From the Sector

At the event titled "The Transformation Journey of the Turkish Apparel Industry," coordinated by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB), Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), delivered a speech. In order to strengthen their competitiveness, the Customs Union should be updated without further delay.

Mustafa Gültepe: The Customs Union in its current form is limiting rather than supporting our cooperation. We would like the ongoing technical contacts to be completed as soon as possible. Because we know that permanent competitive advantage in the EU market can only be possible with the full modernization of the Customs Union.

Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), said that the Customs Union between the European Union (EU) and Türkiye in its current form has a limiting effect rather than supporting cooperation between the parties.

Gültepe, who also holds the position of Chairman of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB), underlined that a permanent competitive edge in the EU market can only be attained through the full and comprehensive modernization of the Customs Union.

The event titled “The Transformation Journey of the Turkish Apparel Industry,” organized by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB), brought together exporters, international brands, industry professionals and experts.
In his opening remarks, Mustafa Gültepe emphasized that the apparel industry is among Türkiye’s most vital sectors, thanks to its high value-added production, employment generation, and export performance.

Highlighting the European Union as a strategic market for the Turkish apparel sector, Gültepe continued as follows:

TÜRKİYE should be included in the EU'S FTAs with third countries
“We export approximately 70 percent of our apparel products to Europe. We hold a strong position in many European markets, particularly in Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. Our strategic advantage as a nearshore supplier further reinforces our competitive standing. However, we are aware that in the medium and long term, these advantages alone will not be sufficient.

With this awareness, we are determined to accelerate our twin transformation—digital and green. We are effectively utilizing EU funds to support this transition. To date, we have secured a total of 37 million euros in grant funding from the EU for our completed and ongoing projects. 

Today, in areas such as recycling, carbon footprint reduction, digitalization, and social compliance, we have reached—or even surpassed—European standards. I have no doubt that we will successfully complete the twin transformation.

Find attached the full press release of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (İHKİB).

It’s hard to find skilled operators for spinning mills in Vietnam. Rapid industrialization is creating competition for young talents and many workers choose roles in other industries. Customer Tra Ly Hung Yen has found a partner in Trützschler to help mitigate the effects of this labor shortage and enable successful operations. 

Traditionally, yarn manufacturers need many experienced and qualified workers. However, it is difficult to attract and retain these operators. In addition, raw material fluctuations add extra challenges for all spinners. In order to produce yarn with consistent quality, it is necessary to make precise adjustments to the processing system – and this requires trained employees. A major headache for businesses in quality-driven markets like Vietnam. 

Tra Ly is one of those businesses. The company’s success is built on a longstanding reputation for quality, so labor shortages generated a potential threat to its future. The family-owned company mainly produces carded and combed cotton (Ne 20 to Ne 40) through standard and compact spinning methods. It has a production capacity of 60 tons per day, with half of that output exported to China, Pakistan or Bangladesh. To find a solution to its labor shortage, the Tra Ly team contacted its partners at Trützschler. 

The answer from Trützschler: Highly automated, self-optimizing machinery that helps to maintain consistent quality – even when processing raw materials of varying qualities. This reduces the need for manual intervention. As Do Thi Lan Phuong, Director of Tra Ly, points out: “Innovations from Trützschler offer efficient handling that frees up time for our employees. In this way, we are able to cope with labor shortages. These machines enable higher productivity, improved sliver evenness and more energy-efficient manufacturing. And working together with Trützschler is always a great experience because of their deep expertise, can-do attitude and positive energy.” 

Automatized and optimized 

Tra Ly now operates the following advanced technologies from Trützschler: 

• T-SCAN TS-T5: High-quality foreign part separation 
  This foreign part separator uses state-of-the-art sensors and image-processing technology to detect foreign parts like stems, leaf fragments or other waste – and then automatically ejects them to minimize fiber loss. The highly efficient machine is also easy to clean and maintain, even when production is running. 
• The intelligent card TC 19i with T-GO 
  Tra Ly is also benefiting from the TC 19i with T-GO, which is the world’s only proven automatic gap optimizer for carding machines. It increases quality and flexibility by self-adjusting to ensure the best possible carding gap settings in real time, even when raw materials or other production conditions fluctuate. 
• Autoleveller Draw Frame TD-10 
  Automated functions like AUTO DRAFT and OPTI SET enable this draw frame to ensure excellent yarn quality by self-optimizing the break draft and drafting point in real time. These innovations help machine operators to adapt settings for various raw material types. 
• Boosting productivity: The 12-head comber TCO 21XL 
  This machine increases productivity by about 50% because it operates 12 heads instead of a typical eight head setup, while delivering the same excellent quality. Features like COUNT MONITORING perform automatic checks on sliver count variations from a given limit, thus contributing to consistent quality. 

