From the Sector

The DyStar Group has released its 2017 – 2018 Sustainability Performance Report. Into its eighth edition, the report marks the progress of the global company that aspires to become the world’s most sustainable and responsible supplier of colorants, specialty chemicals, and services in the textile industry, but has also embarked on the business with food dyes and chemicals through its recent acquisition in USA.
The latest DyStar’s Sustainability Performance Report is the first of their reports prepared in accordance with the most trusted and widely used reporting framework – Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Core Option.

The 2020 Target
2017 marks the seventh year of DyStar’s journey towards reducing the production footprint by 20% for every ton of production by the year 2020. This goal encompasses the resources used for production including energy, water, and raw materials as well as addresses their corresponding outputs – greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste and wastewater. Results across most key performance indicators were positive, with four of the six 2020 targets being successfully met or surpassed.
In terms of the energy consumption and GHG emission, DyStar is farther from its original desired target primarily due to the impacts from three newly acquired production sites. However, intensive efforts are underway to ensure that the company’s less efficient acquisitions are provided the essential support to align with the rest of the company. DyStar is optimistic that all six targets are achievable by 2020.

Creating Responsible Products & Services
As part of DyStar’s long-term goal to imbed sustainability across the industry, they will also be focusing on expanding its sustainability services. This includes the opening of more Texanlab offices, an ISO 17025 certified, specialized testing laboratory across South Asia to provide end-to-end solutions throughout the whole supply chain.

Stepping Up on Cooperation with NGOs
Increasingly, DyStar is strengthening their partnerships with the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). The 2017 report features an in-depth guest interview with the NGO China Water Risk, on how can suppliers like DyStar can be a role model in creating sustainable fashion.
To encourage and facilitate sustainable practices among its suppliers, DyStar also conducts sustainability-related supplier surveys. For instance, DyStar is cooperating with the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE), one of the most established Chinese NGO, to expand the framework of their supplier questionnaire. In recognition of its efforts, DyStar received top ranking in the CITI transparency list for industrial chemicals from IPE, placing them well ahead of many other industry peers.

Embracing Diversity, Engaging Communities
Also, to help meet clients’ demand and demonstrate its responsibility and care in the food and beverages industry, DyStar is implementing a supplier diversity program to support businesses in the USA that are at least 51% owned by minority groups, women, veterans and people with disabilities.
Highlighting DyStar’s commitment to the communities they operate in, the company encourages volunteerism among employees, and for the year of 2017, DyStar employees devoted a total of 205 volunteer hours towards community projects, which also served as a meaningful collective experience for employees to form closer bonds.

Working Together Towards Long-Term Solutions
As an industry frontrunner, DyStar and its leaders are committed to driving sustainability across the
industry. However, significant challenges remain, and the stakeholders of this industry need to work together to derive long-term solutions. CEO of DyStar Group, Mr. Eric Hopmann emphasized, “It is imperative for the entire industry to improve collectively, not individually, and our ability to do so may determine the long-term profitability of the industry as a whole. It is my belief that effective partnerships coupled with stronger support and incentivization from leading companies within this industry could be key to creating a new – and much needed – equilibrium.”

To access DyStar’s sustainability reports, visit http://www.dystar.com/sustainability-reports/.

The Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will open today, returning as a major event for big-name players in the domestic and international home textile industry. Covering six halls, it will accommodate around 1,040 suppliers from around 30 countries & regions. With 40,000 visitors expected to attend, including import & export corporations, wholesalers, distributors, chain stores and home product manufacturers, the fair is anticipated to be an ideal platform for suppliers to introduce new products to the market.

Suppliers set to seize market shares in China’s revitalised home textile market
China’s home textile market has been growing steadily, with both domestic and overseas suppliers determined to take advantage of Intertextile Shanghai as a platform to gain market share. This year, premium editors from China, including Beijing Xinyada, Beijing Euroart, Jasonite, SATI and Hangzhou Antex, will be showcasing their high-end collections while international contract business suppliers, such as JAB Anstoetz and Morphrow, are also present to cater to the growing demand for their quality products.
In addition to a majority of local brands and four domestic pavilions from Shaoxing, Tongxiang, Haining and Yuhang regions, there will also be international country & region pavilions from Belgium, India, Pakistan, Taiwan and Turkey, showcasing their specialised products.

