Helicon Ltd, a sweater factory employing around 1,400 workers in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), was declared shut indefinitely following worker agitation yesterday. The workers say they came to know of the shutdown after going to the factory to report for work in the morning, where they found a closure notice hanging on the factory's main gate. The Helicon management usually paid worker wages on the sixth of each month, but failed to do so on Thursday due to a fund crisis, which

The International Trade Centre (ITC), the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations, under the supervision of Nepal’s Ministry of Commerce and Supplies will be launching a project next week to boost Pashmina exports of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nepal. The project titled Pashmina Enhancement and Trade Support (PETS) has been developed under the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for least developed countries (LDCs), which has given US$ 1.8 million financ

There is good scope for development of industrial textiles in China, according to industry experts. Last year, China’s industrial textiles sector showed rapid and healthy development and industrial added value grew by 13 percent. The main business revenue and profits of large-scale enterprises also increased. According to experts, industrial textiles are more used in high-tech products, and are closely linked with environment-friendly, new materials, new energy and other strategic emerging

China, the largest supplier of American flags, is unlikely to suffer heavy losses from a new ban on made-in-China flags in US military installations, Chinese manufacturers and industry observers have said. "We have been actively expanding the domestic market for our products," said Huang Baolian, manager of a craftwork company in Yiwu, the eastern Chinese city famous for its commodities market. "Besides, we also produce flags for a lot more countries." Statistics accessed from the United S

India’s exports are expected to hit $40 billion in 2013-14 from $34 billion, a rise of 17.6% in the current fiscal from a year before, mainly on higher shipments of garments, cotton yarn, fabrics and man-made fibre but will still miss the target of $43 billion regardless of rupee depreciation, sources said on Thursday. According to the provisional data, textile and garment exports hit $20.43 billion in April-December, up 13.4% from a year before. This is because the rupee depreciated 11.6% b

The Ethiopian government is keen to boost its apparel manufacturing industry for which a target of US$1bn is set in textile exports by 2016. The country's efforts to build its textile and garment industry and offer competitive prices have attracted a growing number of new buyers in recent years. Its clothing and textile sector is currently going through major expansion programme fuelled by foreign investment as companies seek to reduce their reliance on countries like China and Bangladesh.

A 16-member six country African delegation is in India to explore ways and means to increase exports of African cotton to India. The delegation is also visiting various Indian textile clusters in order to check and imbibe the best practices practiced in these clusters. The delegation visited Coimbatore cluster and had a close look at the spinning mills; knitting and ready-made garment units in Tirupur, handloom clusters near Hyderabad and also visited an IL&FS sponsored apparel stitching

Agricultural Consular of US Embassy Clay Hamilton assured that America would cooperate with Pakistan in up-gradation of ginning machinery, modernisation and cotton standardisation besides supply of certified well germinated cotton-seed to growers to achieve the target of 15 million bales. He was exchanging views with the Vice Chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Aasim Saeed Sheikh. He said the United States wanted to see Pakistan strong and prosperous in all sectors so that

The shortage of labour in Laos is still a major issue for foreign investors, which means industry development is struggling but some companies have taken the decision to expand their business here. The Vientiane Industry and Trade Area (VITA) in Xaythany district is one of the major industrial parks in Vientiane requiring more workers for the factories in the area. There are currently 11 foreign companies who have invested in the park, of which two factories are processing products for e

Vietnam's garment export revenue rose 44.9% in February from the same month last year to US$1.3 billion, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). For the first two months of this year, the export revenue was up 30.1% against the same period in 2013, the Ministry says. The Ministry has announced that with the recovery of export markets, the garment industry seems stable. Many garment companies have orders up to the end of the second and third quarters of this year. Exports