Textile mills here have expressed concern over the increase in cotton prices during the last one week as it is the main raw material for the mills. Cotton prices have gone up by Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 a candy during the last one week. This is because the arrivals so far are less than what it was during the same period last year, says K.N. Viswanathan, vice-president of the Indian Cotton Federation. Cotton farmers across the country are having the stocks and are expected to increase the volume t

The handloom industry in Narsingdi district is passing through a critical stage. About 5,000 handlooms have become inoperative in the district, and the rest are struggling for survival. High prices of yarn, dyes, chemicals, and lack of running capital have imperiled the people connected with the industry, sources said. The weavers of the district are bearing the brunt of the situation. Handloom owner Abdul Malek of Char Hazipur village in Narsingdi sadar upazila told journalists the handloom fac

Tens of thousands of garment workers have returned to work in Cambodia since a strike for higher pay was put down with deadly force by the authorities last week but employers are now piling up lawsuits against trade unions over the two-week dispute. The garment makers' association said most workers had returned to work around the country by Friday although only about 60 percent had shown up at the Canadia Industrial Park in the capital, Phnom Penh, where military police opened fire on January

China will see the strongest salary growth among all Asian countries in 2014, even though the nation's economic growth rate has been slowing down, a report from global human resources firm Hays has said. According to the 2014 Hays Asia Salary Guide, which was released on Thursday and polled about 2,600 employers across the region, 67 percent of the surveyed Chinese employers said they will increase employees' salaries above 6 percent, compared with 66 percent last year. Only 29 percent of

Turkey exported apparel worth US$ 17 billion during 2013, and the country is expected to export garments worth US$ 18.4 billion during 2014, said Turkey Clothing Manufacturers Association (TGSD) president Cem Negrin, at the recent panel discussion held at TGSD in Istanbul. According to a statement issued by TGSD, Mr. Negrin said in 2012 the country exported apparel products worth US$ 16.1 billion, which increased by nearly 8 percent to US$ 17.3 billion in 2013. Spending on apparel in the

The textiles and garment industry turned out to be the leading driver of growth in the industrial sector in November 2013 for Sri Lanka, according to a press release issued by the Economic Research Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Earnings from export of textiles and garments grew by 35 per cent year-on-year to US$ 491.4 million in November 2013, the Bank said in the press release. “Export of garments to both the EU and USA, the major export destinations of garments, grew by 16

The government announced Tuesday that the minimum wage in the garment sector will be raised to $95 in April, a 19 percent increase over the current $80 monthly wage, as the first step in a five-year plan to raise the minimum wage to $160 by 2018. Following the decision, which fell well short of unions’ demands for a 100 percent increase in the minimum wage next year, small-scale strikes and protests broke out across the country, while leaders of the country’s independent and opposition-aligne

The Southern European country of Italy, exported menswear worth ? 5.24 billion during the 2013 year, as per the data released by the Sistema Moda Italia (SMI), the Italian Fashion System and association of textile entrepreneurs. According to the Industry of Italian Men’s Fashion report of SMI, in 2013, the country exported menswear worth ?5.24 billion, indicating an increase of 3.7 percent compared to the ?5.05 billion worth of menswear exports in 2012. Subsector wise, during the twelve mo

The imports of textiles and apparel by the United States were worth US$ 96.981 billion during January to November 2013, registering an increase of 3.7 percent over $ 93.518 billion imports made during the corresponding period of 2012, according to the latest Major Shippers Report, released by the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the 11-month period, China accounted for 39.85 percent share of all textiles and garments imported by the US. Vietnam, India and Indonesia recorded 8.31 percent, 5

Pakistan is all set to increase its textile exports by three billion dollars this year since textile sector has improved its production capacities over the last few years, said SM Tanveer, chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Punjab. He said Aptma had done its homework before committing to the government to raise the textile exports, which suffered in the past because of various reasons, including power shortage, high markup and limited market access. He added various sectors