Around 1,040 exhibitors covering every home textile sourcing need
Growing middle and upper classes in China have seen consumers’ buying trends expand to buying combinations of items with particular design trends. Matching this trend, a number of whole home exhibitors that provide one-stop services, from selecting home textile products to giving home decoration ideas, have been reaping the benefits in recent editions of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – and 2018 is set to continue reflecting this trend.

Around 1,040 exhibitors at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will showcase a wide variety of home textile products, including bedding, bath, table & kitchen, curtains & upholstery, textile designs & technology, whole home, sun protection, wall coverings and carpets & rugs. This diverse range of offerings establishes the reason why Intertextile Shanghai attracts genuine, high-quality buyers – across the spectrum, there’s something for every buyer at this fair.  

Fringe programme events to provide insight and inspiration
Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles aims to provide inspiration for the next season at the same time as providing a platform for business interactions. At this edition’s fringe programme, key events include the InterDesign – Trend Area, displaying three key trend themes for A/W19 in collaboration with the international trendsetter NellyRodiTM Agency. Trend tours and forums will also take place, giving visitors the opportunity to learn and discuss lifestyle trends with designers and trend experts.

At Contract Business 360o, the fair will feature a showcase area at hall 5.1 displaying quality contract upholstery from leading exhibitors, and seminars on current design and market insights of the contract business sector. Catering to popular demand is the return of the Digital Printing Micro Factory, demonstrating a complete production process onsite, alongside forums on the benefits of digital printing & latest production technics. The Andrew Martin International Interior Design Summit will see a forum of experts share their design insights in the new information era, whilst the 2018 Home Furnishing Crossover Exhibition will demonstrate design talent and creativity of interior designers, and present new home living styles.

The show will be held from 27 – 30 August in the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

This September’s Cinte Techtextil China will once again provide a strong barometer of the state of the global technical textiles industry, and in particular which sectors in Asia as a whole, and China specifically, are performing well. Two of these for certain are Buildtech and Mobiltech, with a number of leading global and Chinese brands exhibiting to eager buyers from these sectors.

Cinte Techtextil China is Asia’s leading biennial fair for the technical textiles and nonwovens sector, and will feature an expected 500-plus total exhibitors from around 20 countries & regions from 4 – 6 September. The fair offers products and technologies for 12 application areas* which cover the entire industry.

Buildtech benefits from Belt & Road and other infrastructure investment

With a huge boom in national and regional infrastructure projects, the market for Buildtech products, especially geotextiles and construction textiles, is rapidly expanding. In particular, the government’s global Belt & Road project, as well as continued investment at home in highways, high-speed rail and more, is fuelling this expansion. According to CNITA, in 2017 China started 35 new railway projects, with additional private capital investment in this sector totalling some USD 53 billion that year. The same investment in highway construction increased 17.7%, while water conservation project investment by private firms reached a new record of USD 105 billion.

With this potential in the Asian market, it’s no surprise a number of new exhibitors will feature in the Buildtech sector at the fair, including FPC Technical Textile from Saudi Arabia, Kobe-cz from the Czech Republic, as well as Lenzing Plastics, while Johns Manville are one of the returning exhibitors this year.

• FPC Technical Textile (Saudi Arabia) produce high-end specialty fabrics including PVC coated fabrics and fibre glass PTFE fabrics, and will focus on the latter at the fair.
• Kobe-cz (Czech Republic) will showcase their nonwoven fabrics, mainly from glass fibre with temperature resistance up to 800°C.
• Exhibiting for the first time at the fair with their Plastics division, Lenzing (Austria) will feature their technical laminates for building industries, roofing membranes, vapour barriers, isolation facings and barrier packaging, as well as PROFILEN® PTFE yarns, films and fibres at Cinte Techtextil.
• Johns Manville’s (US) products on offer include polyester spunbond, PP & PBT meltblown, glass fibre nonwovens, micro glass fibre nonwovens, hybrid nonwovens, glass fibre needle mat and glass microfibers.

Mobiltech benefits from huge increases in automobile production in China

With new textile innovations and application possibilities spreading throughout the automobile industry, coupled with the fact China is the world’s largest auto producer, Cinte Techtextil is the place to see the latest products and technologies for this sector this September. Automobile production in China reached 29 million units in 2017, an increase of 3% year-on-year. Staggeringly, new-energy vehicle production grew by 53% last year, while SUVs and commercial vehicles increased 13.81% and 13.95% respectively.

