Cheng Xudong, president of the private Dongrong Group. The design was of secondary importance - and accordingly most of the pieces were "old-fashioned".

"Today, cashmere clothes also look very good," Cheng adds. "That's why it's bought not only in the north, but also in the more southern parts of the country." In general, the middle class in particular is looking for a high-quality lifestyle - and clothing is a part of it. The entrepreneur is convinced that if the textile and clothing industry succeeds in adapting to the higher quality demands of local customers through a technical upgrade and improved design, then the industry will continue to do well in the future.

Additional information
Further information on the economic situation, the sectors, business practice, law, customs, tenders and development projects in China can be found at http://www.gtai.de/china The website http://www.gtai.de/asien-pazifik provides an overview of various topics in the region.

 

More information:
China Sampe China GTAI
Source:

Stefanie Schmitt, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

INDIA'S GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS TEXTILE INDUSTRY Photo: Pixabay
11.09.2018

INDIA'S GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS TEXTILE INDUSTRY

  • Clothing exports are declining 

New Delhi (GTAI) - Structural weaknesses and fiscal reforms are affecting the Indian textile industry. Modernization and diversification are necessary. For this where support measures will come into force.

  • Clothing exports are declining 

New Delhi (GTAI) - Structural weaknesses and fiscal reforms are affecting the Indian textile industry. Modernization and diversification are necessary. For this where support measures will come into force.

In the 2016/17 fiscal year (April 1st to March 31st), India's government initiated a number of fundamental reforms such as the introduction of the nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a partial currency devaluation. These measures are intended to advance the economy as a whole in the medium to long term, but have led to uncertainty and difficulties in individual sectors, including the textile industry. Added to this are high cotton prices. The government is now trying to help the industry with individual measures. It remains to be seen whether these will be sufficient and lead to a sustained improvement. Finally, there are structural weaknesses which are also slowing down the growth of the Industry.

"The by the introduction of GST caused dent and monetary depreciation has now been overcome. However, the structural problems remain, so that no fundamental changes in the textile industry are to be expected", according to the assessment of a German supplier with many years of experience in India in talks with Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).

Government launches aid measures
However, some government measures should provide relief. At the beginning of August 2018, import duties on 328 textile products, especially fabrics and nonwovens, were increased from around 5 to 10 percent to up to 20 percent. Also, at the beginning of the month, the Executive Board introduced four bills to amend the general VAT Act introduced on July 1st 2017. This should make refunds, for example of taxes on intermediate products, easier and faster. The introduction of GST and the delays in reimbursement have put particular pressure on the liquidity of small and medium-sized companies, which make up the bulk of textile companies. For example, the denim industry temporarily had to take 25 to 30 percent of its capacity out of production after the tax introduction.

 Also, the Ministry of Textiles wants to strengthen the to it entrusted weakening industry. At the beginning of August 2018, for example, it added changes to the Technology Upgradation Funds Scheme (TUFS), which has been in existence since 1999. This now expanded technology promotion program allows cooperative banks to provide financing to textile companies for technological improvements. They also become accessible for liability partnerships. Of the approximately USD 1.1 billion, that the central government budget is holding for the textile industry in the fiscal year 2018/19, one third, 14 percent more than in the previous year, are intended for the TUFS. Manufacturers of synthetic fibers and the clothing industry in particular are likely to benefit from this, according to industry sources.

The existence of an own Ministry of Textiles shows how important this industry is for India, not only as a source of foreign exchange, but also as an employer. The entire sector, from spinning mills, weaving mills to clothing and other finished goods, contributed around 14 percent to value creation in the manufacturing industry and 13 percent to foreign exchange revenues in 2017, and employs directly 40 million and indirectly 60 million workers.

As one of the world's leading producers of cotton, jute and silk, India has comparative advantages in the textile sector and can look back on a long tradition in processing. Accordingly, cotton is the main raw material in yarn and fabric production. After all, 5.7 billion tons of yarn were spun in 2016/17, achieving an annual average increase of 3.1 percent between 2011 and 2017. The weaving mills processed 63.5 billion square meters of fabric in 2016/17, after 61.7 billion in 2011. The proportion of cotton fabrics rose from 51 to 61 percent in 2011 to 2017. The remaining part is accounted for approximately equally by synthetic and blended fabrics.

 
Production and export growth come to a halt Based on the previously strong growth the government is optimistic. According to forecasts by the Ministry of Textile, India's textile and clothing industry is expected to more than double its sales between 2015 and 2021. Exports are expected to increase from USD 35 billion to USD 82 billion, after doubling in the period from 2006 to 2014 from USD 17.6 billion to USD 37.6 billion. After that, however, they stagnated and, at USD 35 billion in 2017/18 and missed the by the government set target by USD 10 billion. The production of textiles and clothing declined from 2015 to 2017. It is unlikely to improve in 2018.

Textile and clothing industry in India 1)
  2015/16
 
2016/17 2)  2017/18 2)
Export of textiles and textiles products USD in USD billion 18.1 18.2 18.7
Export of clothing 17.0 17.4 16.7
Import of yarn, fabrics, made-ups in USD billion 1.7 1.5 n.a.
Change of production of textiles in % -0.2 -3.2 n.a.
Change of production of non-knitted clothing in % -3.6 -3.3 n.a.


1) Financial years from 1 April to 31 March; 2) Provisional data for 2016/17 and 2017/18
Source: Statistical Office India
     

Clothing industry needs to modernize 
India's textile industry has cost advantages over industrialized countries and advanced emerging countries such as China. Smaller developing countries, however, have become well-known competitors in the meantime and have partly surpassed India in terms of clothing. So Bangladesh and Vietnam exported more clothing than India. In addition there is growing competition from other low-wage countries such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Some of these countries have free trade agreements with the EU, while India has difficulties in negotiating them. The smaller competitors have also geared their clothing industry to exports and modernized it accordingly. After all, they do not have significant local markets. The Indian textile manufacturers are different: If there is not enough quality for export, the domestic market, which has a population of 1.3 billion inhabitants and is growing strongly, is still there, industry representatives explain to GTAI.

India's apparel industry therefore still has a considerable potential for modernization and requires new production technologies, particularly to improve operating efficiency. Other structural weaknesses include strong wage increases with insufficient productivity growth and a shortage of well-trained skilled workers. Other disadvantages are the fragmentation of the clothing industry - many companies lack size - and the lack of adaptation to global fashion trends. While the fashion world is more prone to fiber mixed fabrics, the Indian clothing is not yet following this trend. There is a lack of product diversification.

The spinning and weaving sector looks more modern. Industry experts attest to it a leading international position in terms of size, technology, productivity, quality and price. This is also evident when importing machines. India was the most important export market for German spinning machines to China in 2017 and the fifth largest market for weaving machines, according to the Textile Machinery Association of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). In textile finishing machinery, India does not rank among the top six export markets, but its competitor Bangladesh does.

Double-digit growth in foreign direct Investment 
Foreign investments in the Indian textile industry are welcome and 100 percent foundations by foreign companies are welcome. On promotional trips to countries such as Japan, Germany, Italy and France, India is actively attracting investors and has not been unsuccessful. The inflow of foreign direct investment into the textile sector, including dyed and printed textiles, amounted to USD 2.7 billion between April 2000 and September 2017. Cumulative investments increased by an annual average of 17.3 percent between 2010 and 2017. However, the bulk of the investment is being stemmed by national Indians. Total investments in India's textile sector from June 2017 to May 2018 amounted to USD 4.2 Billion.

Contact Details
Name Internet Remark
Germany Trade & Invest http://www.gtai.de/indien Foreign information for the German Export Business
AHK Indien http://www.indien.ahk.de Contact for German companies
Ministry of Textiles http://www.texmin.nic.in Ministry
Office of Textile Commissioner http://www.txcindia.gov.in Government 
Confederation of Indian Textile Industry http://www.citiindia.com Textile Association
Textile Association India http://www.textileassociationindia.org Textile Association India
The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India http://www.cmai.in Clothing Association


    

More information:
India Bangladesh(7621)
Source:

Rainer Jaensch, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

ETHOPIA CAN SET UP FURTHER TEXTILE FACTORIES Photo: Pixabay
15.05.2018

ETHOPIA CAN SET UP FURTHER TEXTILE FACTORIES

  • Sudanese and Chinese investors want to secure raw material supplies

Nairobi (GTAI) - Ethiopia has further successes in attracting textile companies: One British company is planning to invest USD 100 million, one Chinese company even plans to invest USD 220 million. This means that the textile sector is increasingly becoming a self-starter, as donors increasingly want to supply domestic industry with pre-products. Meanwhile, those who invest should not only raise the financial means, but also the raw material cotton, according to market experts.

  • Sudanese and Chinese investors want to secure raw material supplies

Nairobi (GTAI) - Ethiopia has further successes in attracting textile companies: One British company is planning to invest USD 100 million, one Chinese company even plans to invest USD 220 million. This means that the textile sector is increasingly becoming a self-starter, as donors increasingly want to supply domestic industry with pre-products. Meanwhile, those who invest should not only raise the financial means, but also the raw material cotton, according to market experts.

