THE big chill now afflicting Australia's retailers is part of the longest downturn in the sector since the recession of the early 1990s. That startling fact will form the centrepiece of research set to be released today from a brokerage house which has attempted to put retail's current woes into some kind of historical perspective. These analysts say the decline started back in mid-2004, just as the housing boom started to cool, interest rates went up and petrol prices headed north. Hopes

China's textile sales reached 3.3 trillion yuan (408 billion U.S. dollars) in 2005, surging 115.7 percent from 2001, said the National Development and Reform Commission report. The textile industry has become an important industry with fairly tangible competitiveness in the international market, due to industrial restructuring and upgrading," the report said, adding that apparel exports reached 116 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, up 118.9 percent from five years ago. Major textile enterpri

Wool prices are now clearly rallying, boosted by a possible rebound in demand for wool apparel at retail. Prices further surged this week in Australia and South Africa, although they were expected easing. More is to come in the next week with fine-quality wool sales being held in Lauceston, Tasmania. Wool prices further surged this week in Australia. Benchmark Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) gained another 13 Australian cents at 704 cents per kilo clean, for the first time above 700 cents sinc

Mexico's apparel and textile producers have clearly been suffering in 2005. Latest figures confirm lower shipments to the US in a year dominated by trade tussles with China. The industry is in a panic and has been hemorrhaging jobs in a bid to reduce production costs whilst also losing out to Asia in restricted China categories. Mexico's apparel exports to the US have declined in 2005 under pressure from soaring Chinese shipments. Total volume of apparel shipments en route to the US has fa

Macau - Statistics and Census Service released External Trade Statistics for December 2005. In December 2005, Macao? total value of exports amounted to MOP2.15 billion, up 11.8 percent over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 15.8 percent to MOP1.70 billion and the value of re-exports decreased 1.3 percent to MOP450 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.06 billion, up 17.2 percent over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP912 million

Statistics Finland released producer price indices for the last quarter of 2005. According to Statistics Finland, producer price indices for services rose in the last quarter of 2005 from the corresponding quarter of the year before in all industries except in washing and drycleaning of textile and fur products. Prices increased most in the year, or by 7.6 per cent, in accounting, book-keeping and auditing activities, and tax consultancy. Smallest year-on-year producer price increase

India? exports of cotton yarn, fabric and cotton apparel to the non-quota markets dropped sharply, during April-September, 2005, according to an ICRA report. Exports registered a 20 percent decline to non quota market compared to the corresponding period last year. Exports of these items to quota-restricted markets, such as the US, EU and Canada, have gone up by 13.5 percent. India? exports dropped by 22 percent of these items to markets in the West, South, South East and East Asia, t

Textile fabrics leader Schoeller Textil AG launches the ?hape memory effect??a new fabric innovations. Textile Innovation - The Bionic Climate Membrane Schoeller introduces the ?hape memory effect?Smart fabric innovations with flexible climate function The demand by the end consumer for garments with functionality and comfort are basic requirements for success. And right in keeping with this line of thought is the adaptive membrane system c_change, which Schoeller Switzerland has been u

The latest statistics released by the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) showed that US Commerce Department reports, unsurprisingly revealed the US trade deficit hit a record $68.9 billion in October, whereas aggregate US apparel imports of all fibres by volume strengthened year-on-year. This lift in apparel imports was purely supported by gains in imports of cotton and synthetic apparel, while wool apparel reported a decline on the same month a year earlier - the first year-on-year de

Indonesian textile entrepreneurs are concerned that the government? proposal to increase the electricity basic tariff will push up manufacturing costs, according to a report citing Umar Achmad, chairman of the Pekalongan chapter of the Indonesian businessmen association. The report by news provider Antara said textile businessman feel at threat following a fuel hike last year and new minimum wage legislation. A handful of textiles companies have already been forced to axe workers, the repo