With such strong growth in China, a number of leading international Mobiltech producers, as well as top domestic suppliers, will be at Cinte Techtextil this year, including:

• Abifor (Switzerland): their focus at the fair is on products designed for automotive, construction and other technical applications, in particular their specialty hot-melt powders. The company has its own production unit in Shanghai, and reports that an increasing number of domestic customers are starting to focus on more sophisticated products.
• SKS Group (Sweden): will showcase high performance single end yarn for automotive and industrial hoses, and single end cord for automotive and industrial belts.
• Swisstulle (Switzerland): will have a range of products on offer for automotive, rail and aviation uses, including sunshade materials, nets, tube reinforcements and new possibilities for luggage compartment covers.
• Windel Textile Far East (Germany): with production undertaken in China, this German firm offers textile greige, half-done and finished materials. They offer nonwoven, knitted and woven fabrics (substrates), and glass fibre solutions. At the fair, they will showcase substrates for adhesive tapes / wire harnessing tapes, and Maliwatt- and coagulated microfibre fleece for covering vehicle interiors.
• Protechnic (France): they will feature hot melt thermoadhesive nets, webs and films, as well as laminating process in automotive and other industrial applications at Cinte 2018.
• Kuangda Technology Group (China): having supplied products for global brands such as Volkswagen and Audi, this Chinese supplier will offer automotive interiors, including interior fabrics, seat covers and cushions at the fair.
• Shanghai Shenda (ShanghaiTex Group) (China): specialising in automotive interior textiles, they manufacture a full range of products including grey car carpet, moulding car carpet, head liners (warp-knitting and nonwoven), seat belt, seat fabrics and more, and have supplied the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and GM.

Cinte Techtextil China is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA). To find out more about the fair, please visit: www.techtextilchina.com.

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, recently entered in a partnership with Carlin, the world’s very first trend forecasting agency founded in 1947, aiming to promote the use of Archroma’s exclusive color inspiration tools to fashion designers and stylists in France.

Under the terms of the new partnership, Carlin will use the ‘Color Atlas by Archroma®’ color references in the Carlin’s 16 publications per year, including the InMouv trend books. Carlin will also use the Color Atlas during its color workshops, and Carlin and Archroma will organize regular conferences and events for fashion brands in major French cities, including Paris.
The partnership agreement also appoints Carlin as Archroma’s sales agent for its color management products in France, including the Color Atlas by Archroma® color library and related tools. Archroma’s color management services will continue to be sold through the existing channels.

The Color Atlas by Archroma® uses complementary tools to enhance creative possibilities for designers and brands. It incorporates the six-volume ‘Color Atlas’ Library, with over 4,300 colors on cotton poplin; the two-volume ‘Color Atlas Compact’ for improved portability; and the ‘Color Atlas Online’ which enables you to take an image with your smartphone and identify the closest Color Atlas shades.
“Just like designers, brands, retailers, manufacturers and Carlin, we are passionate about color trends,” explains Chris Hipps, Global Director of Archroma Color Management Services. “We redefined the concept of a color library for the textile industry with our Color Atlas, an essential and inspirational reference that gives creatives options that they had never dreamed of. With our new partnership with Carlin we’ll be able to share our Color Atlas and our passion for color with a new audience.”

“Carlin is at the forefront of trend forecasting,” explains Edouard Keller, Head of International Sales, Carlin. “And that includes the use of color. Archroma offers a suite of services and tools that are both practical and instantly available for our clients; this is what makes their solution so attractive to us. Our partnership with Archroma will empower us to share the advanced Color Atlas and associated tools with creatives throughout France, helping them to unlock their creativity with color.”

• Archroma joins hands with Lahore University of Engineering & Technology to foster innovative research in textiles

Reinach, Switzerland - Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Lahore, Pakistan. The MoU will pave way for cooperation initially for a five-year period.

The partnership will explore innovations in textile research with futuristic visualization for Pakistan to help the Pakistan textile industry to keep in line with the fast pace of global apparel requirements and evolutions. Both partners will jointly hold sessions to prepare students for the challenges of the textile industry through in-house training sessions, developmental projects, research in textile applications and process innovative methodologies by pioneering value additions. The students of UET will also be able to join internship placement programs at Archroma Center of Excellence at Karachi.

