Search Results for: japan

WHEN the New York-based Ethisphere Institute announced 145 corporations that had won its designation as the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2013, there were a mere five Japanese firms on the list. However, one was Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido, listed for the second consecutive year and recognised for going “beyond statements about doing business ‘ethically’ … to translate those words into action.”…

THE EVER-CHANGING sourcing equation is a challenge to the global garment and textile industry supply chain. There is talk of moving production back home to western countries – bringing it closer to market- but its viability is being questioned. Meanwhile in Asia, where the majority of clothes are currently produced worldwide, the sourcing landscape is changing, experts say.…

WITH Chinese clothing and textile manufacturers struggling with rising costs – through inflation, wage increases and currency adjustments – international brands have been shopping around for new sourcing countries. There are plenty of options, especially in China’s east Asia neighbourhood, where Vietnam and Cambodia have developed lower cost centres.…

A REGULATION aimed at ensuring the rollout of broadband networks across the European Union (EU) is achieved more cheaply and swiftly has been proposed by the European Commission. It tries to force member states to ensure new buildings are broadband ready, while telling incumbent telcos to give access to their physical networks to broadband service providers.…

CHINA’S demonstrable skills in clothing and textile manufacture has yet to yield dividends in the technical textiles field, with the country still relying heavily on imports, especially for high-end products such as carbon fibre, high temperature fibre and medical textiles.

In 2011, China spent USD3.4 billion importing  technical textiles, including woven and unwoven lines, mainly from the US and Japan – up 22.7% from USD2.77 billion during 2010, according to Beijing-based China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Associations (CNITA).…

THE AMERICAN textile and apparel industry is planning to present a detailed “short supply” list of hard-to-source fibres and fabrics at the next round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) east Asia-Americas trade agreement discussions, to be held in Lima from May 15-24.…

IRAN is under sanctions from the United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, and last year the US tightened the screws even more. As President Barack Obama said following his re-election in November, 2012: “We’ve imposed the toughest sanctions in history.”…

WITH AREVA celebrating 30 years of operations in China in 2013 its head of operations in the country is hoping for an expansion of joint ventures as well as overseas collaboration with Chinese partners in uranium sourcing.

Speaking in Beijing, Rémy Autebert, senior executive vice-president for Asia, explained how he hopes to see a doubling in the number of joint ventures with Chinese partners, from the company’s current four.…

Eurometaux, the organisation representing the interests of the European non-ferrous metals industry, has welcomed the launch of negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Thailand. “We believe this is something that will boost the trade potential between the EU and Thailand and will open the market,” Elena Vyboldina, Eurometaux’s trade and economy manager told Metal Bulletin.…

NEGOTIATIONS for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Thailand, removing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, may erase restrictions on exports of cut and polished marble and granite stones from the EU to Thailand.

At the moment European exporters of these minerals, as well as other monumental or building stone, need prior authorisation from the Thailand ministry of commerce.…