Acrylonitrile capacity stood at 6.3 million tons in 2008, up 254,500 tons from last year. Of this nearly half was added in North America, with Ineos Nitriles (Innovere) and Lucite setting up respective 650,000 tons a year and 140,000 tons a year of production capacities. The rest of the capacity was set up in Asian region shared between China and South Korea. Thus, Asia now accounted for almost 49% of global acrylonitrile capacity with over 3 million tons of annual capacity. With another 250,000

21 December 2009 - Cotton prices continued last week rising on the international market, as merchants and spinners were anticipating higher prices in the first half next year. The nearby contract in New York could reach 80 cents before the end of January. In the meantime, larger cotton arrivals are limiting any new rise in prices in India and Pakistan. Source: Emerging Textiles

Chancellor Alistair Darling has warned that employment across UK will continue to rise for some time to come, breaking from the usual tradition of chancellors sounding upbeat chimes even when the times are tough and refraining from revealing a fall in the employment sector. Chancellor Darling was yesterday quoted as informing the MPs that "although unemployment in this country is too high... unfortunately it will continue to rise for a while", also stressing that "the unemployment levels... are

23 December 2009 - Washington will start next year discussing a vast free-trade zone with a series of Asian and Pacific nations, including Vietnam. For US apparel importers, this is an opportunity to call for a radical reform of US textile rules of origin with substantial transformation replacing the yarn-forward provision. Cumulation of origin between Asian and American countries would also allow to develop the "full packaged" production, provided the dream would one day become true. Sou

Boxing day sales are being given a big push by retailers to improve Christmas trade as they try to make up for the losses suffered during the last holiday season. Clothing retailer Gap has launched50 per cent rebates and so have big fashion stores like French Connection, Hobbs, John Lewis, Comet, B&Q and Halfords. These retailers have said that discount sales will begin on Christmas eve as they aim to target around 4 million Britons expected to spend around 120 million pounds on Christ

During the investigations, thousands of documents, such as certificates of origin, bills of lading, customs export documents, delivery receipts and invoices presented to customs in EU Member States and to the competent Bangladesh authorities, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), were found to be forged by third parties. The fraudsters aimed to evade EU import duties on textile consignments originating in the far-east, mainly in the PR of China. Forged or unduly obtained certificates of origin (F

22 December 2009 - EU's clothing imports from Bangladesh remained relatively strong over the first half, whatever the general decline of the European market. This is mostly due to much higher Bangladeshi prices in euro terms while the German and the French markets remained attracted by lower-priced products from the impoverished country, as reflected by our series of statistical tables. Source: Emerging Textiles

China has threatened the European Union with legal action after EU governments voted to renew punitive anti-dumping tariffs against imports of Chinese and Vietnamese footwear. The tariffs, intended to protect European leather manufacturers from below-cost Asian competition, were renewed for 15 months yesterday despite a recommendation by European trade officials that they be scrapped. The duties, first imposed in 2006, amount to a 16.5 per cent import tax on leather shoes from China and a 10

22 December 2009 - Polyester prices possibly found a bottom in China, after a three-week decline. Spot prices even rose since the start of the week. Raw material costs and demand are however decreasing in the meantime, prefiguring lower prices ahead. Source: Emerging Textiles

HONG KONG –World leading clothing retailers and experts on eco-textiles and sustainability will convene at the Planet Textiles event next March which runs alongside Interstoff Asia Essential. Executives from Wal-Mart, KIK and IKEA have confirmed that they will speak at the new Planet Textiles event on sustainability which will take place at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in March 2010. Eleanor Wright, Wal-Mart, raw materials director, based in Shenzen, China has agreed to updat