The Ethiopian textile and clothing market has two new entrants: the British Intrade Co. UK Ltd. and the Chinese Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Investment Co. Ltd, Intrade intends to build a textile and clothing factory in the Mekelle Industrial Park (Tigray Regional State), which was opened in July 2017. Initial cost estimates are around USD 100 million. Intrade is an offshore company of the Sudanese Mahgoub-Sons Group. The company has reached an agreement with the Ethiopian Investment Commission to invest USD 200 million in three projects. The textile project is to be completed in 16 months.

Security of supply for cotton is becoming an issue
The Sudanese group is not only interested in textile production, but also with lucrative supply transactions for its own cotton. They have the capacity to supply 500,000 tons of long staple quality cotton annually, Wagdi Mirghani Mahgoub, Managing Director of Intrade says. The supply of raw cotton has become an increasing problem for the emerging Ethiopian textile industry since some Asian countries ordered export stops for the raw material, including the PR China and India. The African Plantation, which cultivates 33,000 hectares of agricultural land in Sudan, also belongs to the Mahgoub-Sons Group.

However, Wuxi No. 1 Cotton Investment has announced the second and larger textile investment of 2018: a textile factory will be opened shortly in the Dire Dawa Industrial Park. In a first phase, USD 80 million are planned, followed by further investments totaling USD 140 million. The company intends to install state-of-the-art textile machines to produce and supply goods for the demanding markets in Europe, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. According to their own statements, partners are leading world machinery brands. Wuxi is already pursuing a project in the Ethiopian city of Adama and also has plans to grow cotton in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is considered the first textile address in Africa
"Clothing companies are nomads," an industry consultant knows, "they go where it is cheapest for them. If wages and ancillary costs rise too much in countries like Bangladesh or the PR China, the caravan moves on." South of the Sahara, only Mauritius has made a name for itself as a producer of high-quality clothing. Attempts to establish larger-scale textile and clothing companies in Namibia and Lesotho have so far been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Kenya and Ghana have production conditions that are far too expensive.

Ethiopia offers several advantages at the same time: Wages and ancillary costs are extremely low and far below those in China. The US Centre for Global Development found out that a worker in Ethiopian sweatshops earns an average of USD 909 a year. In Bangladesh, however, it is US$ 835 and in Tanzania and Kenya even US$ 1,776 and US$ 2,118 respectively. Another advantage: Ethiopian seamstresses are considered to be extremely hardworking and reliable. In addition, there is a tradition in textile and clothing production as well as in leather processing and thus there is a basic pool of trained specialists.

Infrastructure is making huge progress
Meanwhile, the supply of domestic cotton and leather needs to be expanded, because in the drought years 2016 and partly 2017 the supply of cotton was insufficient. The government is cooperating and is increasingly listening to the needs of producers. The infrastructure is currently undergoing sustained improvement, in particular the transport routes to the neighboring seaport of Djibouti, from where Europe can be reached more quickly than from the Far East. And, last but not least, the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa has a capable air traffic hub with a dozen direct flights to the EU, including Frankfurt and Vienna. In addition, there is a modern air freight center.

Just as important as the delivery routes are the comparatively modern production conditions in the newly emerging industrial centers throughout the country. Everything here is "Made in China": fences, access controls, roads, electricity and water supply, waste and sewage disposal, workers' settlements. From a European perspective, this may look like Chinese dominance, but from an Ethiopian perspective it creates jobs, feeds families and earns foreign exchange. Under better working conditions than in Bangladesh, experts mean.

According to the ideas of the Ethiopian government, the country is undergoing a transformation process: away from an agrarian-based economy and towards an industrial state. By 2025, the country is expected to reach middle-income status and to become Africa's largest industrial production hub. To achieve this, Ethiopia is investing heavily in roads, railways and power generation, health and education, urban and rural development and the creation of industrial clusters.

Customs advantages in the USA and Europe
Ethiopia has so far benefited from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the USA, which, for example, allows savings of 16.8 percent in import duties on cotton trousers and 30 percent on synthetic shirts. Ethiopia also has duty-free access to the EU market under the Everything but Arms initiative. Fears that US President Donald Trump might stop AGOA have not yet come true.

Ethiopian exports of textiles, clothing and leather products
(including footwear; in US$ millions)

SITC-Commodity Group
 2014 2015 2016
61 Leather and leather goods    97.51    98.20
78.63  
65 Yarn, fabrics, finished textile products and related articles  39.34  39.12 29.61
84 Clothing and apparel accessories  55.53  77.94  68.25
85 Shoes         
 33.88
 37.69  43.80
Total 226,26 252,95  220,2

Source: Comtrade

German exports can be expanded
German sales representatives of technology for the textile, clothing and leather industry are not yet well positioned in Ethiopia. According to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office (SITC 724), only EUR 2.84 million of relevant technology where sent to Ethiopia in 2017, though 169 percent more than in the previous year.

Ethiopian imports of machinery, equipment and parts for the textile and leather industries
(SITC 724; in USD millions)

Supplying Country 2014    2015 2016
Total 131.30 170.51 111.10
.. PR China  43.87  42.40 62.07
..Italy 6.38 11.75 11.72
..Japan 4.40 10.11 6.89
..Turkey   4.86 19.14 4.92
..Other Asian countries, not specified 1.85 1.87 4.11
..India  6.07 6.49 3.06
..Germany 9.22 9.08 2.44

Source: Comtrade

 

Source:

Martin Böll, Nairobi (GTAI)

Foto: Pixabay
08.05.2018

IN INDONESIA DEMAND FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY STAGNATING

  • Clothing exports stagnate
  • Shoe production becomes more important
  • Investment in modern technology necessary

Bonn (GTAI) - The Indonesian textile industry faces strong regional competition. Since their demand for machinery and clothing exports peaked about five years ago, the industry's exports have stagnated. Nevertheless, the archipelago is important for international market participants at least as a second location alongside the major producing countries. In the meantime, the country has developed into an important shoe manufacturer and is further expanding its production capacities.

  • Clothing exports stagnate
  • Shoe production becomes more important
  • Investment in modern technology necessary

Bonn (GTAI) - The Indonesian textile industry faces strong regional competition. Since their demand for machinery and clothing exports peaked about five years ago, the industry's exports have stagnated. Nevertheless, the archipelago is important for international market participants at least as a second location alongside the major producing countries. In the meantime, the country has developed into an important shoe manufacturer and is further expanding its production capacities.

Indonesia is one of the top 15 clothing exporters. Over the past decades, the archipelago has continuously increased its production and thus created a growing demand for textile machinery. But the market has been stagnating for five years: exports are at around USD 7.5 billion per year, and imports of textile machinery have fallen from USD 1 billion per year to only around 800 million US dollars.

The most important supplier of textile machinery is the PR China, which has expanded its import share to around 30 percent in recent years and displaced Japan from first place. According to Indonesian import statistics, the German delivery ratio fluctuates by 10 percent.

The Indonesian textile association API cites the lower demand for clothing, especially from the USA and Europe, as the reason for the weak export development. About half of industry exports goes to North America. The largest customers are Japan, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom. What the association does not say: Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Cambodia and Myanmar have all significantly increased their clothing exports in the past five years.

Indonesia's import of textile machinery *) (in USD million)
2007 360.5
2008 580.9
2009 339.9
2010 641.1
2011 952.1
2012 1.021.7
2013 973.8
2014 940.2
2015 804.3
2016 822.9

*) SITC 724
Source: UN Comtrade

Shorter production cycles
Indonesia's textile companies must therefore invest in order to remain competitive. Even though, according to API, more than half of the member companies are already technologically advanced, many market participants still have an outdated machinery. And especially against the background of fiercer competitive conditions, this is a decisive disadvantage. According to the association, larger fashion chains insist on ever shorter delivery times. Where the producers used to have three months, today it is only three weeks.

Regional competition is also a problem for manufacturers. The archipelago has good conditions for a labor-intensive industry such as the textile industry. Wages are low - outside the conurbations - and the labor supply is inexhaustible (also because many men work as sewers in the factories). Nevertheless, the country has not yet managed to become serious competition for the main export countries of cheap mass-produced goods.

Indonesia's import of textile machinery by supplier countries *) (in USD million; Change in % compared to previous year)
  2014 2015 2016 Change
PR China 279.4 269.2 524.7 -5.4
Taiwan 79.7 86.8 98.3 13.2
Germany 104.5 68.4 93.6 36.8
Japan 163.7 91.3 85.1 -6.8
Korean Rep. 60.5 65.8 57.0 -13.4
India 48.3 43.1 42.6 -1.2
Singapur 37.1 33.4 41.3 23.7
Italy 47.1 39.1 36.3 -7.2

*) SITC 724
Source: UN Comtrade

The archipelago also has locational disadvantages: it is further away from the European sales markets than other manufacturing countries and has a greater distance to China also, which, due to the high wage increases, is increasingly relocating its clothing production to its immediate neighbors. Moreover, in Indonesia, which is comparatively wealthy due to its large raw material exports, the minimum wages of India, Cambodia, Bangladesh or Myanmar cannot be undercut.

