From the Sector

From 16 – 18 August 2023, 1,022 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions will occupy four halls and 100,000 sqm gross at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). This Autumn Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will return to its regular format, as a comprehensive platform held separately from Messe Frankfurt’s other autumn textile fairs. Complementing the strong lineup of exhibitors over all three days, a varied selection of fringe events will communicate key insights, offer industry specific inspiration, and facilitate cross-sector exchanges for fairgoers.

Buyers from 66 countries and regions have already pre-registered for the show, while a range of international brands are preparing to showcase their latest innovations. Multiple exhibitors will gather according to origin, with three country and region pavilions a must-see for fairgoers seeking exotic home textiles:

• Belgium Pavilion: products on show include bedding fabrics and sets, curtains and curtain fabrics, sofa covers, upholstery, and much more. With the pavilion set to feature a number of Belgian brands, its highlighted exhibitors are Libeco and Love Home Fabrics.
• Taiwan (China) Pavilion: multiple Taiwanese exhibitors, including JWL Fabrics Co Ltd, Maxland Home Textile Industrial Co Ltd, and Vanttex International Co Ltd, will demonstrate specific examples of the varied applications of their home textiles.
• Türkiye Pavilion: organised by Uludag Textile Exporters’ Association (UTIB), the pavilion will showcase a range of curtains, upholstery fabrics, and other home textiles, from suppliers such as Aleran Tekstil Inşaat Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Şti, Küçükçalik Tekstil San Ve Tic A Ş and Weavers Tekstil San Ve Tic A Ş.

Beyond the pavilions, buyers can easily locate their desired home and contract textiles via conveniently placed product zones, covering categories such as curtain and curtain fabrics; sun protection and window shades; upholstery and sofa fabrics; furniture leather; bedding and editors; loungewear and bath; and rugs. Wide-ranging suppliers from China and beyond will showcase their various products, featuring international exhibitors such as Elastron – Leather & Fabrics, Morgan and PT Sinar Continental; and well-known domestic manufacturers including Hangzhou Aico Home Textile Co Ltd, Huatex International (Hangzhou) Co Ltd and Zhe Jiang Maya Fabric Co Ltd.

Fringe programme: keeping fairgoers up-to-date with range of industry developments
Business exchange at Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will once again be supplemented by multiple concurrent events, for home textile players to learn more about the latest industry innovations, as well as upcoming design trends. These include:

• International Intertextile Trend Forum 2023–2024: held in the afternoon of day one, the event will be hosted by a prominent member of the ‘2023 – 2024 Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend’ trend committee, Mr Shen Lei, joined on the panel by multiple designers. They will discuss various impacts on designs, such as sustainability’s effect, the influence of emerging technologies, and international integration and localised expression.
• IKASAS Japanese Home Design Gallery and themed seminar: the leading Japanese furniture brand IKASAS will utilise a display area to illustrate its unique design philosophy, by showcasing innovative furniture products that predominantly align with contemporary trends. The company’s founder, Mr Akiyuki Sasaki, will delve deeper into his design views in a seminar held on the morning of day one.
• The New Power of Healthy Home Decoration Environment: a first-time collaboration with CRECC Full Decoration Council, the cross-sector conference in Hall 5.1 on day two will welcome keynote speakers from the real estate industry, to discuss topical insights at the intersection of realty and home textiles. The audience will come away with a widened scope of the different applications and demands of home textiles, and an ability to more accurately identify business opportunities within the property market.

From 9 to 11 August 2023, IFCO, Istanbul Fashion Connection will be held for the fourth time at the Istanbul Expo Center at 6 Halls. The fashion fair is organised by ITKIB Fairs, a subsidiary of Istanbul Apparel Exporter's Association, the umbrella organisation of the Turkish fashion and apparel industry.

IFCO has developed into a hub for fashion enthusiasts, designers, buyers and trendsetters and has established itself as an important international platform for the global fashion industry. IFCO brings together around 400 exhibitors from all product groups of the apparel and fashion industry under one roof in six clearly structured halls: womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, denim, sportswear, evening and occasion wear, bridal wear, lingerie, hosiery, leather and fur, shoes and accessories.

