The value-added apparel sector is paying the price for taking it easy after the introduction of quota free textile regime in 2005, failing to enhance their capacities and efficiencies when the going was easy, soon after the abolition of the quota, said Adil Butt, one of the few survivors in knitwear sector. “When the quota regime was abolished in 2005, textile exporters knew that the market will gradually move from a sellers’ to a buyers’ market,” he said. He said during the quota regime, the

Irene Georgoulas always knew she wanted to create art with fabric, and she was particularly keen on making unique pieces for boys like her son Basil. Picture: CONTRIBUTED WHEN Irene Georgoulas was a young girl she loved the magical tale of Alice in Wonderland and would listen to the lyrics of its songs over and over. But only one line from the infamous Walrus and Carpenter stuck in her mind and years later it would become the name of her successful online business. Cabbages and Kings of

Researchers have developed a new kind of security system - woven fabric that triggers an alarm when penetrated by intruders. The smart fabric enables the exact location of the break-in to be identified, and is significantly cheaper than other burglary detection systems. This fabric can function as an invisible way to protect buildings and facilities. The smart fabric was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin in collaboration wi

During a visit to Dhaka, H&M chief executive Karl-Johan Persson inspected a factory where workers make clothes for the company on wages starting at $37 a month -- a figure that often triggers violent strikes. "We want the workers to be treated in a good way. Being a responsible company, we see low wages in the industry is a major point that is close to our heart and a major concern," Persson told reporters on Tuesday evening. "We demand that the Bangladeshi government increase minimum wage

Hundreds of spectators waved British flags and cheered the arrival Wednesday of William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at Singapore's new Gardens by the Bay park. The couple's visit is part of a nine-day tour through Commonwealth countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. The queen herself made previous state visits to Singapore in 1972, 1989 and 2006 -- and the public housing estate that her grandson and his wife were to

(VOV) - The local garment and textile sector is likely to achieve its target of earning US$15 billion from exports in 2012 ahead of schedule, said Dang Phuong Dung, Secretary General of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). Dung said that garment exports in August fetched US$1.59 billion, bringing the total export turnover in eight months to US$10.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6 percent. One of Vietnam’s 10 leading export items, garment exports since early this year

Wen Jiabao, China's premier, has promised Beijing will do more to boost flagging growth in the Chinese economy in the coming months as he delivered a spirited defence of his economic legacy and his decade in power. His speech at the World Economic Forum in the eastern Chinese city of Tianjin on Tuesday is likely to be his last high-profile appearance on the global stage before he is replaced as the third-most-senior cadre in the Chinese Communist party next month. He is scheduled to step down

FOR generations its textile skills, innovative ideas and entrepreneurship earned Huddersfield both wealth and a well deserved reputation for excellence. All of those things are being harnessed once again to help the town spearhead a major push to boost the skills of workers in the textile industry not just here but across the country. Huddersfield is once again leading the way, this time at the forefront of an ambitious new training programme. Its award-winning Textile Centre of Excellence

Authorities in Pakistan have imposed a new tax on the textile industry aimed at providing adequate energy supplies to the sector in the upcoming winter season. The Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) is expected to generate PKR24bn (US$253m) per annum, which the government will use to finance gas imports from Iran, Turkmenistan, Qatar and India. It is hoped that the measure will resolve the country's energy crisis, which has led to persistent gas and power cuts for the textile indus

The country's textile and garment sector achieved a trade surplus of US$5.3 billion in the first eight months of 2012, a year-on-year increase of 24 per cent. According to the Viet Nam Textile and Garment Association (VITAS), in the first eight months of the year, the sector achieved an export turnover of $10.8 billion, an increase of 6 per cent compared with the same period last year. The textile and garment sector has taken the lead of the country's top 10 export products. VITAS attribut