Asia's top clothing exporters 1) (USD billion;
change 2016 compared to 2011 in %)
  2011 2016 Change
PR China 153.7 158.2 2.9
Bangladesh 19.2 29.5** 53.6
Vietnam 13.1 22.9** 74.8
India 14.7 17.9 21.8
Indonesia 8.0 7.5 -7.1
Cambodia 4.0 6.6** 65.0

1) SITC 84; 2) Mirror statistics of partner countries
Source: UN Comtrade

Investments at previous year's level
After all, Indonesia has managed to become an important second location for international apparel companies, mitigating risks in major manufacturing countries. Most of the manufacturers are located in populous Java. For the government, further expansion of the industry is important in order to bring the large number of unskilled workers to work.

According to the latest available data from the Federal Statistical Office (BPS), the number of employees in the roughly 2,600 medium and large companies in the sector has increased from 470,000 (2008) to 550,000 (2014). In addition, there are just under 210,000 workers in small and micro companies (2015), most of whom are one- or two-person businesses.

The BKPM investment agency reports FDI of USD 184 million for the first half of 2017 for 494 projects. This corresponds almost exactly to the sum of the same period of the previous year. For the full year of 2016, USD 321 million of FDI had flowed into the sector.

Shoe manufacturers expand capacities
The domestic footwear industry is developing far more dynamically than the textile industry. Indonesia has become the third most important exporter in terms of cheap mass production in a few years, but it is far behind China and Vietnam. After all, the corresponding exports between 2011 and 2016 have steadily increased from USD 3.3 billion to USD 4.6 billion.

Asia's most important footwear exporters 1 (in USD bn, change 2016 compared to 2015 in %)
  2011 2016 Change
PR China 41.7 47.2 13.1
Vietnam 6.7 13.0** 93.5
Indonesia 3.3 4.6 40.5
India 2.1 2.7 31.4

1) SITC 82; 2) General Statistics Office of Vietnam
Source: UN Comtrade

And the signs are still on expansion: In the first six months of 2017, the leather and footwear sector had FDI of USD 187 million, a third more than in the total year 2016. Domestic market participants are also expanding. The Indonesian manufacturer SCI is currently building a new production facility in the central Javanese Salatiga, near the port city of Semarang. It should be completed in October. In the first phase 300,000 to 500,000 pairs of shoes per year could be produced, the maximum capacity is 1 million pairs.
 

Source:

Frank Malerius, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

13.03.2018

CONVERSION OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH NOT YET COMPLETED

  • Eports grow slowly
  • Industry needs new concepts

Dhaka (GTAI) - The garment industry is the main industry in Bangladesh. The state of the companies has improved since 2013 - when a building with several factories collapsed. Domestic and foreign companies have invested in new processes. Government and associations want to further increase the security. Exports are growing slower. The international competition forces the companies to produce not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and innovative.

On April 24th 2013, north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, the Rana Plaza building collapsed, housing five clothing factories. The disaster claimed 1,138 lives and more injuries. The disaster in-cised deep into the country's largest industrial sector. The massive problems with building and safety as well as violations of workers' rights became internationally visible at once and then vigor-ously tackled.

  • Eports grow slowly
  • Industry needs new concepts

Dhaka (GTAI) - The garment industry is the main industry in Bangladesh. The state of the companies has improved since 2013 - when a building with several factories collapsed. Domestic and foreign companies have invested in new processes. Government and associations want to further increase the security. Exports are growing slower. The international competition forces the companies to produce not only more sustainable, but also more efficient and innovative.

On April 24th 2013, north of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, the Rana Plaza building collapsed, housing five clothing factories. The disaster claimed 1,138 lives and more injuries. The disaster in-cised deep into the country's largest industrial sector. The massive problems with building and safety as well as violations of workers' rights became internationally visible at once and then vigor-ously tackled.

Foreign companies have invested heavily in the textile and clothing industry in recent years, with a record high in the year after the disaster. According to the Central Bank, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the textile and clothing industry in June 2017 reached a respectable USD 2.6 billion. Com-panies from South Korea have been the largest contributors with USD 766 million, followed by Hong Kong investors with USD 448 million and the United Kingdom with USD 243 million

FDI inflows into the Bangladeshi textile and clothing industry (in USD millions.)
Financial year 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
FDI inflows, net 241 412 446 352 396 360

      *) Financial year from July 1st to June 30th

Several successful programs for more security
Government and international organizations responded with many measures and initiatives at Rana Plaza. The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched programs to improve work-ing conditions. Buyers and industry representatives were looking for solutions.

International traders, trade unions and non-governmental organi-zations finally signed a binding agreement for more fire and building safety in 2013 (Accord on Fire and Building Safety). Employees of Accord have since reviewed more than 1,600 tex-tile and garment factories. Approximately 86 percent of the iden-tified deficiencies were eliminated according to an interim report dated January 2018. Accord will expire in November 2018 after five years. Some participants of the alliance have agreed an ex-tension of the program of three years.

In particular North American importers launched the Alliance (Al-liance for Bangladesh Worker Safety) program in 2013. The Al-liance has since reviewed 666 factories that, as of February 2018, have remedied approximately 87 percent of the deficien-cies. The program will expire also after five years in May 2018.
Representatives of industry and government, trade unions, ILO, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and international buyers want to co-ordinate the control and rehabilitation measures together. The BGMEA and the government rely on the NI National Initiative, which they developed together with ILO. The Department of Inspection of Factories and Establishments is responsible for NI controls. Under the NI program 1,500 factories have been inspected which are working for do-mestic customers. The program is to be extended to exporting companies and will replace Accord and Alliance.

Workers demand more rights and higher wages
The government made it easier to found and to engage in trade unions after the Rana Plaza disas-ter. According to observers, the approximately 4 million workers in the textile and clothing industry continue to have little formal organization and went repeatedly on strike for higher wages.

A government commission recently increased the monthly minimum wage in the garment industry from Taka 3,000 to 5,300 in 2013. This amount corresponds currently with EUR 52 only. (1 EU-RO = Taka 102.13, exchange rate of March 5th 2018). Trade unions demanded tripling of the minimum wage at the beginning of 2018, because unskilled workers are given this low pay when they are first employed, which is barely enough to survive. The reward grows only later with the skills and experience.

Employees often change their jobs. According to observers, the fluctuation should average be-tween 5 and 7 percent per month. Fair wages and good working conditions would give a good in-fluence on this issue in the companies concerned.

Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of clothing after China
The globally active clothing retailers are buying in Bangladesh on a large scale. Some have offices with hundreds of employees. Major clients include Inditex (Spain), H & M (Sweden), C & A and Tchibo (Germany).

Clothing exports, however, stagnated in the financial year 2016/17. One reason for the weak growth was the strengthened exchange rate. Taka's national currency increased against the US dollar, making exports more expensive and less competitive.

The government is targeting an export growth of 8.1 percent to USD 30.2 billion in 2017/18. The industry is on track indeed, reaching 7.8 percent in the second half of 2017 compared to the same period of the year before. The most important customers are the USA and Germany.

Bangladesh's Apparel Exports (in USD million) 2014/15 *) 2015/16 *) 2016/17 *)
Total     25,491 28,094   28,150
Thereof           
.Weaving goods             13,065 14,739 14,393
.Knitting goods  12,427  13,355 13,757
Customers        
.USA            5,288 5,625 5,204
.Germany  4,339 4,653 5,135
.Great Britain  2,904  3,524 3,307
.Spain        1,626 1,864 1,879
.France  1,618 1,714 1,765
.Italy       1,243 1,278  1,349
.Canada             929 998 946
.Netherlands  627  660 814
.Belgium   772 835 753
.Japan            653 774  744
Poland         548  616 720

*) Financial year from July 1st to June 30th
Sources: Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

Exports from this emerging country enjoy exemption from duty in many developed countries. The European Union grants duty-free and quota-free access. Australia and Japan grant preferential access to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP). , The USA however has suspended the GSP status in 2013 and imposed tariffs and duties on imports from Bangladesh.

Companies want to grow and become more efficient
The Association of Garment Export Companies BGMEA estimates that over 3,000 garment factories work exclusively for international clients. Another 800 to 1,000 companies sew for local retailers who sell clothing to the country's 160 million inhabitants.

There are no data on company sizes or on the companies with the highest turnover. Clothing companies are mostly registered as private companies and do not publish business figures. The larger ones belong to local conglomerates operating in different economic sectors.

The companies are investing in more modern production facilities to process larger orders faster and at lower unit costs. Imports of machinery and equipment for the textile and clothing industry totaled USD 1.4 billion in 2015. The BGMEA believes that the garment industry has increased its purchases of equipment since.

The added value along the local textile chain is expandable. Simple fabrics and materials are produced locally. The production capacities for fabrics however are not sufficient and need to be increased. The clothing industry is also switching to higher quality synthetic fiber products. Producers hope for higher margins, if, for example, they produce clothing made of elastic fibers or functional clothing made from mixed fibers.

Many pre-products are imported from China and South Korea. Imports however are difficult due to the limited handling capacities of seaports and airports. Logistics costs are high. The clothing sector still has some challenges to overcome.

