Search Results for: South Africa

Chinese upstream textile producers are increasing production as fears grow that the trade war with the US will hurt exports of apparel and other textile products, now additional 10% tariffs are to be levied on a wide range of China-made textile and clothing products from September 1.…

THE DIGITAL textile printing industry and market in Colombia is growing at steadfast pace, with local demand propelled by boutique fashion brands and publicity. However, the increased costs and upfront investment involved in creating digital printing means that traditional finishing techniques are still common in this South American manufacturing hub.…

SOUTH-EAST Asia’s beauty and personal care product market continues to grow, with more mature markets in the region demonstrating an increasing preference for natural products.

As might be expected, consumers in the wealthy city state of Singapore are especially keen to spend more money on lines with natural ingredients.…

‘AUSTRALIAN-made’, ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘natural’ – these were the marketing buzz words most commonly cited during Australia’s leading beauty event – Beauty Expo Australia – staged in Sydney between August 24 and 25.

Although ‘Proudly Australian’ has become a slogan used by many beauty brands based in Australia, the conference actually demonstrated how Australian beauty retailers and consumers are open to trying more international lines, new treatments and innovative products.…

A EUROPEAN Union (EU) trade deal struck with South America’s Mercosur group of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, will open this emerging market to EU confectionery exporters, but Europe’s sugar sector fears increased Brazilian sugar exports. The agreement, which now needs to be ratified by both sides, will phase out Mercosur duties on EU exports of chocolate and sugar confectionery of 20%; biscuits (taxed at 20% to 35%); liquorice extract – 8%; and confectionery-making equipment – 14%.…

WHILE the future of Hong Kong’s political stability hangs in the balance given the long-term protests that have been wracking the territory, its underlying economy seems to be just holding together, with DBS Bank, for instance, in August projecting zero economic growth.…

DOING business in many southeast Asian countries is becoming increasingly challenging, with major companies being exposed to increasingly sophisticated financial crime and widespread corruption. Poorna Rodrigo reports.

COMMERCIAL crime in southeast Asia is fuelled by the fact that it contains wealthy and medium-income well-regulated jurisdictions, alongside weakly-regulated, corruption-heavy poorer countries.…

THE EUROPEAN metal packaging sector will be hoping that the newly negotiated European Union (EU)-Mercosur trade deal is ratified quickly, given it scraps import duties imposed by Brazil and Argentina on such exports of between 12% and 35%. These are the key markets in the South American trade bloc, that also includes comparative minnows Uruguay and Paraguay, whose protective duties shadow their larger Mercosur neighbours.…

Months after taking the reins as president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Dr Rubana Huq is determined to fulfill her key goal of ensuring the industry effectively monitors its own environmental and health standards.

It is an important job given how the country’s clothing and textile sector has worked to improve a safety reputation battered by the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster.…

THE INTENSIFYING trade war between the USA and China has proved to be an opportunity for some larger Chinese clothing manufacturing firms, some of which had already built capacity overseas, notably in southeast Asia, and Vietnam especially. These companies have been able to adjust to the worsening tariff barriers to the US market for China-sourced exports, whereas smaller companies unable to afford new SE Asia operations have suffered.…