Good rains as well as timely planting and improved supply of inputs has raised hopes of 300,000 tons plus cotton output in 2006 as compared to 190,000 tons last year. Notably, cotton is Zimbabwe? major foreign currency earner. Another factor contributing high cotton output is that unlike other crops, the cotton industry is the only agricultural sector not affected by the ongoing land reform programme. Cotton prices were at US 57cents per pound, higher than last year due to the huge demand f

WASHINGTON (AFP) - China has taken control of half of the US apparel market in areas where quotas have been removed, gaining much of it from other developing countries, a US textile group said. The National Council of Textile Organizations, citing official US government data, said the developing world has lost three billion dollars in exports while China has gained almost eight billion dollars in textile sales during the past four years. The NCTO said the situation "highlights the need for a

Three U.S. textile companies, including DAK Americas of Charlotte, have filed an anti-dumping petition against China.They allege unfairly priced Chinese imports of certain polyester staple fiber -- a man-made fiber used as stuffing in sleeping bags, mattresses and furniture -- are injuring the domestic industry. The filing asks the U.S. government to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports of the fiber. Other companies filing for relief are New Jersey-based Wellman Inc. (NYSE:WLM - News)

Footwear exports turnover of Thailand in April 2006 reached 2.41 billion Baht (US $63.93 million), witnessing a slight decrease of 3.9 percent in comparison with the same period 2005, according to Statistical Department, Thailand. First four months of 2006 recorded exports revenue of 11.42 billion Baht ($302.24 million), a year-on-year increase of 1.86 percent. EU is top footwear importer from Thailand and expected to rise sharply in years to come. EU this year, during January-April period im

Slezan announced that the tough competition from Asian countries has caused their profits in 2005 to plunge around CZK3 million from that in 2004 that had reached over CZK14 million. As a result of the hike in energy and fuel prices, the revenue also dropped nine percent to just CZK1.57 billion. Sources also reported that the Czech textile manufacturer has cutdown its investment though the employment has amazingly grew by ten percent to 1,721 workers, last year. Slezan further informed that t

Trade Commission of European Union (EU) is on visit to China to negotiate anti-dumping duties laid on textile products. EU plans to reduce anti-dumping duties on Chinese shoes, but before doing so, it would conduct an investigation of local textile industry. Delegates of EU Trade Commission visited Guangzhou yesterday, and would visit the textile enterprises in Dongwang and Shenzhen cities. During their thorough investigation, delegates would see working conditions of production units, wages

Tianjin city is a development base of noil poplin in China and the city has built a textile industrial area with the help of advanced machinery. In Tianjin city, textile is not only a traditional but also a key industry. At present, textile activities employ more than 200 thousand workers. Considering the significance of textile, local government also supports enterprises to create their own brands, and purchase some international brands. At the same time, development of cultured textile p

South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said here on Thursday that South Africa welcomes investment and skills from China. The deputy president highlighted South Africa as an affordable energy-producing country and a "favorite destination for investment that is energy intensive". She made a key note speech at a China-South Africa business cooperation forum in Cape Town, which were attended by more than 800 Chinese and South African business people. South Africa currently had

India, on Thursday, made it clear that it will insist on a sizeable negative list of items in the Free Trade Agreement with Asean and that there will be no compromise on the number of agricultural and textile items, in which duty free imports would be banned. ?e will not compromise on agriculture, textiles and products of interest to small scale industries. This is non-negotiable,?Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh told PTI in an interaction. Indo-Asean FTA is coming into eff

Clothing workers have hailed an understanding reached between South Africa and China on textile imports as a chance to rebuild the local industry. About 63 000 jobs have been lost in local fashion manufacturing in the past three-and-a-half years, largely because of cheap imports from China, the South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) said on Thursday. Clothing imports from China rose by 480% since 2002, it said. A pending agreement on import limitations would provide a wind