 

 Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association

http://www.bgmea.com.bd
Vereinigung der Bekleidungsexportfirmen
Bangladesh Textile Mills Association http://www.btmadhaka.com
Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh   http://bangladeshaccord.org  
Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety  http://www.bangladeshworkersafety.org

 

 

 

Source:

Thomas Hundt, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

BANGLADESH RESTARTS LEATHER INDUSTRY Photo: Pixabay
20.02.2018

BANGLADESH RESTARTS LEATHER INDUSTRY

  • Production and export on the upswing
  • Environmental problems and other challenges remain

The leather industry in Bangladesh reports rising exports and growing domestic demand. The location scores with low labor costs and the availability of leather. However, too many tanneries still burden the environment. The industry structure of the manufacturers of leather goods and shoes ranges from outdated to modern. International, export-oriented companies are showing the way.

  • Production and export on the upswing
  • Environmental problems and other challenges remain

The leather industry in Bangladesh reports rising exports and growing domestic demand. The location scores with low labor costs and the availability of leather. However, too many tanneries still burden the environment. The industry structure of the manufacturers of leather goods and shoes ranges from outdated to modern. International, export-oriented companies are showing the way.

Bangladesh's leather industry is the second largest exporter of the emerging market after the apparel industry. The majority of exports in the 2016/17 financial year (July 1st 2016 to June 31st 2017) were USD 537 million on leather shoes (USD 495 million in the previous year), followed by leather goods with USD 464 million (388 million). The export of leather footwear rose again by 9 per cent in the second half of 2017, leather goods were at the same level as in the same period of the previous year.

By contrast, leather exports reached USD 233 million in 2016/17 (USD 279 million), down 29 percent in the second half of 2017. The main reason is lower demand for leather in China. Instead, it is increasingly being processed in Bangladesh into finished products for domestic and foreign customers.

Potential not yet exhausted
The Department of Commerce wants to quadruple the total exports to USD 5 billion by 2021. It has mandated this task at the Bangladesh Leather Sector Business Promotion Council. This should increase with suitable measures both the production quantities and the processing depth in the country. Leather production and processing have potential because they could well repeat the successful development of the domestic textile and clothing industry.

International investments are welcome. Foreign investors can find a subsidiary in their own hands and apply for subsidies and tax exemptions. Eight export processing zones and other special economic zones offer many legal and technical advantages, says the investment authority Bangladesh Investment Development Authority.

The Association of Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters of Bangladesh (LFMEAB) reports that companies from Taiwan, China, South Korea and Japan are increasingly investing in the industry. Among other things they are relocating production from China to Bangladesh.

Foreign direct investments in Bangladesh's leather industry
(inventory June 2016 in USD million)

Country of origin Inventory 2016
Taiwan 76
Netherlands 37
Hongkong 26
Korea (Rep.) 17
Total 192

Source: Central bank

According to the Central Bank in the fiscal year 2016/17 USD 82 million were directly invested in the leather industry (previous year: USD 48 million).  Taiwan was by far the largest investor with USD 50 million (USD 14 million).

Also, former investors show a successful development. As an example the German company Picard Lederwaren has a joint venture in 1997 and produces now  32.000 leather bags per month and 40.000 small leather goods per month.

Certified manufacturer of leather goods
The most important buyers of leather goods and shoes are the EU, Japan and the USA. The EU and Japan generally do not impose quotas or import duties on Bangladeshi imports under their preference systems for developing countries.

The export-oriented leather goods manufacturers usually produce at a technical level required by the customers. These include certifications and exams. The trade association LFMEAB is committed to meeting industry-standard levels among its 150 member companies. The European Union also supports a sustainable, resource-efficient development of the leather sector with its ECOLEBAN project. Several tanneries and leather factories have been proven to adhere to the labor and social standards of the UN organization ILO and the ISO standard 14001 for environmental management systems.

With increasing demands and volumes, leather processing companies will also import more quality materials such as soles and accessories. Their machines and equipment are also from abroad.

Problematic conditions in leather production
However the leather is manufactured under problematic conditions. The agricultural land has a population of about 24 million cattle and thus about 1.7 percent of the world's total. The meat industry also processes buffalo and goats in larger quantities. Animals suffer from improper slaughter. Modern slaughtering processes and advanced processing steps could improve the quality of leather production.

The number of tanneries is estimated at more than 200, producing approximately 29 million square meters of leather per year, two-thirds of it are leather from beef skins. The industry has a poor reputation, the situation in many companies is criticized by independent observers. In most companies processes and equipment for occupational safety and environmental protection are not available. According to various reports children are working in poorly controlled factories.

The situation in Hazaribagh is dramatic. The Supreme Court has ordered already in 2003 that the approximately 150 small tanneries from this residential area in Dhaka should move to an alternative location. The public company Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corp. was commissioned to set up the leather industry park Savar Tannery Park in a northern suburb of Dhaka. The complete relocation to the new leather cluster in Savar has since been delayed again and again.

According to the Bangladesh Tanners Association, the move to the Savar leather-industrial-park should have taken place in the meantime, however the local central sewage treatment plant seems not to work completely. The tanneries pollute the environment there as well. Media also report still tannery activity in Hazaribagh.

More skilled workers needed
In a recent 2013 survey the number of leatherworking companies was estimated at 3.500. The manufacturers develop their own designs for the domestic market and some want to place their own brands internationally.

But the intensity of training of skilled personnel does not keep up with the industrialization of the industry. Tanneries and leather industry employ directly and indirectly about 75.000 people. Their knowledge and skills are often based on old and traditional procedures and short briefings.

The need for skilled personnel is estimated at 60.000 persons. A center of excellence is involved in the training since 2009. The Center of Excellence for Leather Skills Bangladesh (COEL) has trained around 15.000 people in machinery and design since. Two universities train engineers in this field. The University of Dhaka has established an Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology, and the Khulna University of Engineering has a leather technology department.

The Ministry of Commerce and the association LFMEAB has organized in November 2017 the first edition of the trade fair BLLISS (Bangladesh Leatherfootwear & Leathergoods International Sourcing Show). The organizers were able to present the procurement market and want to continue the event annually. The industry event attracted 30 exhibitors and 20.000 visitors. The next edition will take place from  November 24th- 26th 2018 in conjunction with the leather technology fair Leathertech (http://www.leathertechbangladesh.com).

Contacts

Name Internet address
Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh http://www.lfmeab.org
Bangladesh Tanners Association http://www.tannersbd.com
Centre of Excellence for Leather Skill Bangladesh Limited http://coelbd.com
EU-Project ECOLEBAN (2014 until 2018) https://www.ecoleban.com

 

30.01.2018

TEXTILE AND CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS INVEST IN EGYPT

  • Chinese companies are planning several major projects
  • Germany is supplying more textile and clothing machinery

Several Egyptian and Chinese companies have announced some heavy manufacturing investments in textiles and clothing. The government is committed to creating new production priorities for textiles and wants to increase added value. Labor-intensive industries benefit from the low value of the Egyptian pound for their exports. For textile and clothing machinery, Germany achieved a delivery share of around 20 percent in 2016. In the Egyptian textile and clothing industry, the signs point to expansion and modernization. Local media reported on a series of investment plans by Chinese and Egyptian companies. According to the newspaper Al Gomhouria, a Chinese producer is planning the world's largest textile factory for USD 6 billion in the economic zone on the Suez Canal.

  • Chinese companies are planning several major projects
  • Germany is supplying more textile and clothing machinery

Several Egyptian and Chinese companies have announced some heavy manufacturing investments in textiles and clothing. The government is committed to creating new production priorities for textiles and wants to increase added value. Labor-intensive industries benefit from the low value of the Egyptian pound for their exports. For textile and clothing machinery, Germany achieved a delivery share of around 20 percent in 2016. In the Egyptian textile and clothing industry, the signs point to expansion and modernization. Local media reported on a series of investment plans by Chinese and Egyptian companies. According to the newspaper Al Gomhouria, a Chinese producer is planning the world's largest textile factory for USD 6 billion in the economic zone on the Suez Canal. The Chinese companies TIDA and Shoon Dong Roy want to build a clothing factory for USD 800 million. Sino-Egypt Minkai plans to build a textile industry complex for around USD 750 million. The local paper and stationery manufacturer Mintra plans to start the production of sports shoes with an initial investment of USD 50 million. Manufacturing in the 10th of Ramadan City is scheduled to begin in mid-2018, serving both the domestic and overseas markets. Egypt is still importing about 85 percent of the shoes sold in the country.
Oriental Weavers plans to purchase new production lines, machinery and equipment in 2018. For this purpose, EUR 6 million are to be invested. According to the newspaper Al Shorouk, the expansion will be financed by a bank loan.

State relies on new textile cities and more value added
The Egyptian state also wants to strengthen textile and clothing production. The Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, the Supreme Council for Textile Industries and an unnamed Chinese partner want to set up a free zone for textile production in Minya. The ministry plans to provide part of the funding through international institutions and create specialized training programs for workers. According to media reports, the project value should be at USD 324 million.

In early 2017 the Egyptian Ministry of Industry announced that it would set up new textile production centers at a total of ten locations. In particular, spinning mills and weaving mills are in the spotlight. This perspective is shared by the Ministry of the Public Sector. It is aimed primarily at increasing value adding and therefore carried out a study in 2017.

