Cotton arrival up 4.08% at Pakistani ginneries thi

4/2/2014 12:00:00 AM

March 27, 2014 (Pakistan)

Cotton arrival at ginneries in Pakistan increased by 4.08 percent year-on-year to 13.369 million bales as on March 15, 2014, according to the consolidated statement of cotton arrivals in factories of Pakistan, prepared by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA), using data collected with joint cooperation of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA).   The data shows total cotton arrivals growing by 1.78 percent year-on-year to 9.614 million bales in Punjab province, and by 10.47 percent year-on-year to 3.755 million bales in Sindh province.   Of the total arrival of 13.369 million bales, around 13.357 million bales were pressed by ginners, of which 12.518 million bales were sold, leaving an unsold stock of 838,964 bales with the ginners, as on March 15, the PCGA said.   The textile mills in Pakistan consumed 12.148 million bales, while another 369,673 bales of cotton were sold to exporters, the data showed.   As on March 15, 2014, a total of 39 ginning factories were operational in Punjab compared to 129 ginneries that were operational during the same time last season.   Similarly, 3 ginning units were operational in the Sindh region, as against 9 units being operational during the corresponding period last year.   Earlier this month, APTMA Punjab formed an ad-hoc committee to address issues like quality and weight deviations in cotton bales received from the Indian side via Wagah border.   Meanwhile, the third meeting of Pakistan’s Federal Committee on Cotton (FCC) has fixed the country’s cotton production target at 15.1 million bales of 170 kg each for 2014-15 season.

BGMEA demands duty waiver for garment exports to U

7/25/2013 12:00:00 AM

US Senators urge Obama to suspend Bangladesh GSP s

6/27/2013 12:00:00 AM

) Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Robert Casey (D-PA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Carl Levin (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) urged President Obama to do all within his power to pressure Bangladesh to support safer working conditions. The senators urged the Administration to suspend trade preferences for Bangladesh until it makes marked progress on efforts to ensure worker safety. Last month, more than 1,100 workers were killed, and hundreds of others permanently disabled, when the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed. “It is essential to stop the „race to the bottom? among clothing brands, hunting for the cheapest place to make clothing without regard to the cost in human life or the cost to American jobs,” Harkin said. “Until workplaces in Bangladesh are safer, until their workers are making more than a pittance, until workers are able to effectively organize and speak out against fundamentally abusive work practices, then our government should not give trade preferences to any products from Bangladesh.” “President Obama must do everything in his power to prevent tragedies like the Bangladesh factory collapse from happening again,” Brown said. “For several years, labor unions and workers? rights groups have documented safety and workers? rights violations in Bangladesh, which went unheeded. "More than 1,100 lives could have been saved if the public and private sectors stepped up. It?s time our government takes a strong stand and works with the Bangladesh government and the private sector to prevent future tragedies.” “Lax labor standards put workers at risk and perpetuate an uneven playing field making it difficult or impossible for American workers to compete as companies search the global labor market for the lowest bidder,” Casey said. “U.S. trade policy can?t turn a blind eye to these transgressions. With additional trade fights on the agenda, the Administration must set an example.” “The Rana Plaza incident was tragic and avoidable. We must not stand by while workers labor in deadly conditions to feed their families,” Cardin said. “The U.S. market accounts for 30 percent of Bangladesh?s apparel exports, so we have a responsibility to act. After more than 23 years of pressure on Bangladesh to improve safety and workers? rights with little progress, it is time for us to take more decisive steps until it can provide

Gap Lifts Profit View, Aeropostale Back-to-School

9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

Gap Inc's quarterly profit rose 28.6 percent as the clothing retailer's sales improved, and the company raised its full-year profit forecast.Gap, the third-biggest clothing retailer in the world after Zara owner Inditex and H&M owner Hennes & Mauritz AB , has in the last year won renewed favor from shoppers in North America, where sales at its Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy chains rose during the quarter.

Nike Prices to Rise on Cost Surge

9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

• The sportswear maker Nike Inc will increase the price of its shoes and apparel by 5 to 10 percent, Guangzhou Daily newspaper reported. As is known, Nike will introduce the most expensive sports shoes ever - the 10th generation LeBron basketball shoes - this autumn. They are expected to be sold for $315. Analysts said the rising cost of raw materials and transportation in the past two years has put great pressure on the apparel giant.

Ross' Comps Retain Momentum

9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

Ross Stores Inc. ( ROST ), one of the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain retailers in the U.S., came up with stronger-than-expected sales and same-store sales numbers for the four weeks ended August 25, 2012.

Driven by strong consumer demand for the company's wide array of brands during the back-to-school sales season, Ross Stores' comparable store sales for August increased 8% compared with 4% in the prior-year period ended on August 27, 2011

US Cotton Jumps as Isaac Brings Rain, Wind to Crop

9/4/2012 12:00:00 AM

Pak courts for Preferential trade status from U.S

3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM

The US State Department has indicated during the past two weeks that it may extend additional trade preferences to Pakistan, opening up the country for increased textile export activity.
In response to statements by Pakistani ambassador Sherry Rehman about the need for Pakistan to be given additional trade preference, US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated that the State Department is “[continuing] to work with Congress to find ways of extending........