The MoU was officially signed at a ceremony recently held in Faisalabad by Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmed Khalid, Vice Chancellor of UET and Mujtaba Rahim of CEO Archroma Pakistan Limited.

Speaking at the occasion, Mujtaba Rahim said: “We, at Archroma, believe in continuous improvement and challenging the status quo leading to enhance sustainable growth especially in our product lines creating value for our stakeholders. Through this initiative of mutual cooperation, we will be able to share latest knowledge and technical developments and to work together with the faculty and research team of UET. We also wish to share the innovative textile solutions of Archroma with the students enabling them to enhance their academic performance. Our MoU will go a long way in adding value in the fast growing textile segment, from education to R&D development.”

“This partnership is going to have far-reaching impact in textile research which will bear highly positive results for UET and Archroma. Our academic team has already collaborated with Archroma on projects that will have a far reaching impact on the textile industry. We are very enthusiastic about formalizing our mutual relationship and look forward to interesting research outcomes. Industrial liaison of students will create confidence and the training, internships and working sessions will benefit them in their career development,” Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmed Khalid commented.

As the leading home textiles trade event in Asia, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles is renowned for its size and also the variety of products offered by its exhibitors from China and around the world.

The show will be held from 27 – 30 August in the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. It will cover six halls, accommodating over 1,000 suppliers from around 30 countries and regions.
To satisfy buyers from different regions with varied sourcing needs, the show will feature a wide variety of home textile products ranging from bedding, bath, table & kitchen, curtains & upholstery and textile designs & technology to editors, whole home, sun protection, wallcoverings and carpets & rugs.

“The products on offer are of various quality and price levels that visitors can discover both premium brands presented by editors and a massive amount of medium-end products at the show,” said Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles serves as an ideal platform for suppliers to introduce new products to the market as a large number of visitors including import & export corporations, wholesalers, distributors, chain stores and home product manufacturers are attracted.

EUROART and JAB ANSTOETZ are two of the returning editors who are ready to demonstrate their latest collections.
“We are an integrated company based in Beijing which presents both imported decorative fabrics and wallpaper as well as self-owned fabric brands. Buyers can expect to discover advanced jacquard, embroidery, silk and printing techniques from the brands LIZZO and ROMO at our booth,” Mr Frank Lu, General Manager of EUROART said.

Furthermore, the world-known fabrics design company, JAB ANSTOETZ, will also take advantage of the show to present their new outdoor fabrics.
“Our ‘AROUND THE WORLD’ collection possesses high colour stability, mould-resistance and easy-care features. We will also introduce our advanced FibreGuard fabrics which prevent dirt and meet OEKO-TEX® standards,” Mr William Lin from JAB ANSTOETZ said.

Bedding products are another highlight of the show. Returning exhibitor Advansa will display their new fibre formula SUPRELLE™ 95 which is a combination of enhanced sleep comfort and ease of care. And the established French brand TODAY will make their debut at the fair to promote their full range of fashionable bedding items.

Diverse suppliers confirm participation offering all kinds of quality products. Apart from the editors and whole-home exhibitors, worldwide suppliers specialising in different products can be found in the show.

They include:

• Curtains & upholstery: quality brands such as AICO, Ateja, Culp Fabrics, D’Décor, Elastron, Enzo Degli Angiuoni, Harmel Home, Huatex, Sangwontex and more
• Bedding, bath and kitchen: domestic and overseas brands will showcase an extensive range of products for everyday domestic life including comforters, pillows, mattress toppers, bed linen, bathrobes, towels, table napkins and more. Exhibitors will offer insights about utilising various products to display the whole home concept
• Textile design: featuring worldwide original textile design studios. Visitors can discover distinct styles of design from both Asian and European studios
• Carpets & rugs: carpet exhibitors from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey and other countries
• Digital printing & technics: showcasing the latest digital printing technology, and cutting, sewing and other home textile equipment technics. In view of the good result in 2017, the show will continue to cooperate with industry media to organise professional seminars introducing some latest technique and new applications in the home textile industry

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, and Montega S.r.l., Italy, (Montega) announce a collaboration aimed at supporting the fast-growing garment and apparel industry in Pakistan, particularly in the denim segment. The joint efforts will focus on fostering excellence in the finishing of textile garments.

