The order index for textile machinery prepared by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for the period from January to March 2018 dropped 12 per cent compared to the same period for 2017. The decline mainly affected textile machinery orders for the domestic market, while the drop was more contained in export markets. The value of the index for the first quarter of 2018 stood at 104.8 points (basis: 2015=100). For the Italian market, the index was at 94.1 points

Imports at the major retail container ports in the US are expected to grow steadily throughout the summer despite the prospect of heavy tariffs on goods from China, says a recent report. Ports handled 1.54 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) in March, that was down 8.6 percent from February because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia. TEU in March was down only 0.7 percent YoY, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NR

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the ministry of commerce and industry, Government of India, has extended the incentive at 4 per cent under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) under Foreign Trade Policy of India (FTP 2015-20), beyond June 30, 2018. AEPC and the Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA) have welcomed the announcement. The MEIS incentive under Foreign Trade Policy of India (FTP 2015-20) was valid from November 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, as per earli

India’s annual rate of inflation, based on monthly wholesale price index (WPI), stood at 3.18 per cent for the month of April 2018 over same month of last year. The index for apparel increased by 1.1 per cent to 139.3 in April, according to the provisional data released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, ministry of commerce and industry. The official WPI for all commodities (Base: 2011-12 = 100) for the month of April 2018 rose by 0.7 per cent to 116.8 from previous month’s level of 116.

Walmart is now looking forward to expanding its business in various parts of India with the opening of 50 new stores in next 4-5 years. The announcement has come a day after the US retailer's investment in Flipkart, India's largest online retailer. At present, Walmart is operating in nine states and 19 cities, its cash-and-carry business. "We expect to open five stores in the current year and then pick up pace and eventually start opening 12-15 stores a year," Walmart India president and chi

Ethical scores in Bangladesh rose by an average of 15 per cent during the past 12 months, according to a recent report. The survey says that the results reflect the continuous pressure to improve, which is put on Bangladesh based textile and apparel manufacturers by the industry groups formed after the Rana Plaza collapse in the year 2013. A look at ethical performance by region indicates little change for Chinese manufacturers, with average scores flat at 7.7 out of 10, notes the 2018 Q2

The Government of Bangladesh has extended the permission of the Accord, a western buyers’ platform working to improve workplace safety in Bangladesh readymade garment sector, to work beyond May 2018. A joint Transition Monitoring Committee (TMC) set up by the government determined that the criteria agreed by the Accord and the BGMEA have not yet been met. The TMC comprises Accord brands, global trade unions, BGMEA, ILO and the Bangladesh government. It has been established by the Government

The Mimaki Tiger-1800B production-class textile printer offers high-volume digital printing, while offering personalisation and high quality as well. End-users are expanding their boundaries with tiger stripes that give them a different identity. Mimaki is a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting systems for textiles. The Tiger-1800B attracted a great deal of attention from apparel professionals, and brought a fresh breath to digital printing. Being the first model

Apparel Textile Sourcing-Miami (ATS-M), Miami’s premier apparel and textile sourcing trade show, is expecting more than 200 international and domestic manufacturing firms from over 15 regions. The participants will present a range of products and process solutions in the field of manufacturing and sourcing services at the three-day event beginning May 21. As many as 3,500 attendees including executives from Zara, Perry Ellis,Gap Inc., Kate Spade, Chicos, and more will participate in the sourc

Kishore Biyani, the chief executive officer of Future Group, plans to sell 10 per cent of the company’s stake to a global retailer. The decision is a result of the recent Flipkart-Walmart deal, one of the biggest e-commerce deals in which the American retailer acquired 77 per cent stake in the biggest online retailer of India for $16 billion. A minority stake in Future Group will be sold to a strong global retailer, Biyani told a leading business daily. He has already met with representative