From high-end tailoring to streetwear and sustainable fashion, the fair will present a wide range of styles and trends. IFCO Brands present market leaders such as İpekyol, Climber, Damat, Kiğılı, B&G Store, Lufian, Jakamen, NaraMaxx, Giovane Gentile and Lee Cooper using IFCOto further expand their international network.

THE CORE ISTANBUL, successfully launched at IFCO in February, once again features a fascinating mix of established and emerging important Turkish designerswith their creative and innovative creations.

One focus of the fair will be the topic of sustainability. Companies will show their innovations. Ekoteks, the association's sustainability laboratory, supports the development of sustainable production and will also have a stand at IFCO to present the latest developments in this area.

The extensive supporting program with fashion shows and trend zones inspires visitors with the latest fashion trends and styles, while the seminars and workshops address current topics in the fashion industry such as digital transformation, smart clothing, technical textiles and sustainability.

30,000 visitors from more than 100 countries are expected at the upcoming IFCO, mainly from the EU, UK, Eastern Europe, CIS, North Africa, Middle East and the USA. The show also offers networking events, such as B2B Speed Dating, which brings together fashion designers, brands, manufacturers, buyers and industry experts to exchange ideas and forge potential business relationships. This is an important aspect of the fair that has helped to position Istanbul Fashion Connection as a key meeting place for the fashion industry.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry, announces the publication of a new study, North American Nonwoven Materials Annual Study 2022.

Based on actual surveys and interviews with producers, enhancing the accuracy and relevance, this study tracks machine additions, closures, and productivity improvements. This study is the industry benchmark for capacity and production information for North America and provides an estimate of operating rates, based on nameplate machine capacity, through the year 2022. The 72-page study contains 43 figures and 11 tables.

Findings from this year’s study include:

• North American capacity continues to increase with investments being made across all the processes and for a variety of end-uses. The industry’s nameplate capacity utilization has increased year-over-year, for the fifth consecutive year.
• In 2022, capacity of nonwovens in North America reached 5.565 million tonnes, an increase from the previous year of 2.4% (net growth of 128,700 tonnes) and an improvement over the previous year’s growth rate of 1.8%.
• North American imports, in tonnage, decreased 24.3% in 2022 and exports decreased 16.3% due to market stabilization after COVID. Nonwoven production tends to stay within the region, so the net trade balance (imports less exports) accounted for less than 5.5% of the region’s capacity.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry, announces the publication of a new study, North American Nonwoven Materials Annual Study 2022.

Based on actual surveys and interviews with producers, enhancing the accuracy and relevance, this study tracks machine additions, closures, and productivity improvements. This study is the industry benchmark for capacity and production information for North America and the only publication that provides an estimate of operating rates, based on nameplate machine capacity, through the year 2022. The 72-page study contains 43 figures and 11 tables.

“An element of INDA’s mission is to provide credible statistics to the nonwovens and engineered materials industry,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA President. “Our objective is to continually improve the quality of data and industry information. We feel the industry will greatly benefit from this in-depth resource for strategic planning and investment purposes,” Fragnito added.

The complete study is provided to producers who supplied key metrics. The Executive Summary, an overview of the findings and implications, will be offered to current INDA members on a complimentary basis.

The detailed study is available for purchase, with members receiving a discount.

Findings from this year’s study include:

• North American capacity continues to increase with investments being made across all the processes and for a variety of end-uses. The industry’s nameplate capacity utilization has increased year-over-year, for the fifth consecutive year.
• In 2022, capacity of nonwovens in North America reached 5.565 million tonnes, an increase from the previous year of 2.4% (net growth of 128,700 tonnes) and an improvement over the previous year’s growth rate of 1.8%.
• North American imports, in tonnage, decreased 24.3% in 2022 and exports decreased 16.3% due to market stabilization after COVID. Nonwoven production tends to stay within the region, so the net trade balance (imports less exports) accounted for less than 5.5% of the region’s capacity.

“2022 was a period of economic adjustment and stabilization,” said Mark Snider, Chief Market & Industry Analyst. “We’re seeing a controlled and consistent transition back to pre-pandemic levels of nonwoven growth.”

