From the Sector

At the next edition of Milano Unica, the leading international trade fair for high-end fabrics and accessories, scheduled to take place at Rho Fiera Milano from July 8 to 10, ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) will participate for the first time with an institutional booth.

Through this initiative, ACIMIT aims to foster connections between its member companies, exhibitors, and buyers attending Milano Unica, while also promoting greater awareness of the cutting-edge technological solutions that define the Italian textile machinery industry—particularly in the areas of sustainability, circular economy, and digitalization.

Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT: “I believe it is essential for our Association to be present at such a significant trade event. The synergy between Italian excellence in textiles and textile machinery has always been, and continues to be, a key factor in strengthening the leadership of the entire Italian textile supply chain.”

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, following remarks the Secretary made about the U.S. textile industry at this morning’s White House daily press briefing:

Dear Mr. Secretary:

On behalf of the U.S. textile industry and our 471,000 American workers, we appreciate the Trump administration’s efforts to advance an America First Trade Policy to reshore high-quality industrial jobs by addressing unfair trade practices that have harmed U.S. manufacturers and workers for decades. As you may know, our industry publicly endorsed President Trump’s America First Reciprocal Trade Plan and the White House included our endorsement in its April 3 press release highlighting statements of support for the president’s initiative.

We are writing to request a meeting at your convenience with our top industry leaders. We noted your comments today during the press conference that “President Trump is interested in the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past. We don't need to necessarily have a booming textile industry where I grew up again, but we do want to have precision manufacturing and bring that back.” Our industry saw your remarks and were disheartened to hear this sentiment, especially since this industry has been noted by President Trump himself on a number of occasions as critical and strategic. The U.S. textile industry was proud to make lifesaving PPE during the first Trump Administration in response to COVID. The U.S. proudly makes over 8,000 different products to the U.S. military alone to ensure we do not have to rely on foreign adversaries to make essential products. This is a strategically important, relevant, and key industry – which is why we were pleased the White House amplified the industry again in its press release on reciprocal tariffs.´

Today we write to underscore the importance of our industry and the jobs it offers to thousands of workers, sustaining communities across the United States. The U.S. textile industry provides much-needed employment in rural areas and has functioned as a springboard for workers out of poverty into good-paying jobs for generations, including in your home state of South Carolina. Last year, the multifaceted U.S. textile supply chain directly employed 471,000 workers and produced shipments of man-made fiber, yarns, fabrics, apparel and non-apparel sewn products valued at $64 billion.

The United States exported $28 billion worth of textile-related goods to global markets in 2024, making it the second largest exporter of textile and apparel products in the world. Most U.S. textile exports go to Canada, Mexico, or other Western Hemisphere countries with which the United States has a free trade agreement for finishing and return to the U.S. as apparel. This vibrant production supply chain with our closest trading partners competes directly against imports from China and other countries in Asia that often deploy unfair, predatory trade practices, such as subsidized production, dumped exports, intellectual property theft, undervalued currency, abhorrent labor abuses, and unsustainable environmental practices.

Our industry proudly remains a world leader in textile innovation with unparalleled breadth and scope of manufacturing capabilities. Over the past 10 years, the U.S. textile industry made $22.3 billion in capital investments in pursuit of the latest innovations related to sustainability and production. This focus on innovation enables the industry to create tens of thousands of products including apparel, industrial textiles, and home furnishings.

With the right policies, the Trump administration can encourage the U.S. textile industry to reinvest in America, preserve and grow our existing workforce, and spur greater production and sales of American-made textiles now and in the future.

We would like to meet at your convenience to discuss the critical nature of the U.S. textile industry and how the Administration can help this key supply chain onshore jobs. Thank you for your consideration of this timely request.

Respectfully,
Kimberly Glas, President and CEO

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum of U.S. textiles from fiber to finished sewn products, issued the following statement March, 7 from President and CEO Kim Glas regarding President Donald Trump’s one-month suspension of tariffs for qualifying imports under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“We sincerely thank President Trump for pausing the 25 percent penalty tariffs on qualifying imports from Mexico and Canada under the USMCA trade deal for one month, while all parties continue to negotiate a deal to address his administration’s concerns over illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking. We urge an expeditious resolution for all the parties to ensure the vitality of the U.S. textile industry.

“Under USMCA, the U.S. textile and apparel industry has formed a vital coproduction chain with Mexico and Canada that supports 1.6 million workers and generates $20 billion in two-way trade. It is by far the largest export region for American textile producers, representing $12.5 billion in combined U.S. exports – 53 percent of our total annual exports. U.S. textile inputs routinely come back as finished products to the United States under the trade agreement.