Import demand for textile and clothing machinery is expected to increase
Egyptian textile and clothing companies often produce with a lot of manual work and partly outdated machines. On the one hand, the government is keen to ensure that as many jobs as possible are created for the approximately 800,000 young people who enter the market each year. On the other hand, a more automated and modern production of textiles and clothing would enable more complex products. These could be sold at a higher profit, but may also require less human labor.

An Indian company has secured a contract to modernize cotton processing. In compliance with a framework agreement with the Cotton and Textile Industries Holding, Bajaj Clothing automates cotton ginning systems. A total of eleven companies in different parts of the country will be equipped with the new machinery until August 2018. In late December 2017, Egypt Today announced that the government wants to modernize the spinning and weaving mills in Northern Egypt. The investment volume will amount to a total of one billion Euro over a period of five years.

The newly announced projects are expected to increase the demand of import machinery in the near future. Like other types of equipment, the vast majority of textile and clothing machinery will be imported into Egypt. Deliveries from Germany were able to improve both in absolute terms and relatively in 2016, despite an overall shrinking of the volume of imports. The German supply share jumped from 15.8 to 20.4 percent compared to 2015.

Import of textile and clothing machinery into Egypt (in USD  1,000)
HS Category 2015 thereof from Germany 2016 thereof from Germany
8444 1,135 0 4,481 2,025
8445 34,550 10,653 26,105 5,429
8446 18,902 984 23,591 13,346
8447 26,040 5,940 15,713 3,052
8448 23,39 5,158 20,574 3,365
8449 440 0 299 0
8451 34,796 3,335 36,512 2,334
8452 30,456 1,264 23,186 1,698
8453 3,087 5 3,678 137
Summe 173,145 27,339 154,139 31,386

Source: UN Comtrade

The consequences of the release of the Egyptian pound in November 2016 will mainly benefit labor-intensive industries and those that are processing mainly local raw materials. After October 2016, the value of the EURO soared from just under 9 to 21 Egyptian pounds and has stabilized at this level. According to various figures the textile and clothing companies in the country employs between 1.0 and 1.2 million workers. It is reported that state-owned enterprises are strongly represented in the textile sector, while the private sector plays a greater role in the clothing sector.

The advantage is dampened by the import requirements for cotton. In Egypt, especially soft and high-quality long-staple cotton is grown and exported. By contrast, domestic textile and clothing companies mainly use short-staple cotton from abroad as a raw material. Their import as become more expensive due to the currency developments. Nevertheless the competitiveness of Egypt's textile and clothing exporters has improved as a result of the new foreign exchange situation. Their exports should have developed better in 2017 than at the peak of the currency liquidity crisis in the previous year. At that time, exports fell by12.6 percent to around USD 1.7 billion.

Egyptian exports of textiles and clothing
(Selection, in USD millions, Change in %)
HS Category 2015 2016 Change 2016/2015
57 339.8 303.5 -10.7
60 2.0 35.7 1,685.0
61 483.6 388.0 -19.9
62 870.4 756.6 -13.1
63 262.2 227.2 -13.3
Summe 1,958.0 1,711.0 -12.6

Source: UN Comtrade

Increasing labor costs at Asian production sites, long transport routes and sometimes dissatisfaction with the product quality make some customers look for new sources of supply for textile and clothing products. According to a report by the news portal Middle East Eye, Egypt lies at least with USD 100 as a monthly salary for workers roughly equivalent on a level with India or Bangladesh and about half of Chinese salaries. In addition, the country at the Suez Canal is capable of fast deliveries to Europe and the United States. Regional competitors include Turkey and Tunisia. Egyptian manufacturers are not always recognizable as such, as they often manufacture for major international brands. Middle East Eye names Calvin Klein, Decathlon, Tommy Hilfiger and Zara as examples. In November 2017, Dice Sport and Casual Wear agreed to supply Levi Strauss & Co. with children's clothing.

Since 2017, Egypt became part of the Better Work Program of the International Labor Organization. The program includes 30 apparel factories in which the working conditions should be improved. Such confirmations could then give Egyptian products competitive advantages in export. However, to stand up to the tough international price warfare and at the same time to meet by the customers expected production standards will be a challenge.

12.12.2017

ETHIOPIA FOCUSES ON CLOTHING AND TEXTILE EXPORTS

  • Industrial parks should enable a quantum leap
  • Progress in infrastructure, Deficits in foreign exchange provision

The Ethiopian textile, clothing and leather industry scores not only with comparatively low wages and high-performing personnel, but also with modern industrial parks. In the meantime the technology has to be fully imported and the supply of materials needs to be greatly expanded. There is a great progress in logistics, but unfortunately not in foreign exchange procurement. German suppliers of relevant equipment should definitely consider Ethiopia in their acquisition.

  • Industrial parks should enable a quantum leap
  • Progress in infrastructure, Deficits in foreign exchange provision

The Ethiopian textile, clothing and leather industry scores not only with comparatively low wages and high-performing personnel, but also with modern industrial parks. In the meantime the technology has to be fully imported and the supply of materials needs to be greatly expanded. There is a great progress in logistics, but unfortunately not in foreign exchange procurement. German suppliers of relevant equipment should definitely consider Ethiopia in their acquisition.

So far, only Mauritius has made a name for itself as a producer of high-quality clothing south of the Sahara. Attempts to locate textile and clothing companies in Namibia and Lesotho in a larger style have not been very successful. Meanwhile Kenya and Ghana have far too expensive production conditions. "Clothing companies are nomadic,” says a consultant, who is specializing in the trade, "they go where it's cheapest for them."

Meanwhile, Ethiopia offers several advantages: Wages and additional costs are far below the Chinese ones. A worker in the Ethiopian factories earns an average of USD 909 a year, according to a survey by the US Center for Global Development, compared to USD 835 in Bangladesh, USD 1,776 in Tanzania, and USD 2,118 in Kenya. Another advantage is appreciated by employees: Ethiopia has a long tradition of textile and clothing production as well as in leather processing and thus at least an expandable base of skilled workers.

The supply of native cotton and leather meanwhile is considered strongly expandable. In times of drought, such as in 2016 and partly in 2017, the supply of cotton is insufficient. However, the government is cooperative and increasingly open to the needs of producers. Thus, the infrastructure has been currently sustainably improved, in particular the transport routes to the seaport Djibouti, from where Europe is much faster to reach than from the Far East. In addition, the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa has a capable aviation hub with a dozen direct flights to the EU, including Frankfurt and Vienna. There is also a modern air freight center.

Modern industrial parks as a game changer

Just as important as the delivery routes are the "modern" production conditions in the emerging industrial centers all over the country, Made by China: pothole-free roads, guaranteed electricity and water supply, proper waste and wastewater disposal, workers' settlements in the vicinity. From the Ethiopian point of view, a great many jobs are created, families are fed and foreign exchange is earned.

According to its government, Ethiopia is in a transformation process away from an agrarian economy and towards an industrialized state. By 2025, the country should reach a "middle-income status" and become the largest industrial production hub in Africa. To achieve this, Ethiopia is investing heavily in roads, railways and power generation, in health and education, in urban and rural development, and in the creation of industrial clusters.

Ambitious export specifications

In July 2016 the Hawassa Industrial Park was officially opened, dedicated to the export of textiles and clothing, and is the largest industrial park in sub-Saharan Africa. As early as 2018, the park is expected to employ 60,000 workers and generate USD 1 billion in exports of clothing and textiles - a steep target given in a view of the current export figures. As early as 2030, Ethiopia wants to reach a total of USD 30 billion by exporting textiles and clothing - but it's still a long way off. At present, 15 in-ternational companies are already investing in Hawassa, including the US PVH Corporation (formerly Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, prominent brands: Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfinger) and Epic Group (Hong Kong), a supplier of, among others, Walmart , JC Penny, Levi Strauss, VF Corporation, Tesco, Sansbury's, Marks & Spencer and C & A. Epic wanted to go to Kenya first, but then decided for Ethiopia at the last minute, which, according to Epic boss Ranjan Mahtani, is "still unpolished," but has the most potential.

The challenges are considered to be high: "Our seam-stresses have never got a job before and have never seen a sewing machine," Mahtani says training therefore is a top priority. At the same time, however, his company also relies on state-of-the-art automatic machines, for example for attaching bags. The production halls are also all around computerized with RFID technology. The current efficiency Mahtani estimates at 25 to 30 percent. After experience with other production sites, results of 75 to 80 percent are possible after about ten years.

Wide range of new industrial parks under construction

In July 2017, another industrial park was opened in Kombolcha City. A whole range of other parks are in various stages of realization and all are focused on the apparel, textile, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing sectors. According to the Ethiopian Government, there is no shortage of interested investors from the PR of China, India, Turkey, the US, Hong Kong and South Korea. Ethiopia benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act of the United States, which, for example, reduces its import duties by 16.8 per cent on cotton pants and 30 per cent on synthetic shirts. In addition, Ethiopia has a duty-free access to the EU market under the Everything-but-Arms initiative.