"Policy makers need to consider that global dimension."
 
EURATEX released its 2023 Spring Report, which analyses latest trade flows for textiles and clothing products.

In 2022, EU trade in textiles and clothing has exceeded, for the first time in history, the €200 billion mark. This record growth of total trade is mainly due to a sharp increase of clothing imports (+36,6% in value), especially from China and Bangladesh, which outweighs Europe’s positive export performance. As a result, the EU’s trade deficit in textiles and clothing has increased to €70 billion, which is 48% higher than the year before.

Such a growing deficit is a cause for concern; the objective of the EU’s Industrial Strategy to strengthen resilience and “strategic autonomy” is not happening. Instead, the dependency has increased, and becomes critical in certain raw materials and fibres.

It also challenges the Commission’s ambition is to promote – and prevail – high quality and sustainable textile products on the Single Market – regardless where they have been produced. With imports now reaching €140 billion, it will be a challenge to effectively control the quality and compliance over these imports. Market surveillance will need to be stepped up massively, without becoming a barrier to trade.

The efforts on the EU’s export performance need to be strengthened, so as to rebalance the European trade relations with the rest of the world. EU companies are world leader in high end fashion products and in technical textiles. More needs to be done to support their activities in established markets but also emerging economies. For instance, the ongoing FTA negotiations with India should focus on improving market access and ensure “fair” competition with local companies.

The EURATEX Spring Report highlights significant differences between trade in value and in volume. EU’s export of textile products has increased by 13% in value, but actually dropped by nearly 7% in volume. This obviously reflects the very high inflation figures from last year, caused initially by the rising energy prices and changing central bank policies. This in turn leads to uncertainty with the consumer, resulting in low demand and gloomy prospects for the entire value chain.

Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented on these latest figures: “This report confirms once again that “textiles” is one of the most globalised sectors of the European economy, and hence the importance of taking that global dimension into account, when designing EU and national policies. Failing to do so may have a devastating effect on the global competitiveness of the European textile industry.

Looking forward, he added: “It is essential to stabilise inflation, restore consumer confidence and ensure a level playing field for all operators in the textile industry. On that basis, European companies can prosper and offer quality jobs to 1.3 million workers”.

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Predo Health Products Inc, Türkiye, for delivery of two high-speed hygiene converting lines to produce adult open diapers and feminine sanitary napkins. With this investment, Predo is entering the growing adult and femcare market. The company already operates four baby diaper lines from ANDRITZ.

The two state-of-the-art lines are designed for high-speed production and contain the most advanced forming technology for absorbent core and SAP (superabsorbent polymers) dosing. Based on their flexibility and user-friendly configuration, Predo will be able to produce a wide range of different product compositions and sizes. In addition, the lines are designed for zero waste production. This will enable Predo to produce high-performing products with a sustainable approach.

The lines will be installed in Predo’s factory in Gaziantep, with start-up scheduled for the first half of 2024.

Predo is one of the leading manufacturers of baby care products and is expanding its business to other hygiene sectors. The company exports to 55 countries across the globe.

International technology group ANDRITZ has delivered, installed, and commissioned a mechanical textile recycling line and an airlay line at Novafiber’s nonwovens production mill in Palín, Guatemala. Both lines have been successfully operating since December 2022.

The recycling line – the second tearing line ANDRITZ supplied to Novafiber – processes post-industrial textile waste from Central America. The recycled fibers feed the latest ANDRITZ Flexiloft airlay line, which produces nonwoven end-products for the bedding and furniture industries – a true example of a circular textile-to-nonwoven approach. The production process ensures complete material use as a state-of-the-art edge trim recycling system returns any waste directly to the tearing and/or airlay line.

This combination of ANDRITZ tearing and airlay lines allows Novafiber to process large amounts of post-industrial garments, controlling the supply chain from raw material to final product. In addition, it enables energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint due to the reduction of shipments.

Based in Palín, Novafiber is a leading company in Guatemala for producing nonwovens from post-industrial textile waste for both the local market and export.