Fit for the future 
Tra Ly recently installed My Mill, Trützschler’s mill monitoring system. Based on real-time data from My Mill, Trützschler experts can conduct digital audits to provide on-site guidance, training and troubleshooting. Trützschler is looking forward to continuing to support Tra Ly. The Vietnamese company is excited about the ongoing collaboration, too. “Working together with Trützschler is always a great experience because of their deep expertise, can-do attitude, and positive energy,” says Do Thi Lan Phuong, Director of Tra Ly.

In the first quarter of 2025, orders for textile machinery recorded by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, showed a sharp decline compared to the same period in 2024, down 29%. The index stood at 41.8 points (base year 2021=100).

The negative result reflects both a significant contraction in the domestic market and a pronounced slowdown abroad. In Italy, orders dropped by 57%, while foreign orders fell by 25%. The index for foreign markets stood at 43.3 points, while the domestic figure dropped to 30.5 points. The order backlog at the end of the quarter ensured 3.6 months of production.

The downturn also continues when compared to the previous quarter (October-December 2024), with overall orders decreasing by 15%.

Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT, commented: “The sector started 2025 on an even weaker footing than it ended 2024. On international markets, the deep uncertainty triggered by last year’s geopolitical tensions has been further worsened by the tariff decisions implemented by the Trump administration. In the US, orders remain at a standstill as the market awaits the next steps from the President. Some glimmers of hope come from the estimates of global export data for textile machinery in the first quarter: China, India, and Pakistan—key markets for technology suppliers—show signs of recovery compared to the same period in 2024.”

In Italy, the situation is even more critical, with the orders index at its lowest level, even surpassing the slump of 2020. “We need to look beyond 2025 and call on the Government to implement targeted, structural incentives for investments in capital goods, with simple procedures that allow companies to access them quickly”, Salvadè noted.

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

From April 24 to 26, the Karachi Expo Center hosts a new edition of Igatex, Pakistan’s leading textile‑industry trade fair. At a decisive moment for the region’s manufacturing sector, Jeanologia presents its proposal for technological integration to drive modernization through automation, sustainability, and productivity.

With nearly two decades of presence in Pakistan, Jeanologia has helped transform the local production landscape by promoting competitive models based on cutting‑edge technologies such as laser, ozone, e‑Flow, and water‑recycling systems like H2Zero. Designed to be accessible to both small workshops and large corporations, these solutions have enabled more sustainable and efficient denim production—reducing water consumption by up to 85%, minimizing chemical use, and ensuring safer processes for workers.

At this year’s Igatex, Jeanologia is highlighting the potential of its laser technology to automate processes and optimize marking quality and speed—critical factors for boosting productivity and lowering cost per garment. It will unveil Compact Super, the fastest laser machine on the market, as part of its portfolio of high‑productivity solutions built on intelligence, speed, and precision—elements essential for the future of the textile sector, especially denim.

All these innovations converge in the Laundry 5.Zero model, the first denim‑finishing plant to guarantee zero pollution. Already operational in Pakistan, this solution represents the evolution from traditional factories to fully digital, scalable production systems with a neutral cost balance.

Pakistan: a strategic hub in the new global manufacturing map
With 8.5% of its GDP tied to textiles, Pakistan has established itself as a key node in the new global manufacturing map. Its favorable cost structure and robust production facilities make it a strategic destination for global textile operators. Jeanologia works closely with local mills, brands, and exporters to accelerate this transformation and reinforce the country’s leadership in the sustainable denim era.

With over 35% of the world’s five billion annual jeans produced using its technologies, the Spanish company consolidates its position as a strategic partner for brands, manufacturers, and exporters worldwide reaffirming its mission to transform the textile industry through innovation and sustainability.

