Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
HONG KONG CLOTHING INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS SEEK TO REASSURE TERRITORY COMPANIES OVER CHINA SECURITY LAW DIPLOMATIC ROW
HONG Kong textile industry leaders have tried to reassure clothing traders and manufacturers operating from the territory they will not face serious harm by any change of diplomatic recognition prompted by the passage of a new HK security law. Speaking to just-style, Louis Chan, assistant principal economist (global research), for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), claimed that sourcing offices in HK would continue to operate smoothly: “As long as the subject merchandise is not made in Hong Kong, the possible revocation of the special trading relationship or any suspension of HKCO (Hong Kong country of origin) recognition should have little or even no direct impacts on HK’s re-exports (of those items),” he argued.…
KENYA’S LEADING-EDGE AFRICAN OUTSOURCING SECTOR REELS FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC
KENYA’S clothing manufacturing industry, which had been growing at the cutting edge of sub-Saharan Africa’s expanding outsourcing sector, has been punched hard by Covid-19’s devastation of the garment markets within the United States and the European Union (EU).
The London-based Overseas Development Institute has noted that “garment factories in Sub-Saharan Africa have started laying off workers,” and Kenya is no exception.…
INDONESIAN CLOTHING INDUSTRY IS SUFFERING FROM COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BUT LARGE SCALE LAYOFFS YET TO HAPPEN, CLAIMS GOVERNMENT
Indonesia’s clothing industry is among the international outsourcing hubs that has been struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, with foreign buyers cancelling orders and the domestic market in the doldrums, industry association and government officials have told just-style.
“Since the pandemic, many buyers in foreign countries, mostly the United States and Europe, have cancelled or postponed orders because of lockdowns and other reasons,” said Rizal Rakhman, secretary general of the Indonesian Textile Association (API – Asosiasi Pertekstilan Indonesia).…
INTERNATIONAL FOOD BRANDS MAY BENEFIT FROM EASIER ACCESS TO CHINESE CONSUMER MARKETS THROUGH EXPANSION OF CHINA E-COMMERCE ZONES
Representatives of international food brands and analysts have told just-food that China’s State Council’s approval of 46 new pilot zones for companies conducting cross-border e-commerce, a move designed to help the country’s economy withstand the blows landed by the Covid-19 epidemic, also present opportunities to foreign food brands selling to Chinese consumers. …
MAJOR GERMAN FINANCIAL SERVICE EX-CEO ARRESTED IN ACCOUNTING SCNADAL
Munich, Germany, police have launched a criminal investigation into an EUR1.9 billion (USD2.1 billion) accounting fraud at payments processing company Wirecard, June 22, arresting former CEO Markus Braun, who was released on EUR5 million (USD5.6) bail the following day. Other board members are also under suspicion.…
EU MINISTERS APPROVE REFORM TO EU DRINKS EXCISE DUTY SYSTEM
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers yesterday (June 24) approved reforms to EU excise duty rules impacting the drink sector. They will increase the maximum abv from 2.8% to 3.5% of lower strength beers upon which member states can levy reduced duty rates (this reduction is not specified in the law).…
GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF ANTI-CORRUPTION REGULATORS PUBLISHED
A new directory detailing different national anti-corruption authorities (ACAs) worldwide has emerged from a project led by the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA – Agence française anticorruption). Alongside the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) and the Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA), the AFA has now published the results based on data provided by 171 national authorities from 114 countries and territories in response to an online survey. …
INDIAN APPAREL EXPORTERS HIT BY CHINA SUPPLY CHAIN DELAYS FOLLOWING MOUNTAIN MILITARY CLASH
Indian apparel exporters are fearing missed deadlines, with key inputs from China having either been stuck at Indian customs for the past 10 days or not been shipped at all, following military tensions between the two neighbours.
“One or our [export] shipment has to leave in 10 days but its accessories [from China] are stuck at the Mumbai port,” Rajesh Malhotra, director, IR Accessories (part of IR Apparel & Accessories), in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, told just-style.…
EU MEMBER STATES MAYBE FORCED TO USE EU DATA MINING ANTI-FRAUD TOOL
European Union (EU) member states could be forced to use a standard anti-fraud data mining and risk scoring tool, if the bloc’s executive European Commission has its way. Its employment, social affairs and inclusion directorate general (DG EMPL) uses the ‘Arachne’ tool to pick up risk of fraud and conflicts of interest among some 2 million beneficiaries of the EU’s EUR85 billion (USD95 billion) ‘structural funds’ – social and regional aid for comparatively-deprived areas (in European terms). …
EU/WTO INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU FOOD INDUSTRY CALLS FOR HOLDING EU-UK DEAL TO PRESERVE FREE TRADE IN 2021
MAJOR European food and drink industry associations have asked the European Union (EU) and Britain to consider agreeing a temporary holding Brexit deal, preserving EU/UK free trade, once the current transitional period involving the UK follows EU rules, expires on December 31.…