Montega has decades of rich experience in developing the latest fashion trends with its high standard chemical treatments. For garments and fabrics, they offer solutions in finishing effects, enzymatic products, bio-polishing, bio-finishing and specialty products for indigo dyes, proteinaceous fibers such as wool and silk, and garment washing and/ laundry. All applications are geared toward environmental sustainability.

Archroma offers a wide range of brand and textile specialty chemicals that caters to the local industry in Pakistan for both its internal and export markets. The company’s expert team provides innovative solutions to its customers, tailored to their individual requirements.

Archroma will now represent Montega in marketing their products in Pakistan. The collaboration between the two firms will provide a unique synergy of combined expertise, reliability and commitment to environmental sustainability, especially toward the reduction of water usage and the emission of greenhouse gases during textile finishing processes. The design studio at the Archroma Center of Excellence in Pakistan will work extensively with Montega’s M-Lab Garment University in Riccione, Italy, to deliver solutions based on the latest trends and fashion effects, backed by world-class technical support.

Mujtaba Rahim, CEO of Archroma Pakistan, comments: “We, at Archroma, believe in continuous improvement and challenging the status quo to make our industry sustainable. We have dedicated ourselves to bringing innovation in our product lines and to closely partnering with like-minded organizations to build industrial rapport. Through this initiative of joining hands with Montega, we will be able to share latest R&D developments with the textile industry in Pakistan, and help grow Pakistan’s contribution in the global textile arena.”

• Oerlikon integrates automation solutions for largescale plants in technology portfolio

Remscheid, Germany / Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzerland - Oerlikon announced today that it has acquired Germany-based AC-Automation GmbH & Co. KG, an engineering company specializing in large-scale plant automation solutions for the textile and packaging industries. The two companies have been partnering since the early 1980s. The integration of AC-Automation in Oerlikon expands the market-leading technology portfolio of its Manmade Fibers Segment. It also marks a milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing quest to offer innovative, fully automated and digitally networked Industry solutions in the manmade fiber industry.

The 60 employees at AC-Automation’s Bernkastel-Kues and Augsburg locations will become part of Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment, which includes the leading brands Oerlikon Barmag and Oerlikon Neumag. The move will expand the Segment’s business model, adding another key core component to its current offering of production plants and technology solutions from melt to yarn, fibers, andnonwovens. Ultimately, Oerlikon will be able to offer customers a total solution from a single source, including automation logistics for packaging, high-bay storage, and other areas, which complement its current market-leading spinning and process technologies for the textile industry.

"We see our expanded overall offering as an Industry solution, reflecting the future of an even more efficient, digitized and profitable chemical fiber industry, especially for large-scale plants with daily production capacity of several hundred tons of polyester, nylon, polypropylene, or other manmade fibers,” explains Georg Stausberg, CEO of the Manmade Fibers Segment. Manmade fiber producers from China — the world’s most important market, generating more than 70 % of worldwide manmade fiber production — as well as companies from other fast-growing markets such as India, Turkey and the USA are also relying on automated and networked Industry total solutions.

"The acquisition and integration of AC-Automation’s automation solutions will provide new opportunities for our manmade fiber business. It enables the Segment to increasingly position itself as an Industry solution provider in combination with our own digitization solutions,” says Oerlikon Group CEO Dr. Roland Fischer. “As a leading provider of advanced materials, surface solutions and materials processing including the engineering and production of polymer plants, this acquisition marks another milestone in Oerlikon’s strategy to strengthen its businesses and thus sustain profitable growth.”

"After such a long partnership, we are excited to be able to benefit even more in the future as part of a global player in the textile industry. Our market access will further improve with the help of the Oerlikon
Group's sales and service network. For my employees, I am very pleased to be able to bring them into an international Group, in which there would be new opportunities and perspectives for them personally,”
said Rolf Gänz, AC-Automation’s Managing Director.

Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines received the Textile Industry Award during the award ceremony of the “Trophées de l’Industrie des Hauts-de-France” (Trophies of the Industries of Hauts-de-France) which is hosted each year by the Société Industrielle du Nord. These trophies reward companies who are selected by trade and pooling associations based on their exemplary performance, innovations and achievements in an area of specialty which is different each year.

Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines (IFFC), a subsidiary of the Belgian Beaulieu International Group of companies, announced today that it was awarded the Textile Industry Award, which is one of the Trophies of the Industries of Hauts-de-France. The award ceremony took place on the 29th of March of this year at the Cité des Échanges of Marcq en Baroeul, France. Michiel Leys, Manufacturing Manager for Europe and General Manager of the production site, and Loïc Derôme, Operations Manager at IFCC, attended the ceremony and received the prize in person.

As part of the Industry Week, the ceremony is each year a time of exchange, optimism and encouragement to flagship companies of the industrial trades.
Idéal Fibres & Fabrics Comines’ production site has been based in the North since 1993 and manufactures high quality polypropylene and polyamid based textured yarns for applications in the automotive, and commercial and residential building sectors. “We regularly invest in technology on the one hand, and in safety, security and working conditions on the other”, says Loïc Derôme, Operations Manager at IFCC. “For the past two years, we have invested around for million euros and, this year, we are in the on-going process of further developing our manufacturing resources to meet the technical needs of the market and to increase the safety of our site.”

“We have selected IFCC because of its significant surface, but also because it is a French company belonging to a Belgian group, who decided to build on France as a country”, adds Eric Mezin, Délégué Général UIT Nord. Such attributes as open-mindedness, strong focus on sustainable development and effective communication efforts in view of attracting new talents, including among older, more experienced people, are but a few of the multiple aspects that accounts for the election of IFFC as an award-winner.

• Yarn Expo Spring’s status as Asia’s leading industry event attracts 15% more buyers
• National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)
• Shanghai, China, 14 – 16 March

Yarn Expo continued its evolution into the industry’s most comprehensive and effective business platform with its Spring Edition which concluded last week with a large increase in the buyer figure, as well as another year of growth in the exhibitor number. Strong demand was evident for recent growth areas of the fair such as synthetic, fancy and specialty yarns as well as chemical fibres, while exhibitors in the more traditional cotton product group also fared well. In total, 435 exhibitors from 10 countries & regions took part (2017: 393, 12 countries & regions), attracting 25,966 trade buyers from 88 countries & regions (2017: 22,579, 94 countries & regions).

“Once again, Yarn Expo proved itself as the ideal trade fair for the industry to benefit from changing demands and product trends, especially in the Chinese and wider Asian markets,” Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd explained. “The fair has evolved in recent editions to have a much bigger focus on synthetic, fancy & specialty yarns and chemical fibres, and based on the exhibitor feedback during the fair, there was an increase in buyers sourcing these products this year. What’s more, local buyers were showing strong interest in the offerings from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand, while Vietnamese cotton exhibitors reported increased orders from China due to the favourable trade policies between these countries.”

As one of the industry’s leading players, Birla Jingwei Fibres naturally plays a big role at Yarn Expo, with their Birla Planet pavilion proving highly successful for the company. Senior Vice President Mr Sachin Malik, explained: “Yarn Expo is a very important platform for Birla, to be visible to our value chain, to connect with our customers, and our own clients’ customers. We value Yarn Expo as a long-term partner for showcasing our products and connecting with the value chain. Each edition we connect with more and more buyers, and more customers in the industry recognise the importance of this fair. It has developed into a premium event in the global textile industry calendar. Usually this edition is quieter than the autumn fair, but the results this year saw the spring edition reach the same level. Our booth was always packed with buyers, and we also received more high-quality and international buyers. Our pavilion members are also very satisfied with the buyers and their results this time.”

Exhibitor comments

Indonesia

“Yarn Expo is an ideal platform to meet not only Chinese but also global buyers. The fair attracts so many good-quality buyers, and compared to other fairs attracts more of our target buyers. The results this edition have been good. After four years of doing business in China, we’ve found many Chinese customers who are willing to pay for quality. The demand in the China market for high-quality products is growing, in particular because of the shortage of spinning capacity which is made up for by imports. We’ve seen more serious and meaningful buyers that have strong desire for further cooperation this time, and I think the potential of this market will continue to grow.” Mr Anupam Agrawal, Director Spun Yarn Business, PT. Indo-Rama Synthetics Tbk

Korea

“Our booth was so crowded throughout the fair. We had more than 300 buyers visit us, and I guess approximately 30% of them will turn into business after the fair. Our target buyers are fabric and garment manufacturers, and we found a lot of good quality ones here. A wide range of worldwide buyers from different market sectors sourced at our booth, especially big-brand sportswear manufacturers and sourcing offices. We’ve had visitors from China, Europe and many other countries. We are very satisfied with our first Yarn Expo experience, and we expect a very good outcome after the show.” Mr Joo Son, International Sales Team, HJLite