“As such, imposing tariffs on imported goods that comply with the USMCA would only serve to harm a key U.S. manufacturing sector that contributes significantly to the U.S. economy and workforce. It would also adversely impact two key trading partners and a North American coproduction chain that competes directly with China and Asia. In addition, it would further undermine the U.S. industry’s ability to make critical products for the U.S. military if this critical production chain were harmed.

“We appreciate President Trump’s delay in these tariffs and urge a more measured approach as well as a negotiated solution that at the very least exempts qualifying USMCA goods from penalty tariffs and closes the de minimis loophole once and for all.

“We look forward to working with President Trump and his administration on his trade agenda aimed at bringing jobs back to the U.S. and will continue to provide input on a plan to build a stronger, more vibrant domestic supply chain.”

The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is alerting apparel brands, retailers and their supply chain partners to an important change taking place this month.

As of February 24th 2025, the sale of all fluorescent lighting will officially come to an end in the EU and UK, with potentially significant implications for everyone along the supply chain – from designers and fabric manufacturers through to merchandisers and window display artists.

Eliminating mercury
“The phase-out of fluorescent lamps has been in progress for some years because they contain mercury which can be damaging to health,” explains BTMA CEO Jason Kent. “Lamps containing mercury were banned for general use in August 2023, impacting lighting in homes, factories and retail environments, but an exemption was granted for specialist applications such as visual and digital colour assessment until this month.

“So far, the legislation only initially applies in Europe and the UK but will rapidly be adopted globally and this means that specialist light booth manufacturers such as our member company VeriVide will no longer be able to sell new fluorescent-based light booths.”

“Colour consistency is vital throughout the textile supply chain and all participants – from designers to fabric and garment manufacturers – have to be working under the same lighting conditions to guarantee it,” adds VeriVide Sales Director Adam Dakin “The colour-matching that is carried out under fluorescent lamps in labs and design offices and passes through successive process steps in manufacturing can come out looking very different once it’s displayed in store under LEDs. This can result in very costly products returns, and even complete batch recalls.”

Colour ecosystem
VeriVide has spent the last decade developing and optimising its industry-leading all-LED light booths as part of its ecosystem of products specifically designed for instantly communicating colour decisions, colour fastness gradings, test reports and more, incorporating the DigiEye and DigiView digital colour measurement systems.

“What the ban means is we’ll no longer be able to manufacture fluorescent light booths,” says Adam. “What we will have going forward is the UltraView all-LED technology. We do, however, have a stock enabling customers to buy replacements for their existing light booths before transitioning to UltraView.”

Retail adoption
Since its launch in 2023, Ultra-View all-LED technology has already been successfully adopted by leading retail brands including H&M, George by Asda, Marks & Spencer, NEXT, River Island and Tesco.

“With UltraView from VeriVide, we are confident that we have future-proofed our capability for the visual assessment of colour,” says Gary Timmons, fabric technologist at NEXT.

“LED technology is the ideal alternative to fluorescent lighting being both mercury-free and using significantly less energy,” says Jason Kent in conclusion. “It’s vital that all players are working to the exact specs, especially because the textile supply chain can be so complex.”

Global Standard, the non-profit that manages the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), in partnership with The Hague-based UpRights Foundation, announced the launch of the GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Auditors. This landmark resource is a critical step in promoting sustainable practices, human rights and ethical business conduct across the textile sector and in line with evolving regulatory requirements around the world.  
 
"The GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Auditors is not only a milestone for GOTS, but also a transformative tool for the textile industry on its journey towards responsible production," said Ruslan Alyamkin, Responsible, Standard Development and Implementation (Social Responsibility) at Global Standard. "This Handbook provides our Certification Bodies with the knowledge and guidance they now need to ensure that the highest standards of environmental and human rights due diligence are met and verified. By aligning with international frameworks and the recent legislative developments, we are further strengthening Global Standard’s mission to promote sustainable, transparent and socially responsible practices throughout global textile supply chains.”
 
Purpose
The GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Auditors provides a comprehensive framework to guide Certification Bodies and their auditors in assessing compliance with the GOTS 7.0 criteria. Specifically designed to be practical and ensure consistent verification of due diligence, human rights and social criteria, the Handbook outlines clear, step-by-step methodologies for auditors to conduct thorough and effective audits.
 
The Handbook is not intended to replace or override the existing audit protocols and procedures already used by Certification Bodies but instead provides additional insights and tools.
 
In addition, the new Handbook complements the GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Certified Entities, which was released in 2023 and offers detailed guidance on integrating responsible practices throughout operations and supply chains. Together, these resources are essential elements of the Global Standard Due Diligence Framework and empower GOTS Certified Entities and Certification Bodies to play their part in maintaining the highest standards of human rights and environmental due diligence.
 