• Third edition of Texhibition Istanbul will take place from 8-10 March 2023 at the Istanbul Expo Center
• Organizers focus on growth: more than 25,000 international visitors are targeted for March 2023
• More than 400 exhibitors show fabrics, yarns and accessories at the Istanbul Expo Center
• Trend seminars and trend area with special focus on sustainability presents the trends for spring/summer 2024

The third edition of Texhibition Istanbul Fabric, Yarn and Textile Accessories Fair, 8-10 March 2023 builds on the successful editions of the fair last year. The fair is organized by the Istanbul Textile Exporters' Association (ITHIB) and with the support of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC).

More than 400 exhibitors from the areas of knitwear, woven fabrics, denim, yarns and accessories will present their 2024 spring-summer collections on 15,000 square meters in the Istanbul Expo Center. These include well-known names such as Kipaş, Bossa, Yünsa, Btd, Çalık, Hefa, İskur, Universal, Gülle, and Migiboy.

At the last event in September 2022, a total of 20,606 visitors took the opportunity to start business discussions and place orders. Among them international visitors from 97 countries, including the EU, UK, USA, North Africa and the Middle East. Over 25,000 visitors are expected at the upcoming Texhibition in March 2023 such as large clothing manufacturers, purchasing managers of international chain stores and department stores, managers of international brands and chains with their own brand collections, managers of online sales platforms, importers, wholesalers, distributors, designers, etc.

The trend area at Texhibition will show the spring-summer 2024 trends with a focus on sustainable aspects.

Texhibition Istanbul completes the IFCO, Istanbul Fashion Connection, which takes place from 8.-11. February 2023, also for the third time at the Istanbul Expo Center.

Price Trends

• The nearby cotton futures contract on the Intercontinental Exchange was down just 1% in December and closed the year at $1.84 per kilogram. A year earlier, the March contract closed at $2.30 per kilogram.  
  
  Cotton futures have been inverted for nearly three years because of supply chain disruptions that prevented normal on-time deliveries of international shipments. With the easing of container shortages and increased sailings, cotton futures are gradually reverting to the normal pattern in which contracts for forward delivery exceed nearby contracts by the cost of insurance, storage and interest between delivery months. The May and July 2023 contracts also finished 2022 at $1.84 per kilogram. In November, the May and July contracts were each several cents per kilogram lower than the March contract.
• The Eastern Market Indicator of prices for fine wool in Australia rose 9% in December to US$9.06 per kilogram. A year earlier, the EMI was $9.66. Australian analysts note that sheep for meat, cattle, and grain production, are competing alternatives for the use of land, and wool prices must continue upward if production is to be maintained in 2023.
• Prices quoted by the Indian Jute Balers Association (JBA) at the end of December converted to US$ fell 2% from a month earlier to an average of 74 cents per kilogram. The decline occurred entirely because of a weakening exchange rate. Prices in Rupee rose marginally. A year earlier, quoted prices averaged 84 cents per kilogram. The 16-percent decline year-on-year was caused about equally by a decline in quoted prices in Rupee and a weakening of the exchange rate.  
  
  The Indian jute industry is almost entirely focused on domestic demand, while half of total demand in Bangladesh comes from exports. Because of shortages of higher quality jute, export prices in Bangladesh are reportedly rising.
  (https://www.wgc.de/en/produkte/jute)
  
  India extended the anti-dumping duty at the end of December on jute and jute products imported from Bangladesh and Nepal for a period of five years. Bangladesh had urged the Indian government not to accept recommendations for extension, while the Indian industry was lobbying to ensure the duty remained in place. The duty rates range from approximately $6 per tonne at current exchange rates for low-quality fibres to $350 per tonne for finished products. The duty was originally imposed in January 2017 and was to expire at the end of 2022.
• Prices of silk in China rose 2% during December to US$28.0 per kilogram. Prices in yuan fell marginally during the month, but the RMB rose 3% against the USD. Prices of textile-grade silk in China were essentially unchanged at the end of 2022 compared with the end of 2021. However, prices closed 2022 about 40% above the average level pre-Covid. https://www.sunsirs.com/uk/prodetail-322.html and  https://businessanalytiq.com/procurementanalytics/index/raw-silk-price-index/ .
• Coconut coir fibre in India quoted in US$ remained in a narrow range, averaging $0.205 per kilogram in December. Prices in Rupee have been stable, and changes in dollar prices reflect changes in the exchange rate.