Ethiopian exports of textiles, clothing and leather goods (including shoes), in USD mio
SITC- product group 2014 2015 2016
61 Leather and leather goods  97.51 98.20 78.63
65 Yarn, fabrics finished textiles and re-lated products 39.34 39.12 29.61
84 Clothing and clothing accessories 55.53 77.94 68.25
85 Shoes   33.88 37.69 43.80
Total      226.26 252.95 220.29

Source: Comtrade, as of 18 October 2017

Ethiopian imports of machinery and equipment for the textile and leather industry and parts thereof (SITC 724, in USD mio, change in%)
Supplying country 2014 2015 2016
Total      131.30

170.51

111.10
PR China 43.87 42.40 62.07
Italy 6.38 11.75 11.72
Japan 4.40 10.11 6.89
Turkey 4.86 19.14 4.92
other Asian countries, not specified 1.85 1.87 4.11
India 6.07 6.49 3.06
Germany 9.22 9.08 2.44

Note: The import figures mentioned above are based on Ethiopian data, which for various reasons are not considered particularly reliable. Equally not reliable are often the relevant export data of the partner countries, because all sea transports go via Djibouti and deliveries statistically are recorded often as exports to Djibouti.
Source: UN Comtrade, as of 18 October 2017

German exports expandable

German exporters of technology for the textile, clothing and leather industries are not yet well positioned in Ethiopia. According to the preliminary figures of the Federal Statistical Office (SITCM 724), in 2016 only EUR 1.06 mio of relevant technology went to Ethiopia, compared to EUR 1.05 mio in the previous year and EUR 5.02 mio in 2015.

More information:
Ethiopia Export Textilindustrie
Source:

Martin Böll, Nairobi (GTAI)

 Ethiopia is considered as investment tip in Sub-Saharan Africa © Pixabay
07.11.2017

ETHIOPIA IS CONSIDERED AS INVESTMENT TIP IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

  • International companies have confidence in government work
  • Chinese set the tone

Nairobi (GTAI) - Foreign companies are flowing into Ethiopia and investing in the textile, clothing and leather sectors. Ethiopia is also interesting for companies that assembling simple technical devices. The country does not look good in various international indices, but that does not have to be a contradiction. For some sectors Ethiopia is highly interesting and hope for improvement is always to be hoped for.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and one of many typical developing countries, as there are many on the African continent. The big difference is: Ethiopia is controlled by a regime that is not satisfied with what it has achieved, but is more ambitious: to become a leading, if not the leading, industrialized nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Model China

  • International companies have confidence in government work
  • Chinese set the tone

Nairobi (GTAI) - Foreign companies are flowing into Ethiopia and investing in the textile, clothing and leather sectors. Ethiopia is also interesting for companies that assembling simple technical devices. The country does not look good in various international indices, but that does not have to be a contradiction. For some sectors Ethiopia is highly interesting and hope for improvement is always to be hoped for.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and one of many typical developing countries, as there are many on the African continent. The big difference is: Ethiopia is controlled by a regime that is not satisfied with what it has achieved, but is more ambitious: to become a leading, if not the leading, industrialized nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Model China

Despite its geographical location in Africa, large parts of the country's historical and cultural development are strongly influenced from the Middle East. The big role models are therefore not more successful states in Africa but are coming as the United Arab Emirates and China from the East. Thirty years ago, the economic march that Ethiopia is undergoing today, began there: cheap labor, interesting natural resources, enough free land and rivers for energy and irrigation.

The country is thus attractive for labor-intensive industries, especially the textile, clothing and leather industry. A worker in an Ethiopian sweatshop earns an average of USD 909 a year, based on a survey by the US Center for Global Development, compared to USD 835 in Bangladesh, USD 1,776 in Tanzania, and USD 2,118 in Kenya. Another advantage appreciated by employers: In the African context Ethiopian women are considered to be well-educated and less willing to strike.

Special zones of industrial oases

Another location advantage are the industrial zones, which are mostly built by Chinese companies: fencing, strict access controls, no-hole roads, guaranteed electricity and water supply, proper waste and garbage disposal, workers' housing in the area or nearby, shops, banks, medical care. From a European point of view, it may look like exploitation and "big brother", but from an Ethiopian point of view jobs are created, families are fed and foreign exchange is earned.

In July 2016, the Hawassa Industrial Park was officially opened, the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. From here, textiles and clothing are to be exported. By 2018, the park will employ 60,000 workers and generate USD 1 billion in exports. As early as 2030, Ethiopia wants to earn USD 30 billion in this segment. Even if one should not take the last number too seriously, the ambitions are clear and unambiguous.

Another industrial park was inaugurated in July 2017 in the city of Kombolcha. Meanwhile, a whole range of other parks are in various stages of realization, focusing on apparel, textiles, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, as well as the agro-industry. According to the Ethiopian Government, there is no shortage of interested investors, primarily from China, India, Turkey, the US, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Cheap electricity soon abound

While some of the industrial parks still have to rely on standby generators and the connection to roads and railways leaves much to be desired, long-term remedies are in sight: several large hydropower plants are under construction nationwide, especially the Grand Ethiopian-Renaissance Dam project, which will start up the first generators in the current financial year (July 8th 2017 to July 7th 2018). Upon final completion, the capacity should reach 6,450 megawatts. It would then be Africa's largest power plant - and one of the cheapest electricity suppliers.

There are notable successes in road construction also: since August 2016, Ethiopia has got a first fully commissioned 85-kilometer three-lane highway from the capital Addis Ababa to Adama. Further sections are under construction. And also with the railway there is something to celebrate with a new, 756 kilometers long and continuously electrified route between the outskirts of Addis Ababa and the container port in neighboring Djibouti.

Foreign exchange shortage a big hurdle

This positive development cannot hide the fact that large parts of the country are not yet connected to the electricity net, that the road network is inadequate and the railway line is only a small start. Moreover, the bureaucracy is inflated and inefficient and lacks a functioning constitutional state. Currently, an acute lack of foreign exchange hinders imports and profit transfers, as the ambitious infrastructure projects absorb every available dollar in the country.

Investors, however, are speculating on tomorrow: because the country is on the right track and wants to maintain its course. A steady influx of foreign direct investment shows that international companies have sufficient confidence and want to be among the first. In addition next to the low wages, they are interested above all in the underdeveloped and untapped consumer market of 105 million people. For the South African Rand Merchant Bank, Ethiopia is therefore the fourth most attractive investment destination in Africa after Egypt, South Africa and Morocco (Where to Invest in Africa 2018).

Poor placement in international rankings

Even if Ethiopia is predicted to get a bright future, current negative assessments may not be ignored: in the Global Competitiveness Index 2017 - 2018 of the World Economic Forum, Ethiopia ranks 108th (out of 137). In the Index of the Economic Freedom of the World Heritage Foundation Ethiopia belongs to the group of largely unfree countries in 2017 ranked 142 (out of 180). And in the Doing Business Ranking of the World Bank (2017), Ethiopia is in a poor position with 159 (out of 190). By contrast, in 2016 in the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index Ethiopia ranked 108 (out of 175), making it a lighthouse in an otherwise corrupt region (last place: Somalia 176, South Sudan 175, Sudan 170, Eritrea 164, Uganda 151, Kenya 145, Djibouti 123).

In the Fragile States Index 2017 of the Fund for Peace, Ethiopia ranks 15th, ranking among the most fragile states in the world (lowest rank 1 = South Sudan, best rank 178 = Finland). Ethiopia also scored poorly on press freedom and the rule of law: ranked 150th out of 178 in the Press Freedom Index in 2017 and 107th in the Rule of Law Index in 2016 (out of 113).

Economic data in a regional context
  2016 20171) 20181)
Gross domestic product, in USD billion      
..Kenya 70,5 80,7 88,2
..Ethiopia 70,3 72,1 75,3
..Tansania 47,7 50,5 52,5
GDP growth, real, in %        
..Kenya 5,8 5,1 6,1
..Ethiopia 7,6 6,1 5,7
..Tansania 7,0 6,4 6,0
Import of goods, in USD billion, fob      
..Kenya 13,62) 14,5 15,1
..Ethiopia 16,02) 16,8 17,0
..Tansania 8,52) 8,6 9,0

1) Prognosis
2) Estimation
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit

Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH
15.08.2017

Home Textiles Sourcing Expo showcases 158 international exhibitors

  • Exhibitors from 9 countries showcased products across 6 categories: upholstery, bed, bathroom, table, window and floor
  • Summer 2017 Seminar Series highlights include home furnishings color trends, sustainability and post-consumer recycling, and appealing to the millennial shopper

The 8th edition of Home Textiles Sourcing Expo opened its show floor to exhibitors and buyers alike on Monday July 17, 2017. As a long-term joint venture partnership between Messe Frankfurt and CCPIT-TEX, the show is the only trade event in North America to focus solely on home textiles and finished soft goods for all home applications.

  • Exhibitors from 9 countries showcased products across 6 categories: upholstery, bed, bathroom, table, window and floor
  • Summer 2017 Seminar Series highlights include home furnishings color trends, sustainability and post-consumer recycling, and appealing to the millennial shopper

The 8th edition of Home Textiles Sourcing Expo opened its show floor to exhibitors and buyers alike on Monday July 17, 2017. As a long-term joint venture partnership between Messe Frankfurt and CCPIT-TEX, the show is the only trade event in North America to focus solely on home textiles and finished soft goods for all home applications.