Pakistan

“Yarn Expo is the global meeting platform for all yarn industry players. You have buyers from all over the world here, so it is the best trade platform in Asia to connect with worldwide buyers. We’ve met people from Argentina, Columbia, Korea, Indonesia, the UK and the US. Around 40% of them are new to us. We’ve noticed that everyone is looking for new products nowadays, so we always bring new items. Fancy yarn is getting more common in China, and demand is growing steadily. China is definitely a huge market for us to develop.” Mr Mohammad Saad, Director of Abtex Intl Ltd

India

“Yarn Expo is really helpful in that it has a diverse buyer profile and attracts buyers from around the world. We managed to talk to customers from Pakistan, India and Colombia, as well as potential Chinese buyers who are very interested in our products. The buyers have been genuine with specific sourcing needs, and some of them have already placed orders.” Mr N. Sarawgi, Representative of Madhusudan Rayons Pvt. Ltd

Thailand

“This edition we brought our new Kapok material to the fair for the first time. It has been the most popular product at our booth. In recent editions, we’ve also met more and more garment factories asking for customised fancy yarn to make their products competitive and unique, while eco-friendly and natural yarns are also more popular. Yarn Expo is the platform we announce our new products and technologies, and the feedback from buyers from around the world can help us improve them and learn the latest market trends. The fair is of great value for our market strategy.” Mr Warakorn Bunkanokwong, Export Sales Manager, Kongkiat Textile Co Ltd

Singapore

“We are here to explore the China market, but are also glad more customers from Europe and America visited our booth. Many of the buyers here are at the decision-making level, so can give us clear requirements and advice about our products. This is a highly effective fair to meet Chinese buyers to learn first-hand what the market needs.” Mr Rahul Gupta, Marketing Manager, Texvista Intl Pte Ltd

Vietnam

“Yarn Expo is a great chance to meet our existing partners and find new buyers. Compared to China cotton yarn, we still have an advantage in price and quality which attracts a lot of buyers to our booth. Yarn Expo provides us with a quick way to tap into the Chinese and Asian markets.” Mr Du Xuan Cuu, Trade Director, Hanam Textile Co

Uzbekistan

“The Chinese market is important to us, so we chose to exhibit in Yarn Expo. We have met many buyers here, and each year we can find new customers through Yarn Expo. The international nature of this fair is also beneficial for our business.” Mr Dilshod, Export Manager, Exoeast Trade LLP

China

“Yarn Expo is the largest platform in Asia. Compared to other fairs, the buyers here are of higher quality; genuine buyers make up a large portion and most of them come with sourcing intentions. Currently, fancy yarn is in great demand in the market. The number of customers looking for such products is significantly higher this year, and Yarn Expo can effectively help us capture this demand.”
Ms Stella Gan, Sales Manager, Jin Dun Textile

Buyer comments

“We can find all ranges of cotton yarn, fancy yarn and chemical fibres at Yarn Expo. Most of the famous brands are here, and they bring the latest technologies and products, including debut products. Yarn Expo always catches the latest trends in the industry and presents them at the fair. This year the quantity and quality of fancy yarn exhibitors has increased, so I’ve found some products to source already.” Mr Wang Gaofeng, Deputy General Manager, Jiaxing Jinqie Fashion Co Ltd, China

“We mainly came to source fancy yarn this time, and we found many new options. This international show greatly expands our sourcing options. Many of our existing suppliers, including from Indonesia, exhibit at this fair so that’s why we source here. We’re satisfied with the exhibitor quality, and intend to place orders afterwards. There have been a number of new technologies presented here that left a deep impression on us.” Ms Linggar Jati Halim, Director, PT. Kartika Sinar Mulia, Indonesia

“I like this fair as it gathers exhibitors from the entire industry supply chain. As the demand for functional fabrics continues to increase, we can also see this trend in Yarn Expo. Therefore, the fair helps us to learn about the industry’s developments.” Mr Jiang Chang, Marketing Manager, Hangzhou Gaoxi Technology Co Ltd, China

The next Yarn Expo fair, the Autumn Edition, will be held at the earlier date of 27 – 29 September 2018, once again at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.