By participating in Igatex 2025, Jeanologia underscores that the future of textile manufacturing lies in digitalization, automation, and sustainability—recognizing Pakistan as a pivotal hub in this transformative process.

A significant delegation of Italian textile machinery manufacturers will participate in Techtextil North America, the trade fair set to take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 6 to May 8. ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, together with Italian Trade Agency, has organized a dedicated exhibition area, where 21 Italian manufacturers will showcase their latest innovations.

The ACIMIT member companies exhibiting in the Italian pavilion include: 4M Plants, Bianco, Bonino, Color Service, Fadis, Flainox, Ima, Marzoli, Monti Antonio, Monti-Mac, Omr, Ramatex, Ramina, Reggiani Macchine, Siltex, Simet, Stalam, Tecnorama, Unitech, Zanfrini, Zappa.

The U.S. textile industry remains one of the most significant sectors within American manufacturing, with annual sales exceeding 64 billion USD and a workforce of over 500,000 employees. U.S. textile companies are among the leading investors in technology, as evidenced by the value of U.S. textile machinery imports, which amounted to approximately 1 billion USD in 2024.

For Italian manufacturers, the U.S. market ranks as the fourth largest export destination after China, Turkey, and India. In 2024, Italian exports to the United States reached 112 million euro, remaining stable compared to the previous year. “The 2025 edition of Techtextil North America,” commented Marco Salvadè, President of ACIMIT, “comes at a time of economic uncertainty for the global textile machinery industry. However, the increased number of Italian companies attending the fair, compared to recent editions, reflects a cautious optimism regarding the development of projects within the U.S. textile sector.”

Dibella has strengthened its sales team with a new sales representative since March 2025. The company is thus continuing its growth strategy and aims to further optimise its customer service.

Dennis Bujack, with over 20 years of experience in sales of contract textiles, will be available as a competent contact person for customers in future. Bujack will be responsible for exports and for the northern German region, where he will be responsible in particular for looking after existing customers and acquiring new business partners.

With his many years of expertise in advising and supporting business customers, Dennis Bujack has extensive knowledge of the requirements of the textile service sector. Most recently, he worked for one of the market-leading terry towelling manufacturers.

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 National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), National Chamber of the Textile Industry (CANAINTEX), and Canadian Textile Industry Association (CTIA) issued a joint statement urging President Donald Trump to reach a deal with Mexico and Canada to avoid imposing 25 percent tariffs on imports from these countries and to close the de minimis loophole immediately.

“All three of our countries are partners in a vital textile and apparel coproduction chain that generates $20 billion in two-way trade and helps support over 1.6 million jobs under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) — a trade deal that was negotiated during President Trump’s first term in office,” the associations said.

The U.S. textile industry ships $12.3 billion, or 53 percent, of its total global textile exports to Mexico and Canada. Those inputs come back as finished products to the United States under the USMCA.

Mexico exports $9 billion in textile and apparel to the United States. Mexico is the 4th largest exporter of textiles and the 6th largest exporter of apparel to the United States.

Canada exports approximately $1.8 billion in textiles and apparel to the United States and Mexico, with the United States being the destination for 64 percent of its total global textile export, including high-quality flame-resistant materials and medical equipment including PPE.

“While we fully support President Trump’s efforts to stem illegal migration and to address the fentanyl crisis as quickly as possible, we urge the administration to refrain from imposing penalty tariffs on imports from USMCA partners. We are focused on ensuring a normalized trading relationship between our countries,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas. “Imposing penalty tariffs on imports from critical U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) partners will only serve to benefit China and other Asian countries that don’t play by the rules and to harm the U.S. textile industry and manufacturers in our Western Hemisphere supply chains.”

“As part of any deal with Mexico, Canada—and China—we also call on the Trump administration to end the de minimis tariff exemption immediately for imports from all countries. This loophole in U.S. trade law, which allows imports valued at $800 or less to enter the United States duty-free hurts our textile and apparel industries, rewards countries like China, and helps facilitate the flow of illegal and toxic products, such as fentanyl and fentanyl precursors into the U.S. market,” Glas added.