Development of the Handbook
As with other Global Standard resources, the development of the GOTS Due Diligence Handbook for Auditors was an inclusive process involving extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. Global Standard's Standard Development Unit conducted in-depth interviews with GOTS auditors to gain insight into the practical challenges and best practices in verifying compliance with human rights, social and due diligence criteria in different geographical regions. In addition, Global Standard engaged business and human rights experts to address sector-specific issues and complexities. This collaborative approach ensures that the Handbook reflects the operational realities and challenges of GOTS Certified Entities around the world.
 
Regulatory Landscape
The Handbook’s release is timely given the evolving global regulatory landscape, which is increasingly demanding stronger corporate accountability in business practices. Recently, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) introduced mandatory due diligence requirements for companies operating within the EU. The introduction of CSDDD significantly elevates standards for corporate transparency and accountability. Other laws, including Germany’s Supply Chain Act, France’s Duty of Vigilance Law and Norway’s Transparency Act, are placing similar expectations on businesses to manage their human rights and environmental impacts responsibly.
 
GOTS 7.0 requires Certified Entities to respect universally recognised human rights criteria and follow the emerging legal obligations under the CSDDD and other due diligence laws.

A digital twin supply chain has recently been established by Swedish start-up PaperTale for Sail Racing – a brand well known for its durable and long-lasting performance garments for the marine industry.

The PaperTale system for Sail Racing fully maps a complex network, beginning with farmers in Australia, moving to garment workers in Pakistan and finally reaching consumers in Scandinavia. It incorporates data collection from the three countries using NFC tags and blockchain technology to provide detailed supply chain insights and ensure regulatory compliance for the brand.

Introducing the usually anonymous factory workers responsible for each individual garment to the person buying it is what sets PaperTale apart from other tracking systems – a next level of personalisation that will make a valuable contribution to raising the debate on the true cost of textiles.

“Our system captures the supply chain of a product from cradle to grave, in real-time,” says company founder Bilal Bhatti. “By integrating it into existing planning and management systems, factories and brands can gather and verify the flow of material and their social and environmental data in real-time. Data is added to a public blockchain so it is extremely hard to tamper with, further increasing trust. When a product is finalised, consumers can scan an NFC tag or QR-code to view the entire journey a product has travelled, which craftsmen were involved in the production, and if they have been paid fairly.”

“This technology is a game-changer in that we provide verified information about the social aspects of the manufacturing process and not just information about the components of the garment,” says Bilal. “We need products and processes to be much more connected with people, especially in such a complex supply chain where a high percentage of the work is carried out by contract workers who are unregistered and often exploited.

“When the entire product journey is visible using real-time and verified data, higher trust is created all the way from factories to consumers. Our system makes it possible to start the dialogue on the cost of sustainability, paving the way to increase incentives that result in proper wages, contracts and workplace safety. In respect of environmental sustainability, real-time data makes real-time measurement possible, which will also stimulate brands and factories to reduce emissions, water usage and pollution.”

The collaboration is further highlighted as the primary case study in a just-released white paper prepared by Deloitte, as a guide to how companies could most effectively prepare for the European Commission’s upcoming Digital Product Passport (DPP) and other related legislation.

The 2nd Textiles Innovation Conference held by KARL MAYER North America proved to be a complete success. The trade event took place from June 25 to 27, 2024 at the headquarters of the KARL MAYER GROUP subsidiary in Greensboro, North Carolina. The conference boasted a turnout with over 200 attendees, exhibitors, and keynote speakers. While the majority hailed from many states across the USA, the event also attracted a global audience, including participants from Italy, Canada, Mexico, and other countries. The central theme: the importance of textiles made in the USA, their value and influence on global markets.

The conference brought together leading industry brands and academic institutions to delve into the future of product development and sustainability in textiles. KM.ON, Black Swan, Meta, and Supreme shared a convergence of ideas, challenges, and groundbreaking advancements shaping the textile landscape. NC State and Kent State universities highlighted their efforts in developing local talent and enhancing research capabilities to meet industry demand for regional supply chains. Manufacturing Solutions Center, Southern Textile Association, and AFFOA (Advanced Functional Fabrics of America) explored research capabilities and technology testing to foster funding opportunities and generate ideas for the future.

The recipe for success also included a lecture program. The conference kicked off with a keynote speech from New Balance, a brand that empowers people through sport and craftsmanship. New Balance MADE U.S., their premium collection manufactured domestically, reflects their commitment to quality and community impact. On day two Kenny Wilsey, Sourcing Director at Dillard’s, shared his expertise to ensure adherence to quality standards and social compliance requirements for private label brands. To complete the speaker series, Allison Hicks, Lead Knit Engineer at Under Armour, inspired attendees with her innovative approach to performance footwear, apparel, and accessories.