Misc latest Apparel news

3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM

Adidas Difficult to Meet India 30 pc Sourcing Clause in Retail

Expressing concern over the 30 per cent sourcing clause for foreign firms to operate single brand stores in India independently, global sportswear major Adidas says the condition will be difficult to meet for it as well as its sister concern Reebok."The clause of 30 per cent mandatory sourcing from small and medium enterprises is a concern. We are studying the policy changes in detail, but the sourcing part is something that is difficult for us to follow," Adidas India Managing Director Subhinder Singh Prem told.

Read More: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-03-02/news/31117126_1_sourcing-subhinder-singh-prem-adidas-india-managing-director

Inditex: Bullet-Proof Company For Good And Bad Times

Unique Business Model

The company's distinguishing factor from its main competitors is the unique business model. It doesn't do traditional advertising even when entering new markets. It has attractive stores in prime locations and new collection items are in stores twice a week. The distribution is fully centralized in Spain, with shipments to all stores worldwide twice a week. By this way, each store manager can adapt the offer for the local customer preference.

The suppliers are manly based in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This gives extra flexibility to change store offers quickly if sales disappoint. The company only commits to 60% of its product range at the beginning of each season, leaving 40% open to buy. This is approximately twice as much as the competition and directly benefits markdown costs and reduces fashion risk.
Additionally, having eight different formats it has less......

Read More: http://seekingalpha.com/article/404881-inditex-bullet-proof-company-for-good-and-bad-times

Nike Partners with DyeCoo Textile Systems to Develop Waterless Textile Dyeing Technology

Following a trend established by other US-based clothing brands such as Levis, Nike is reducing the amount of water used in its textile production.

 The Oregon-based athletic-wear giant announced recently that it had partnered with Netherlands-based DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V. in order to begin manufacturing its textile products via a waterless dyeing technique. DyeCoo (a portmanteau of “dyeing” and “CO2”) employs carbon dioxide in its dying process in order to eliminate the nearly 150-liters of water required to process......

Read More: http://www.sourcingjournalonline.com/nike-partners-dyecoo-textile-systems-develop-waterless-textile-dyeing-technology

Can J.C. Penney Become 'America's Favorite Store?'

J.C. Penney’s new strategy—which some deem visionary while others question its wisdom—challenges many of the assumptions behind the modus operandi of many fashion retailers
This issue is the retailer’s desire to be “a store for all Americans—rich and poor, young and old, rural and suburban.”[i] While this goal cannot be faulted for lack of ambition, it goes against the conventional wisdom that it is difficult to succeed by trying to be everything to everybody. In fact, many companies have failed because of their unwillingness to “give up” serving some customers in order to better fulfill the needs of others...

Read More: http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2012/02/27/can-j-c-penney-become-americas-favorite-store/

Walmart Struggles with Apparel Sales

Apparel has been a weak spot for retail low-cost leader Walmart for several years. Consumers who appreciate private-label discounts on a gallon of milk or loaf of bread have been largely unwilling to walk across the aisle to purchase clothing, outside of socks and tee-shirts.

Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. recently posted weaker same-store sales in its apparel division amid the busiest shopping season of the year. The company blamed the lackluster results on a mild winter that crimped demand for items such as coats and sweaters.

Analysts say “back to basics” makes Walmart apparel a misfit of sorts, among other discount apparel retailers.

Read More: http://www.thecitywire.com/node/20626

More Pakistani Raw Cotton for India

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

Pakistan has agreed to increase the supply of raw cotton to India by Rs150 lakhs against the supply of coal from that country. The new arrangement raises the present ceiling of raw cotton for two years from Rs300 lakhs to Rs450 lakhs.

Consequently, the total value of goods to be exchanged under the special agreement now stands at Rs960 lakhs as against Rs810 previously agreed to.

From the Indian side came the assurance to examine on a priority basis Pakistan’s proposal or diverting a part of the rail-borne quota of coal from West to East Pakistan.

The arrangements were announced in a joint communiqué after the completion of the Indo-Pakistan trade talks simultaneously in Karachi and New Delhi.

Read More: http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/24/more-pakistani-raw-cotton-for-india.html

Stores See Busy, But Not Bang-Up Christmas Eve

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

Retailers saw a steady flow of last-minute shoppers on Saturday, the day before Christmas, putting a moderate cap on a pre-holiday season that started with a bang and has since waned.

Industry watchers are forecasting a stronger holiday shopping season than expected, fueled by deep discounts at the start of the season, unusually warm and dry weather, a late Hanukkah, and an extra shopping day.

On the last shopping day before Christmas, the scene at several malls in different parts of the country was busy, but neither shoppers nor retailers seemed overwhelmed.
“The last-minute Charlies have come out,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group. “Stores are busy, but not bustling.”