Over the last eight years, Home Textiles Sourcing Expo has become a go-to event for manufacturers, retailers, jobbers, converters, contract specifiers and designers searching for the perfect fabric or manufacturing resources for their next home collection. This July’s edition showcased home products in six categories, including upholstery, bed, bathroom, table, window and floor.
 
Home Textiles Sourcing Expo Summer 2017 featured 158 exhibitors representing 9 countries, making this edition the most globally diverse group in show history. Countries represented included USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Bangladesh and more. Dedicated pavilions included the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC)-sponsored India pavilion, the Pakistan pavilion featuring 8 suppliers, and the always popular Turkey pavilion. The Suzhou China pavilion also made its debut on the show floor with suppliers specializing in quality silk bedding and home textiles.

High-quality cotton, kitchen textiles, premium bedding and luxury bath textiles were also to be found among July 2017 exhibitor product offerings. “The Summer 2017 edition of Home Textiles Sourcing Expo was the most diverse showing of exhibitors in the history of the show from both a product and sourcing destination perspective”, said Jennifer Bacon, Show Director. “Our attendees were able to source quality textiles and finished goods from both established and emerging sourcing destinations. The access our show gives buyers to products in almost every home category – bedding, bath, floor, upholstery and more – is hard to find elsewhere. “

Once again taking place alongside Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA, as well as the debut edition of Avanprint USA, the Summer 2017 edition of Home Textiles Sourcing Expo ultimately welcomed a diverse group of visitors from 45 countries. Together the four co-located shows welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors from a combined 72 different countries, making the Summer 2017 shows the most well attended in show history.
   
Texworld USA Seminar Series, organized by Lenzing Innovation, cater to home furnishings and home goods industry with timely topics
The Lenzing Innovation seminar series once again proved to be a big draw for Home Textiles Sourcing Expo attendees. Several home trendfocused seminars catered specifically to the home market and spoke directly to issues that the industry is facing.

Home-industry focused seminars included:
INSPIRING AND EXPRESSING COLOR: DEFINING THE ESSENTIAL TRENDS FOR HOME FURNISHINGS 2018
Laurie Pressman, Vice President - Pantone Color Institute
Color palettes for 2018 break free from traditional thinking. Colors are revitalized, hues are mixed in novel combinations and new color directions instantly and effectively express a fresh approach. While commerciality is still critical, taking a more unique approach to color will help you stand out from the mainstream. Colors range from classic arrangements through to fully saturated, punchy narratives all the while leading to newer and more unique color expressions.

BREATHE EASIER: ASTHMA AND ALLERGY-FRIENDLY TEXTILES
Dr. John McKeon, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer - Allergy Standards
Asthma and allergies strike one-in-four Americans, that’s 60 million people who spend an estimated $10 billion a year on products marketed to this group! But claims made by companies today can’t be verified because there is little or no governing regulation. What can companies do to capture a piece of this growing market?    

APPEALING TO THE MILLENNIAL SHOPPER: WHAT HOME TEXTILE RETAILERS ARE DOING TO CAPTURE THIS CRITICAL DEMOGRAPHIC
Jennifer Marks,  Editor-In-Chief - Home & Textiles Today Magazine
Moderator - Nina Nadash, Home Textile Manager (Americas) - Lenzing Fibers, Inc.

Despite the fact that Millennials are coming of age in one of the most frenetic economic climates in the past century, research shows almost 3 out of 4 are willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings. Marketers of products and services committed to positive social and environmental impact need to ensure they are communicating their brand message in a way that builds confidence with this critical consumer demographic. Jennifer Marks, Editor-in-Chief of Home & Textiles Today will be on hand to give her perspective on the Millennial market, highlighting the importance of matching your brand message to the personal values of this important consumer group.

 

08.08.2017

INDIA'S TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY STRONGLY SUPPORTED

  • Textile companies comparatively broadly placed 
  • Garment sector scores too little internationally 

New Delhi (GTAI) - India is one of the world's largest manufacturers of textiles. Cotton fabrics and home textiles are among the export hits. The clothing industry plays a comparatively small role and threatens to fall behind in competition. Both areas are required to produce higher qualities and more sustainable. The Ministry of Textiles supports the fragmented industry. Foreign suppliers and buyers can explore the market at trade fairs.

  • Textile companies comparatively broadly placed 
  • Garment sector scores too little internationally 

New Delhi (GTAI) - India is one of the world's largest manufacturers of textiles. Cotton fabrics and home textiles are among the export hits. The clothing industry plays a comparatively small role and threatens to fall behind in competition. Both areas are required to produce higher qualities and more sustainable. The Ministry of Textiles supports the fragmented industry. Foreign suppliers and buyers can explore the market at trade fairs.

The Indian textile and clothing industry is of an overall economic importance. It accounts for 14% of the total industrial production and employs directly 51 million people. Additional further 68 million people in households and micro enterprises are working for the industrial companies. Because the national economy as a whole needs to create about 12 million additional jobs per year, the government has chosen the textile industry as an employment motor. India, in contrast to the textile giant PRC, has high advantages with its labor cost.

 
The availability of natural materials such as cotton, jute and silk is a further advantage of the textile industry, which can look back on a long tradition of processing. India is now the world's largest producer of cotton. In the cultivation year 2016/17 year (4.1 - 31.3) estimated 5.9 million tons are expected to be harvested.

The cotton will be processed into yarns and fabrics. For the production of yarns, 61 million spindles (measured in spindle equivalents) are available. In 2015/16, they spun about 5.7 million t of yarn, of which 4.1 million t are made out of cotton fibers. The production of cotton cloths was about 38 billion sqm., mainly produced in decentralized weaving mills with simple mechanical looms. The global trend in clothing, however, goes to artificial fibers. In order to protect their domestic production the Ministry of Finance levies tariffs.

Textile industry with its own ministry and many promotional programs 
The Ministry of Textiles subsidizes the sector through several programs, which support the technical modernization, the construction of industrial parks, qualification, training and marketing. Garment factories may even be reimbursed for duties and fees paid. For this purpose the budget of the Ministry of Textiles was once again significantly increased in the financial year 2017/18.

The textile and clothing industry does not only want to score on the domestic market, it also wants to play a bigger international role. In a five-year plan, the Ministry of Textiles had targeted an expansion of exports to USD 64 billion by 2016/17. This target has not yet been achieved, in 215/16 the exports of textiles and clothing amounted to USD 37.6 billion. The exports of textiles even shrank against the year before. 

Textile and clothing industry in India (financial years from April to March) 
  2014/15 2015/16
Export of textiles in USD Billion  21.7 20.6
Imports of textiles in USD Billion 5.5 5.4
Export of clothing in USD Billion 16.8 17.0
Imports of clothing in USD Billion 0.5 0.6
Change in the production of textiles (in %) 3.7 2.2
Change in the production of clothing (in %) 0.2 14.7

Sources: Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

The local garment industry has good chances of development on a large and growing domestic market. According to industry estimates the retail sector sold clothing worth approximately USD 45 billion in 2016. Experts say the world's fifth-largest market is expected to grow well above 10% in the medium term. The backlog of the 1.3 billion inhabitants is not yet covered. The trade imports international branded goods mainly from China and Bangladesh. Standard articles and custom-made products are sewn by the local industry.

Garment sector with opportunities and problems 
Cheap wages are a location advantage. They vary however very different within the subcontinent. The statutory minimum wage regulations differ between the 29 federal states. In addition the person's age, the company membership and abilities are used to calculate the minimum wage.

Due to the increasing production costs in China, labor-intensive manufacturing is moving to more favorable locations. Not only labor costs play a major role here. The complex labor law strongly restricts the efficiency of labor markets in India. Investors consider the labor law, logistics and the structure of supply chains as to be difficult. The World Bank found in its study "Stitches to Riches" in 2016 (see https://www.openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986) that Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam, surpass the competitor India in the points quality, delivery times, reliability and sustainable social responsibility.

India is also missing free trade agreements (FTAs) which facilitate access to international markets and regulate them reliably. The European Union and India have been negotiating as an example a comprehensive FTA for over 10 years with longer interruptions.

Fragmented sector structure with international Champions 
Information on the number of companies, their size classes and investment volumes are not available. Smaller textile companies and retailers are partially not registered and do not pay taxes. Medium-sized companies are very flexible, but they need to   mechanize, automate and upgrade technically in order to survive.
Larger companies look back on their long-standing tradition and have developed into internationally networked corporations. According to the Indian financial service Moneycontrol, the three largest corporations in the clothing industry are: KPR Mills (last net sales circa USD 300 million), Page Industries (USD 270 million) and Gokaldas Exports (USD 170 million); In the textile sector in general: Bombay Rayon (some USD 640 million), Sutlej Textiles (USD 350 million), SEL Manufacturing (USD  300 million), Mandhana Industries (USD 250 million); in the knitting sector: Nahar Industrial Enterprises (USD 270 million), Rupa (USD 160 million); Cotton spinning: Vardhman Textiles (USD 860 million), Trident (USD 560 million), Indo Count (USD 310 million); Spinning of synthetic fibers: RSWM (USD 450 million), Indorama (USD 390 million), Sangam (USD 230 million); Weaving and other processes: Alok Industries (USD 1.8 billion), Welspun (USD x750 million), Garden Silk (USD 370 million); Other areas: Arvind (USD 830 million), Nahar Spinning (USD 310 million), JBF Industries (USD 550 million), Bombay Dyeing (USD 280 million).

