19th March 2015
US announces $150 mn public-private textile investment competition – as US textile and apparel jobs continue their decline.
The US Department of Defense launched on March 18 a competition to form a new manufacturing hub focused on revolutionary fibre and textile technologies. The $75 million federal investment will...
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15th February 2015
European 2014 apparel production continues fall, while imports grow
Apparel production in the EU fell 1.2% during 2014 compared to 2013, EU data released on February 12 shows, while the latest available data shows apparel imports grew 3.9%. The...
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12th February 2015
UK increases textile fund subsidy after report makes optimistic job creation estimates
The UK government announced a 50% increase in its funding of a textiles industry development fund on February 12 after a two-year survey estimated a 23% increase in jobs by...
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28th January 2015
2014’s Next Big Things that weren’t.3, Part 1: China’s supposedly falling competitiveness
2014's commonest missed prediction was that China’s rising wages, by making its garments pricier, meant its factories would lose share of the world garment market. Neither forecast materialised. Understanding why...
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27th January 2015
2014’s Next Big Things that weren’t.2: Onshoring
In spite of endless newspaper articles about onshoring, there's not actually been any serious, specific, forecast of substantial growth in rich-country garment production. Just as well, since there simply wan't a...
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21st January 2015
Rich country imports from Bangladesh continue slide in November as Vietnam looks 2014’s big success story
Rich country garment imports from Bangladesh fell year on year in November for the third time in four months, as Bangladesh's sales to the EU continued to fall - though...
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26th October 2014
Are Japanese firms changing their apparel sourcing policy?
Did Japanese importers' decision to move sourcing away from China drive their prices up? And are they now changing their minds? In 2011, China accounted for 87% of Japan's apparel...
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10th June 2014
Texas cotton growers sell off the former Koramsa as Delta Apparel moves fabric production from US to Honduras
Plains Cotton Cooperative Association (PCCA), a US cotton growers’ cooperative said on June 9 it “looked forward to refocusing our efforts on our core businesses of cotton marketing, warehousing and software...
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26th December 2013
Now Chinese yarn firm reviews Brandix’s Indian location for mill investment
Hong Kong's Bros was reported on December 26 to be "evaluating the opportunities offered by Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC) " Brandix has struggled to attract investors into its ambitious...
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2nd September 2013
US apparel onshoring: data spikes hype
Recently released US government data shows America's domestic garment making industry has turned into an average, if much reduced over the past 20 years, Western industry. In the first half...
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26th November 2012
Some British media announce non-existent Government support for new textile factories
Britain's newspapers have announced UK government backing for a non-existent plan the government has explicitly refused to support. The bizarre inventions detracted from a conference of Britain's textile makers which...
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