Westlake Chemical Corporation reported net income for the three months ended December 31, 2012 of $95.3 million, or $1.42 per diluted share, compared to net income of $26.4 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, reported for the fourth quarter of 2011. Net sales for the three months ended December 31, 2012 of $801.0 million decreased $58.2 million compared to net sales of $859.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, primarily due to lower sales volumes for feedstocks, polyethylene and styrene,

The Organic Content Standard (OCS) is a new chain of custody standard to track certified organically grown raw materials through the supply chain through the use of scope certificate and transaction certificates, all verified by an independent third-party. The OCS will replace the OE 100 and OE Blended standards, within an allowed transition time. ?The will allow any kind of certified organically grown material; it is not limited to cotton. ?The OCS combines the former OE 100 and OE Blen

Cotton Incorporated announced celebrity partners for its upcoming 2nd annual Cotton's 24 Hour Runway Show, which will take place on March 1-2 in South Beach. The celebration of the diverse regional trends of America will be hosted by television personalities Giuliana Rancic of E! News and E!'s Fashion Police and Bill Rancic , in a repeat of the role they played at the world premiere of Cotton's 24 Hour Runway Show in 2011. Other fashion icons slated to make special appearances at the event i

The Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) Seal of Approval (SOA) program has "gone international," company officials announced recently, after Scandinavian-based manufacturer ?ngtv?ttbilen AB began participating in CRI's rigorous testing program for carpet cleaning products and equipment. ?ngtv?ttbilen AB, a manufacturer of carpet extractors sold exclusively in Sweden and Norway, submitted one of their machines for SOA certification testing last fall, and it has earned gold status, signifying supe

There are trench coats you wear to protect your clothing from the elements and then there are the trench coats you wear no matter what the weather. These coats from Burberry represent the latter: they are sexy and provide a powerful statement on outerwear. Let's check them out: This was the most basic of the trench coats but the silver belt pulled it together (note: even with flats, this look is sexy!) This trench the color of oxblood is a show stopper and designer Chri

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - Karachi—For the last few years the textile industry is virtually in the grip of severe challenges at home as well as abroad in the face of endless energy crisis as well as competing to international prices due to high cost of inputs with in the country. Textile circles said that textile exports volume dropped by 60 percent as compared to last year in world’s renowned Heimtextil exhibition in Germany, Pakistan has yet to qualify for GSP plus in the EU market which ca

Garment workers make clothing at the Tai Yang Enterprises factory in Kandal province. Photograph: Vireak Mai/Phnom Penh Post Hamstrung by its own confidential reporting system and an unwillingness to take a stand on rampant labour issues, the International Labour Organization’s Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) initiative is no longer a “best practice” model for improving conditions in garment factories, a report by a leading US university says. Monitoring in the Dark: An Evaluation of the I

A woman working at a garment factory in X aythany district, Vientiane, has alleged that her employer forces staff to work more than the official eight hours a day without any overtime payment. She said their employer sets production targets that workers are required to meet each day. Those who fail to do so have to work beyond official working hours without being paid at the overtime rate. The woman claimed that the targets set were unreasonable and were beyond the reach of many workers with

If the export growth of Vietnam’s textile and garment industry remains between 12 and 15%, the sector will reach its target of 20 billion USD in 2014 ahead of the 2015 deadline, according to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). VITAS Vice Chairman Le Tien Truong said that despite a 5-10% decrease in export prices in 2012, total exports still rose by 15%. The industry’s trade surplus was 8.4 billion USD last year as imported materials accounted for o­nly 8.8 billion USD

A cotton industry focus group will meet Feb. 25 to discuss proposals for a new world contract, according to the International Cotton Association. The group, made up of producers, mills, traders, brokers and controllers, unanimously agreed in a Jan. 28 meeting that “the trade needed a world cotton contract,” the Liverpool, England-based ICA said in a statement dated Feb. 14. Discussions will continue at the group’s meeting next week. Price volatility since 2008 has spurred “substantial” contrac