Foreign textile companies invest and explore
The government is promoting the "Make in India" campaign in the textile sector for foreign direct investments. Company foundations are for 100% in foreign hands (see http://www.makeinindia.com/sector/textiles-and-garments). The sector attracted USD 2.4 billion from 2000 to 2016 in FDI.

Foreign companies can explore the markets at various trade fairs. The textile ministry wants to expand the “Textiles India”, which took place in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) in June 2017, to a mega-event (https://www.textilesindia2017.com). The international garment industry also met at the same time at the „India International Garment Fair" (http://www.indiaapparelfair.com).

The "National Garment Fair" will take place from July 10th to 12th in Mumbai (http://cmai.fingoh.com/event/65th-national-garment-fair-1/Registration). And Messe Frankfurt is organizing "Techtextil India" from September 13th to 15th in Mumbai. Here German exhibitors can participate in a community stand (http://www.auma.de/de/messedatenbank/seiten/moesetailseite.aspx?tf=135499).

Internet addresses
Name Internet address Remarks
Germany Trade & Invest http://www.gtai.de/Indien Foreign trade information for the German export economy
AHK Indien http://www.indien.ahk.de Starting point for German companies 
Ministry of Textiles http://www.texmin.nic.in Ministry
Office of Textile Commissioner http://www.txcindia.gov.in Authority
Confederation of Indian Textile Industry http://www.citiindia.com Textile confederation
Textile Association India http://www.textileassociationindia.org Textile industry association
The Clothing Manufacturers of India http://www.cmai.in Clothing industry association

 

Source:

Thomas Hundt, Germany Trade & Invest www.gtai.de

CHINA'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO AUTOMATE © Carola Langer / pixelio.de
11.07.2017

CHINA'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO AUTOMATE

  • Japan replaces Germany as the most important supplier of textile machines
  • Digitization is the trend of the future

Beijing (GTAI) - China, the largest apparel export apparel nation, is losing international market share due to rising personnel costs. The companies react with increased automation and production dis-placements. While imports of textile machines from Japan are gro-wing, deliveries from Germany are falling above average. The next wave of modernization will involve more digitization.

  • Japan replaces Germany as the most important supplier of textile machines
  • Digitization is the trend of the future

Beijing (GTAI) - China, the largest apparel export apparel nation, is losing international market share due to rising personnel costs. The companies react with increased automation and production dis-placements. While imports of textile machines from Japan are gro-wing, deliveries from Germany are falling above average. The next wave of modernization will involve more digitization.

Internationally, the PRC is by far the largest exportation nation of clothing. According to UN Comtrade after decades of ascent the peak seems to have crossed in 2014 with a record share of global clothing exports of 39.3%. Since then things are developing slowly but continuously downwards. In 2016, the Chinese share was estimated to be 37.1% (compared to 3.8% in Germany).  China loses market shares particular in favor of ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh or India. 

Export of clothing by country (SITC 84, export in USD million, share of world exports in %)
  2008 Share 2014 Share 2015 Share 2016 Share
World export1) 380,000 100 469,000 100 454,000 100 430,000 100
.PR China 120,405 31.7 186,614 39.3 174,702 39.3 159,645 37.1
.ASEAN, thereof: 26,410 7.0 39,928 8.4 40,859 9.0 n.a. -
.Vietnam 8,724 2.3 20,174 4.3 21,948 4.8 n.a. -
.Bangladesch2) 12,035 3.2 24,584 5.2 26,603 5.9 29,540 6.9
.India 10,986 2.9 17,650 3.7 18,168 4.0 17,932 4.2
.Germany 18,183 4.8 20,349 4.3 17,382 3.8 16,400 3.8

1) from 2014 estimation of world export; 2) based on information provided by partner countries; Source: UN Comtrade

Domestic textile machine manufacturers catching up

In fact, the Chinese textile industry is under considerable pressure because of the increase in personnel expenses. According to a Euromonitor study, the hourly wages of Chinese workers tripled between 2005 and 2016 from USD 1.20 to USD 3.60. Thus the People's Republic not only left classic emerging countries like Thailand ( USD 2.20 ) or Mexico (USD 2.20) behind  - not to mention USD 0.70 in India - but is already approaching individual European countries like Portugal (USD 4,50).

More information (in German) on wages and salary costs in China can be found at:
http://www.gtai.de/GTAI/Navigation/DE/Trade/Maerkte/Geschaeftspraxis/lohn-und-lohnnebenkosten,t=lohn-und-lohnnebenkosten--vr-china,did=1718070.html

Many companies face the challenge by greater automation. The Chinese textile companies can increasingly rely on textile machinery made in the country itself. While in 2016, according to official statistics, investments in the sector rose by 8.5% year on year to Yuan 1,142.4 billion (RMB, around USD 172 billion, 1 USD =6.642 RMB, annual average price in 2016), imports of textile machinery fell by 12.5% to USD 2.8 billion. However, there are no statistics on the extent to which sales are distributed by purely local companies or to those with a foreign background.

The fact is that, for example, German textile machine manufacturers have invested heavily locally in recent years in order for being able to meet the needs of their local customers. Against this backdrop, Germany was still able to defend its top spot with an import share of 29.5% against Japan in 2016, but had to cope with a strong minus of 30.6%, while the Japanese increased by 5.8%. Italy, ranked third and the most important Europe an competitor recorded a drop of 16.1%.

Textile machinery imports in the PRC by selected countries
(in USD millions, year-on-year change and share 2016 in %)
  2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Change Share
Total, thereof: 4,518.0 4,477.3 4,209.6 3,246.8 2,84.,9 -12.5 100.0
.Germany 1,499.5 1,330.1 1,435.0 1,209.5 839.5 -30.6 29.5
.Japan 1,327.3 1,357.8 1,281.4 721.5 763.3 5.8 26.9
.Italy  479.5 416.7 435.2 407.1 341.6 -16.1 12.0
.Taiwan 189.9 233.6 227.5 207.2 186.9 -9.8 6.6
.Belgium 126.6 211.6 118.5 133.0 123.3 -7.3 4.3

Source: China Customs, GTAI calculation

In the current year 2017, however, the Japanese seem to take the rank of the competitor Germany with an increase of 51% in the first four months. The overall textile machinery import grew by a strong 19.7% after the weak previous year before. Import from Germany however did not benefit from this and fell by 8.9%. As a result the German share of machinery supply decreased from 29.5% (2016 as a whole) to 25.0% in the first four months of 2017, while Japanese companies increased their share from 26.9% to 31.9%.

Recent import development for textile machinery in 2017, in USD million, changes against last year and share in %
  Januar bis April 2017 Change  Share
Total, thereof: 1,131.0 19.7 100.0
.Japan 360.4 51.6 31.9
.Germany 282.9 -8.9 25.0
.Italy 130.1 16.8 11.5
.Taiwan 65.4 17.4 5.8
.Belgium 65.3 25.2 5.8

Source: China Customs, GTAI calculations

Production shift continues

Many Chinese textile companies are also thinking about a dislocation production - either to cheaper foreign countries or to the more favorable Chinese hinterland. In 2016, the Autonomous Region of Xinjiang became the main destination for new settlements in the western part of the People's Republic. On average, two new textile factories were opened every day in Xinjiang.

The regional textile industry office in Xinjiang is expecting an even greater run for 2017, thanks to massive political and financial support. Many jobs however are not created there. On-site visitors report about state-of-the-art facilities operated by only a few specialists. The political message is clear: Chinese textile production should remain in the country, be of a higher quality and, if necessary, be reoriented in the direction of technical textiles.However, at least private fashion manufacturers are skeptical about whether the politically favored "Go-West" actually pays for them. Because there too, wages are likely to rise sooner or later, according to the justified Apprehension.

The fact that Vietnam, Bangladesh, South Korea and Cambodia have entered the league of important PRC purchasing countries within a few years is a result not least of the fact that Chinese (and other) manufacturers already have dislocated production capacities. They return their products from there for sale to China.Nevertheless, the very large displacement wave so far has not yet happened. In fact, certain limits are imposed on the shift, since the target countries often encounter their capacity limits. Added to this is the extraordinary advantageous network of the various production stages in China: from cotton harvesting to textile processing and final finishing.

Future theme digitization As part of the country-wide "Made in China 2025" strategy, the textile industry is trying to exploit the many and new opened possibilities of digitization. In view of the increasing individualization of consumption, more machines will probably be required in the future, which are, for example, able to knit sweaters according to the size, color and pattern of the individual customer. In principle, intelligent networking of production, real shops and e-commerce are seen as the challenge of the future.