“Despite steps taken by our countries to prevent the importation of goods that are undervalued, made with forced labor or transshipped, we have seen firsthand how the Asian market has gained an unfair advantage through predatory trade practices, displacing companies and workers in our industries and undermining our critical coproduction chain,” said Rafael Zaga Saba President of CANAINTEX.

“Canada is seeking to preserve our strong coproduction chain with Mexico and the United States which spurs investment, trade and employment in our three countries,” said Jeff Ayoub, Chairman of the Board of CTIA. “These additional tariffs would harm our industries and workers, and we urge President Trump stop these expected tariffs from being imposed.”

“We look forward to working closely with the Trump administration and continuing to educate officials about the adverse impact of penalty tariffs on imports from Western Hemisphere countries and de minimis on our industries and workers, while highlighting the critical nature of our strong coproduction chain, which contributes to our overall investment, job growth, and economic stability,” the associations jointly added.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

• U.S. employment in the textile and apparel supply chain was 501,755 in 2023.
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $64.8 billion in 2023.
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $29.7 billion in 2023.
• Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.27 billion in 2021, the last year for which data is available.

CANAINTEX is a Mexico City-based trade association representing Mexican textile producers.

• The textile industry in Mexico provides over 1.1 million jobs.
• Mexican textile exports are projected to reach 9 billion USD in 2024.
• Mexico is the 4th largest exporter of textiles and the 6th largest exporter of apparel to the United States.
• One out of every three pairs of pants sold in the U.S. is made in Mexico.
• With 36% domestic content in its exports, the textile industry generates the highest value-added of any manufacturing sector in the country.

CTIA represents domestic textile manufacturers across Canada, advocating for policies that support innovation, sustainability, and growth in the sector.

• The Canadian textile industry employs approximately 30,000 textile and apparel workers.
• The total value of shipments for Canadian textiles and apparel was approximately C$7.5 billion in 2023.
• Canada exported approximately US$2.66 billion in textiles in 2023, with 64% (US$1.71 billion) going to the United States.

Garment Tech Istanbul 2025, the comprehensive exhibition of the garment and ready-to-wear sector, will host global brands of sewing machines and the latest technologies. Manufacturers including Juki, Yuki, Brother, Dürkopp Adler, Pfaff Industrial, Pegasus, Siruba will exhibit hundreds of types of sewing machines such as industrial and household, automatic, zigzag, chain, overlock and interlock at Garment Tech Istanbul 2025.

During the 4-day exhibition, visitors will be able to experience the functionality of different sewing machines equipped with innovative designs, high efficiency and user-friendly features, get information from experts and discover industry trends.

Sewing Machine Sales to Gain Momentum
As of January-June 2024, Turkiye's sewing machine exports increased by 10.15% to USD 1.608 billion. Among these, the export volume of industrial sewing machines reached 2.28 million units. Among the largest markets, India, Vietnam, Pakistan and Brazil stand out, with exports to Pakistan in particular showing a huge increase of 160.46%. Turkiye's exports in Asia, Latin America and Africa showed strong growth, while its markets in Europe and North America declined slightly. Garment Tech Istanbul will significantly contribute to strengthening sales and international exports by increasing interest in Turkiye's sewing machinery sector.
The Garment Tech Istanbul; Garment, Embroidery Machines Spare Parts and Sub-Industry Exhibition, which will be held at the Istanbul Fair Center (IFM) between June 25-28, will increase interest in Turkiye's sewing machines sector and make a significant contribution to the strengthening of sales and international exports. Participating companies will have the opportunity to start new collaborations as well as increase brand awareness.

The sewing machine sector has evolved rapidly in recent years with many technological innovations. Digital and smart machines allow users to easily select sewing patterns, and adjust speed settings and automatic thread insertion, while automated sewing functions make things faster and more error-free. Automation systems in industrial machines make production processes more efficient. While machines run quieter thanks to electric motors, IoT technology enables remote monitoring of machines and more efficient management of maintenance processes.

The exhibition, where local and foreign manufacturers focusing on R&D and innovation will meet global buyers, will host industry professionals looking to implement new technologies and direct their investments. Company managers who want to produce flawless garments quickly and cost-effectively, increase their capacity and expand their machinery will be able to experience many sewing machine functions and direct their investments at Garment Tech Istanbul Exhibition.