Issue 48 of Global Apparel Markets has now been published and contains the following reports…
- Talking strategy: addressing the corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenge posed by sourcing in Xinjiang
- Prospects for the textile and clothing industry in Turkey, 2021
- Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, July 2021
- Global apparel trade and trade policy: the US clothing import market, July 2021
- Global apparel markets: business update, July 2021
Talking strategy: addressing the corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenge posed by sourcing in Xinjiang Buy this report now
Allegations of serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in the north-west of China, are posing a challenge for the major brands. Xinjiang is home to 12 mn ethnic Uygers who, it is alleged, are being subjected to human rights abuses by Chinese authorities. Brands are under pressure to stop selling products made in Xinjiang and to stop selling products made from cotton grown in the territory. However, Xinjiang accounts for an estimated 85% of China’s raw cotton production and for more than 20 % of the raw cotton grown globally. Boohoo—an online women’s fashion apparel and accessories retailer based in Manchester, UK—has been accused in the past of failures of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by underpaying its workers but in June 2021 it was announced that the company was refusing to source clothing made from cotton grown in the territory and that it will grow its own cotton in Pakistan. However, H&M—the world’s third largest clothing retailer—based in Stockholm, Sweden, has found itself in a dilemma. In October 2020 it stated in a press release that it was deeply concerned by reports that ethnoreligious minorities in Xinjiang were being subjected to forced labour and discrimination but in March 2021 it was attacked in a heated social media campaign in China which claimed that the company was “spreading lies” about China and “boycotting” cotton grown in Xinjiang. H&M store fronts on Chinese e-commerce platforms were removed, physical store locations disappeared from Chinese digital map services, Chinese celebrity endorsers announced that they were breaking ties with the company and landlords evicted H&M from some of its 505 Chinese stores. The company has sought to calm the waters by removing the press release from its website, by announcing via Chinese social media that it was not taking a political position and that it greatly valued its Chinese customers, and by issuing a new English language press statement which did not mention Xinjiang or forced labour but stressed the company’s continuing commitment to the China market. It is likely, however, that the hands of the major retailers may soon be forced—at least in the US market. In July 2021 six US government agencies issued a Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory to highlight the fact that there were heightened risks for businesses with supply chain and investment links to Xinjiang, “given the entities complicit in forced labour and other human rights abuses there and throughout China”. And in the same month, legislation banning the importation of all goods from Xinjiang was approved unanimously by the US Senate.
Prospects for the textile and clothing industry in Turkey, 2021 Buy this report now
Turkey has a long-established, diverse and modern textile and clothing industry which has fulfilled a significant role in the country’s economic and industrial development. It has production capabilities in all sectors of the supply chain—from the supply of raw materials to the production of finished pieces—and, as a result, it is one of the world’s leading exporters of textiles and clothing. Turkey benefits from a highly skilled and flexible workforce which has played a key role in the textile and clothing industry’s success. The industry’s success can also be attributed to Turkey’s strategic and favourable geographical location between Europe and Asia. This facilitates short lead times and has enabled Turkish producers to export goods profitably to mature Western markets. These competitive advantages have been further enhanced by the use of flexible manufacturing processes, which enable the industry to increase production runs rapidly. This report looks at the development of the textile and clothing industry in Turkey, its size and structure, and its production and consumption of fibres, textiles and clothing. The report also features: a geographical, political and economic profile; a detailed look at Turkey’s imports and exports of textiles and clothing; a review of the policies and investment incentives provided by the Turkish government; an analysis of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the textile and clothing industry; an appraisal of Turkey’s infrastructure and human resources and an analysis of how these affect the textile and clothing industry; and an examination of the industry’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).
Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, July 2021 Buy this report now
This report analyses some of the latest developments, innovations and new products in the global apparel industry, including: antiviral apparel, colouration technologies, environmentally sustainable apparel, fabrics, fibres, finishing treatments, nightwear, recycling technology and swimwear. The report includes news from the following innovative companies, other organisations and brands: Birla Cellulose, Cifra, Cone Denim, Danone AQUA, Eastman, Garmon Chemicals, H&M, Infinited Fiber Company, ISKO, Lenzing, Metsä Spring, Mey, Nanollose, Novetex Textiles, Ralph Lauren, Teijin Frontier, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), The Lycra Company, Toray and Weekday.
Global apparel trade and trade policy: the US clothing import market, July 2021 Buy this report now
This report provides vital data and analysis of trends in the US clothing import market. Also, it focuses in detail on clothing imports into the USA from ten key supplying countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. In 2020 US clothing imports fell in value and volume terms to their lowest levels since 2009. The average price of US clothing imports, meanwhile, fell by 8.5 % to a record low. China remained the USA’s largest clothing supplier in 2020 but US clothing imports from China were down in value and volume terms compared with 2019. There were also falls in 2020 in the shares of US clothing imports which came from Honduras, India, Indonesia and Mexico as US clothing imports from these three countries declined sharply. Furthermore, there were declines in US clothing imports from Bangladesh, Jordan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam but these declines were more modest and, as a result, the shares of US clothing imports which came from these four countries rose. Additionally, there was a rise in the share of US clothing imports which came from Cambodia.
Global apparel markets: business update, July 2021 Buy this report now
This report provides information, analysis and valuable insight into developments relating to the global apparel industry in the following categories: acquisitions, divestments and mergers; capacity expansions; corporate strategy; environmental sustainability; investments; joint ventures, cooperation, licensing and distribution; new facilities; and traceability technologies. Brands, companies, initiatives and organisations featured in this report include: Alchemie Technology, Archroma, Asos, At One Ventures, Belda Lloréns, CleanKore, Fashion for Good, Giotex, H&M CO:LAB, H&M Foundation, HIIT, Kontoor Brands, Levi Strauss & Co, Miss Selfridge, Renewcell, Royal College of Art’s (RCA’s) Materials Science Research Centre, Sateri, Spinnova, Suzano, Tangshan Sanyou, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), The Movement, Topman, Topshop, TreeToTextile, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Wrangler.
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White Paper “Rethinking LCA and Product Stewardship for Sustainable Businesses”- concrete support for companies
Global climate change and environmental degradation are threatening our existence. Europe therefore wants to become the first climate-neutral continent – that is what the European Green Deal has set out to achieve with its roadmap for a sustainable EU economy. There is rising pressure on companies to take responsibility for minimising the ecological consequences linked to their products.
But how can the environmental impact of products along the entire value chain be assessed in specific terms, and how much effort is required to develop a sustainability strategy at product level? The published white paper “Rethinking LCA and Product Stewardship for Sustainable Businesses” written by scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP, offers concrete support to large as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. Product Stewardship is a concept whereby all parties involved in the product life cycle assume an obligation to minimize the environmental impact of the product and its use. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – a scientifically recognized method for quantifying the potential impact of products and services on the environment – calculates the anticipated effects on aspects such as an intact climate, biodiversity or resource availability over the entire life cycle.
To master the introduction and roll out of product stewardship and life cycle assessment (LCA), it is important that companies avoid common mistakes right from the start. The mistakes described in the paper identify the risks and show how they can be avoided. The white paper, which is available as a free download, is full of valuable knowledge and advice.
For more information click here