Ethiopia has been identified as a top future sourcing destination in East Africa by a recent survey conducted by McKinsey and Company titled “East Africa: The next hub for apparel sourcing.” The survey asked a group of Chief Purchasing Officers (CPOs) if they planned to either begin or increase sourcing from an African nation by

About 500 textile mills affiliated with the South India Spinners Association (SISA) say they will cease their sales and deliveries of yarn during the third week of August in an effort to help stabilize prices. The move comes after the head of the organization accused some yarn traders of undervaluing their products, which pushed prices

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) is pushing the government to either devalue the Rupee by 15% or cut taxes and surcharges in an effort to help revive the textile industry. Speaking at a recent press conference, APTMA Chairman SM Tanveer noted that overall exports from Pakistan had dropped by 17% year-on-year in July,

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says he is confident that the country will regain membership in Europe’s GSP+ (Generalized System of Preferences) trade program following a meeting with local and foreign garment industry officials. Sri Lanka was removed from Europe’s GSP program in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa refused to address allegations of human

Market research firm Companies and Markets has published a new report saying that the global textile testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) market will reach US$7.2 billion by 2020. The report says that this growth is being driven by a number of factors, including an increasing propensity to outsource TIC activities as well as growth in

Political and labor leaders in Bangladesh are pushing government leaders and owners of the Swan Garments factory to reopen their facility and pay owed wages and Eid festival allowances to their workers who have been on strike for over 2 weeks. Workers began their demonstration on July 12 demanding immediate payment of three months’ worth

A pilot program that placed libraries in garment factories across the country is slated for expansion beginning this year. The program, a joint effort of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) and non-profit group Sipar, was first rolled out in 3 factories last year and will be expanded to 15 additional facilities. They will

Manufacturing in China hit a 15-month low in July, according to the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey. The index for July 2015 fell to 48.2 from 49.4 the month before while the factory output sub-index fell to its lowest point in 16 months. Analysts say that an overall drop in factory orders, including export

A recent review of of the Earned Import Allowance Program (EIAP) finds that not enough is being done to boost Dominican apparel exports to the U.S. market. Created in 2009 by the U.S. International Trade Commission, the EIAP provides an uncapped duty-free benefit for U.S. imports of certain woven cotton garments assembled in the Dominican

India’s government is proposing a series of labor reforms intended to cut back on worker riots and labor unrest, though some are questioning the effectiveness of these proposals. The proposals will give employers increased flexibility to hire and fire employees while also expanding the social security net for workers. Factory owners, however, say that they