China Announces Currency Swap with Pakistan

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

China announced a currency swap with Pakistan on Saturday in a new step to gradually expand use of its tightly controlled yuan abroad.

Beijing has begun allowing limited use of yuan in trade with Hong Kong and Southeast Asia in a move that could help to boost exports. It has signed swap currency deals with central banks in Thailand, Argentina and some other countries.

The Chinese central bank said it agreed Friday with its Pakistani counterpart to swap 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) for 140 billion Pakistani rupees. It said the money would promote investment and trade but gave no details of how it would be used.

Such agreements give central banks access to each other’s currency but commercial banks still need to create systems to issue letters of credit and handle other transactions in those currencies before companies can use them.

Egypt Agreed to Export 1,775 Metric Tons of Cotton

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

Egypt agreed to export 1,775 metric tons of cotton in the week ending Dec. 22, the Alexandria Cotton Exporters Association said in its weekly bulletin today.

Egypt produces the world’s finest extra-long staple cotton, which is stronger and softer than shorter staple cotton, and is used in high-end clothing. Switzerland, Bangladesh and India are the largest importers of Egyptian cotton.

S Korea Wants Vietnamese Workers

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

The Republic of Korea still requires a large number of Vietnamese guest labourers despite some minor labour issues, the Vietnamese envoy to that country has said.

The Vietnamese ambassador in Seoul, Tran Trong Toan, said around 15,000 Vietnamese workers went to South Korea this year, representing 32 per cent of all the relegated labour in the country.

“These figures show that the RoK needs Vietnamese guest workers who are considered hard-working, sharp-witted, and quick learners.

“South Korea remains one of the biggest markets for Vietnamese guest labour.”
South Korea has a minimum wage of 900,000 won, or US$900, per month while Vietnamese workers and sailors can earn $1,000-1,500 and $1,600-1,800, respectively.

Sri Lanka Becomes Attractive Textile Investment De

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

The Sri Lankan apparel industry spends more than 60 percent of the amount it generates through exports, on imports of key raw materials like yarn and fabrics.

This presents an opportunity for the highly developed textile industry in neighbouring countries like India and Pakistan to invest in the Sri Lankan textile sector.

Of the US $4 billion it generated through clothing exports, the island imported raw materials to the tune of $2.5 billion.

The Sri Lankan garment industry has established itself as a global supplier of high-end fashion clothing to retailers like, which has helped it establish itself as a high-end garment producer of garments servicing leading international brands.

These global buyers include well-known retailers and brands as Victoria’s Secret, Marks and Spencer, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie and Fitch, Gap, Ann Taylor, etc.

European Financial Woes Likely to Cut India’s Appa

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

The Eurozone crisis has hit apparel exports the most. Though the United States is showing a marginal recovery in recent times, orders from Europe have gone down significantly. Orders from Italy and Spain have almost become nil and could reduce India’s total apparel exports by 15%.

Indian textile exports hover around $25 billion. Of this, apparel alone contributes $13 billion and the rest $12 billion comprises yarn, fabric and made-ups. Fabric export is expected to be down by 5% in the current fiscal.

“Europe, the largest buyer of Indian apparels, is in doldrums. Italy and Spain are buying much less. US is a bit better than Europe and there has been some recovery in demand. We are expecting a 15% drop in apparel exports,” said Premal Udani, chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).

Read More: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/european-financial-woes-likely-to-cut-apparel-exports-by-15/articleshow/11262528.cms

China Hikes Minimum Wage to Attract Migrant Worker

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

China is hiking minimum wages to attract migrant workers who are staying away from manufacturing hubs because of rising living costs.

The biggest rise to take place from Jan 1 is in the western province of Sichuan where the minimum salary will rise by 23.4 per cent. Most other provinces are to follow the government-advised rise of 13 per cent.

But the sizable spike in wages points to China losing its edge as a low cost manufacturing country, which has benefited from its large supply of cheap labour to fuel 20 years of unprecedented boom.

100 to 120 Kmart and Sears Stores to Close after S

1/16/2012 12:00:00 AM

Sears Holding Corp. said it would close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores nationwide after all-important holiday sales at the chains proved to be disappointing.

Quarterly sales through Christmas were down 5.2% due to steep declines in apparel purchases and layaway sales at Kmart, home appliance performance at Sears and consumer electronics transactions at both. All this even after many of the stores offered special deals and extended operating hours for the holidays.

At this rate, Sears Holding expects its adjusted fourth-quarter earnings, to be announced in late February, to be less than half the $933 million it reported during the same period in 2010. The company’s stock was down nearly 24% to about $35 midway through the trading day.

Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/12/100-to-120-kmart-and-sears-stores-to-close-after-slow-holiday.html 

Odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes

12/2/2011 12:00:00 AM

If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.

If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsd

12/2/2011 12:00:00 AM

If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.If it is 0amus esdw asdvt iusto odio digni s simsdos ducimus qui blanditiis praes entium tum de leniti atque corrupti quos dolore set quas mo lestia.