Important topics at the conference were sustainability and digitalization: Unifi showcased high-performance fibers made from recyclable materials and pre- or post-consumer waste management initiatives. KM.ON, the digital solution company of the KARL MAYER GROUP, displayed artificial intelligence applications for quality control, supply chain optimization, and predictive maintenance for warp knitting and knitwear production.

The Textile Innovation Conference program was rounded out by an exhibition of selected textile supply chain partners. These business partners supplemented the information about innovation presented in the lectures and performance demonstrations of the latest STOLL flat knitting and KARL MAYER warp knitting machines.

TrusTrace, a SaaS company with a platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced the launch of its upgraded AI-powered Forced Labor Prevention (FLP) Solution, which will help brands proactively map out supply chains, screen it for risk, and efficiently gather evidence for regulatory compliance.

The Forced Labor Prevention solution combines the power of AI to manage large quantities of data from complex supply chains with scalable collection of primary data per purchase order, which is screened and validated for risk, ensuring brands have validated evidence at a product and shipment level.

The solution collects primary data directly from suppliers to ensure detailed and reliable information about facilities, products, and materials. The primary data collected through the TrusTrace solution is specific to the context of the traced products, contrary to solutions leveraging third party data, which can introduce large quantities of irrelevant information from various sources, creating ‘noise’ that can obscure critical insights and quickly become unmanageable. TrusTrace has traced more than two million purchase orders to date and has more than 55,000 suppliers and facilities mapped globally, demonstrating the capacity to automate the collection of primary data at very large scale.

The data is proactively screened for risk against the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) entity list, and the solution can integrate with any relevant risk screening database.

AI-Powered Chain of Custody Creation and Document Collection drives speed, accuracy and cost savings, making it quick and easy to gain supply chain visibility and stay on top of documentation for compliance. The FLP solution can classify, extract, and translate large volumes of documents in over 100 languages, facilitating the creation of a digital chain of custody, and transforming traditionally time-consuming manual processes, increasing efficiency, and reducing the likelihood of human error.

15 brands worldwide are already using TrusTrace for forced labor prevention, including Vera Bradley, who see proactive supply chain traceability and data management as key in achieving their ESG commitments.

Archroma and ColorDigital GmbH, a company in textile supply chain digitalization, are joining forces to bring the library of engineered color standards to the DMIx ecosystem of fashion brands and suppliers.

All 5,760 color references in the Color Atlas by Archroma® will be integrated into ColorDigital’s DMIx interactive collaboration platform, enabling brands to embrace almost unlimited color creativity with an assurance of color precision. Based on digital twin technology, the DMIx solution ensures that color choices are aligned across design, sourcing and production, reducing sampling costs and collection development time as well as improving color accuracy and end-product quality. DMIx marks a significant step forward in enhancing color management processes for both digital product creation (DPC) and physical production.

Sustainability is an essential factor for both Archroma and DMIx. Colors in the Archroma Color Atlas are formulated to comply with leading eco-standards while also delivering consistent and accurate color reproduction. This complements the DMIx ImpAct approach, which provides data on the environmental impact of raw materials to enable brands to select inputs that meet their sustainability targets.

A new feature on the DMIx platform is DMIx eXcite, an inspirational material and color-trend hub that uses interactive moodboards to share new color and material scenarios ahead of each season. Designers and colorists will be able to directly use colors presented in the eXcite trend reports, including colors from the Color Atlas by Archroma®, across the DMIx color and 3D technology tools.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will showcase its TexCoat™ G4 precision spray finishing system at ITMA Asia 2023 (November 19-23, National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai). ITMA Asia participants can stop by and see Baldwin’s wide array of TexCoat G4-applied fabric samples from textile mills around the world and experience what precision finishing feels like while learning how the technology eliminates chemistry waste on changeover, saves water, and achieves faster speeds through the stenter frame and relaxed dryer.
 
Baldwin’s team will be available to discuss how the company’s technology can meet the textile supply chain’s sustainability and carbon footprint goals while improving performance and saving money. In the context of a cost-sensitive global economy and an increased focus by brands, consumers and regulatory agencies on sustainability, customers are placing a premium on sustainability-advantage textile production.

TexCoat G4’s non-contact spray technology offers numerous advantages compared to outdated finishing-chemistry application methods. TexCoat G4 processes a wide range of low-viscosity water-based chemicals, such as durable water-repellents –  including PFAS-free, softeners, anti-microbials, easy-care and flame retardants. The company's technology uses the same chemicals as found in traditional pad baths with no special auxiliaries required.

Testimonial videos from Pincroft Dyeing and Print Works and Graniteville Specialty Fabrics along with a video highlighting Baldwin’s partnership with North Carolina State University will also be screened at their stand.