 
Production
 
World Natural Fibre Production in 2022 is estimated as of early January at 32 million tonnes, approximately one million below production in 2021 and down 900,000 tonnes compared with the estimate in early December.

World cotton production is estimated at 24.2 million tonnes in 2022/23 (August to July), 700,000 tonnes lower than in 2021/22 (ICAC.org). World cotton production rose from 20 million tonnes to 25 million between 2020/21 and 2005/06, but there has been no growth in the nearly two decades since.  
 
World production of jute is forecast down nearly 400,000 tonnes in 2022 because of inadequate rainfall during the harvest period to permit proper retting. Production in India is estimated up by 100,000 tonnes to 1.7 million tonnes, but production in Bangladesh fell by nearly one-third to just one million tonnes.
 
Production of coir, flax and sisal in 2022 are each estimated based on recent trends. Coir and flax have each been trending upward over the past decade, while world sisal production has been largely stable.

World wool production is forecast up 5% in 2022 to 1.09 million tonnes (clean), the highest since 2018. The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee issued its third estimate of 2022/23 production in December, keeping the estimate unchanged from September. Above-average rainfall in Australia, and across most of the Southern Hemisphere, is resulting in better pasture conditions and a rebuilding of sheep numbers. Sheep numbers shorn in Australia are climbing from 67 million in 2020/21 to 72 million in 2021/22 and to an estimated 75 million in 2022/23. https://www.wool.com/market-intelligence/wool-production-forecasts/  
 
According to the International Sericulture Commission (https://www.inserco.org/), silk production in China dropped from 170,000 tonnes in 2015 to 53,000 in 2020, with further declines estimated during Covid. Consequently, world silk production dropped from 202,000 tonnes in 2015 to 92,000 in 2020, and estimates of production during 2022 remain below 100,000 tonnes.

Monforts will be presenting its finishing technologies at the forthcoming Igatex textile machinery exhibition, which takes place from December 1-4 at the Lahore Expo Centre in Pakistan.

The importance of the textile industry to Pakistan’s economy cannot be overstated – it accounts for 60% of the country’s overall exports and some of its industry’s players are very major employers. In the year to June 2022, Pakistan’s textile exports climbed by 25% to a record value of $19.3 billion according to the country’s Bureau of Statistics, as security of deliveries – especially to Europe and the USA – worked in the country’s favour, in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain issues. It has a key role to play in quickly getting the country back on its feet after the devastation.

Monforts customers in the regions around the country’s three biggest cities of Karachi, Lahore and Faisalbad include all of the main players in the fields of home textiles and denim production, including Afroze, , Al Karam Artistic Milliners, Azgard-9, Crestex, , Gul Ahmed, Interloop, Liberty Mills, Lucky Textile Mills, Mustaqim, Naveena (NDL), Rajby Industries, Sapphire Finishing, Soorty, Style Textile and US Denim.

These companies rely on established Monforts technologies including Montex stentering equipment, Monfortex sanforizing units and Thermex dyeing ranges. The company’s Matex Eco Applicator minimum application system has also proved a big hit in recent years.

Monforts has also achieved considerable success in Pakistan with its Econtrol®* dyeing system  – an effective and established dyeing process. More than 40 Thermex continuous dyeing ranges have been installed in Pakistan in recent years and operator training on the Econtrol®* process by sophisticated technologists is an additional service.

The Econtrol® pad-dry process has a number of immediate benefits. Compared to the common pad-dry-pad-steam process, no salt is used and no steamer is required for a separate fixation step. Compared to the pad-dry-thermofix process, no urea is used and no smoke or deposits are generated, and unlike with the cold pad batch process, direct feedback of the dyeing results ensures no batching time is necessary and guarantees good reproducibility from the lab to bulk production.

An immediate wash off is also unnecessary, allowing for flexible production planning. The process is suitable for pale to dark shades with very good fastness properties. Also waste water treatment is improved by this technology.

*Econtrol is a registered mark of Dystar Colours Distribution GmbH.