India’s continuous export contraction is expected to stop in 2020 but the rate of growth will be subdued because of the uncertain global trade situation due to rising protectionism. The slowdown in exports now is mainly due to a decline in petroleum products, which comprise 13.42 per cent of overall outward shipments, commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan said.Pic: ShutterstockHowever, the positive growth in the exports of non-conventional commodity groups like electronic goods, drugs and pharmaceuti

The area allocated for cotton cultivation in Azerbaijan in 2020 is 105,000 hectares, the country’s agriculture minister Inam Karimov said recently. According to the new subsidy mechanism, which will come into force in 2020, $129 will be issued to farmers for every hectare of sown cotton, and $58 for each tonne of harvested cotton, the minister said.Pic: ShutterstockIssuing subsidies through the Electronic Agriculture System will accelerate the process and improve the quality of service, Azeri ne

There has been a significant increase in the volume of man-made cellulosic fibre, produced by those with 'green shirt’ rankings, according to the 2019 Hot Button Ranking issued by Canopy. ‘Green shirt’ producers account for 42.5 per cent of global viscose production. The report will help brands identify producers who best meet their CanopyStyle commitments.Pic: ShutterstockMore than 200 brands and retailers are committed to eliminate ancient and endangered forests from their viscose and rayo

Genesco has signed a definitive asset purchase deal to take over New York-based Togast, which specialises in design, sourcing and sale of licensed footwear. Prior to the acquisition, Togast served as distributor for Levi's footwear in the United States. Genesco will also enter into a new US footwear license agreement for men, women and children for Levi's.Pic: GenescoThe purchase price for the acquisition is $33.7 million in cash at closing, plus up to an additional $34.0 million in cash

As per the new wool market research report published by the Persistence Market Research (PMR), global wool market to grow at CAGR of 3% by 2029. This growth can be attributed to several factors including the increasing disposable income of consumers across various geographies, which has significantly boosted the spending capacity of consumers on apparels and interior textiles. A prominent share of the global wool market volume is consumed by the textile producers in China. Favorable conditions,

Egypt’s Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Company recently signed a contract with PwC under which the latter will provide accounting, legal and tax advice to the firm for the planned merger of its subsidiaries and implementation of restructuring. Its subsidiaries are planned to be merged into nine textile firms and one company for cotton grinning and trade.Warner Consulting recommended merging the company's 22 textile units and 9 units for ginning and trade of cotton, according to an E

India plans to take khadi and village industries turnover to ₹2 trillion in the next five years from ₹75,000 crore at present, minister for micro, small and medium industries (MSME) Nitin Gadakri said recently. He urged the industry to expand its share in global trade to about 10 per cent in the wake of China facing rising costs and difficulties.He was addressing the 92nd annual convention of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).He said the infrastructure and MSME s

“Air” is the overarching theme of tradeshow and communication platform Neonyt for the year 2020. Neonyt is being held from January 14 to16 during the Berlin Fashion Week. There will be almost 200 fair fashion labels, more than 50 talks, panels and conversations at the hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation which is organised by Messe Frankfurt.Fashion players from Armedangels and H&M to ISKO and Katag to Mey, Nudie Jeans and the United Nations , as well as partners like republica, Te

Online sales in India accounted for 1.6 per cent of total retail sales, with intra-regional trade in South Asia remaining low, according to a recent report by the World Bank, which said while e-commerce has grown substantially in recent years, it is still very small in the region. Online sales is over 15 per cent for China and around 14 per cent globally.Pic: ShutterstockIndian firms, which tend to be more digitised and heavily concentrated in service sectors, tended to highlight regulatory issu

The Kenyan cabinet recently approved the commercial farming of Bt cotton hybrids following the successful completion of field trials over five years. This was done to ensure farmers earn more from the crop through increased production. It will also boost the manufacturing pillar of the government’s Big 4 Agenda, the president’s office said in a statement. Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in textile and apparel production.Pic: ShutterstockThe cabinet meeting chaired by Preside