The National Retail Federation (NRF) is urging the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to resume their contract negotiations in an effort to avoid slowdowns at the country’s major container ports. The ILWU recently announced that they would put negotiations on hold until December 2. The NRF is urging

Hanesbrands has opened its third production facility in Vietnam. The new US$15 million facility will employ over 6,000 people and have the capacity to produce over 67 million pieces per year, primarily brassieres and woven boxers. The new facility now brings the company’s total investment in the country to US$45 million. (Fibre2Fashion)

Australia says that it will cut the tariff on Pakistani textile imports to 5% beginning next year. Speaking at a recent event of the Pakistan-Australia Business Forum, Australia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan noted that the move would help the bilateral trade balance between the two countries, which currently is tilted in favor of Australia. He

A boiler operator at a garment factory in Gazipur has died nearly two weeks after sustaining severe injuries from a boiler explosion. The explosion occurred mid-day on November 4 and injured 4 other workers who were also present in the room. (Bangladesh Accord)   Ongoing concerns about safety and compliance issues are taking a toll

Over a year after a string of violent clashes broke out at the SL Garments factory, representatives for workers and factory managers have signed an agreement resolving their dispute. The agreement, signed between factory representatives and the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU), included 7 specific points, including a promise by the factory

China has completed negotiations for a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia that will allow for greater growth in textile trade between the two countries. Specifically, China hopes to gain better access to Australian wool, while Australia hopes to do the same for Chinese-made textile products. China is Australia’s largest trading partner with US$129

The much-anticipated Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), facilitated by the World Trade Organization (WTO) is back on track after India reached a settlement with the United States over food supplies. Initially proposed back in December during a meeting in Bali, the TFA is intended to simplify customs rules and speed up the transit of goods through

Kenya is hoping to leverage its textile and garment sector to become Africa’s top manufacturing and investment hub. Speaking at the recent Origin Africa conference in Nairobi, Kenya’s president noted that the labor-intensive nature of these sectors make them prime to drive job growth in the country, with at least 200,000 jobs expected to be

Clothing and footwear producers in Kazakhstan are looking to partner with industry experts in Italy in an effort to increase the amount of finished apparel and footwear products they can export and sell domestically. The head of the country’s Association of Textile Industry Enterprises noted that Kazakhstan is already a leader in exporting raw materials

The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) has announced plans to establish a “project management team” to work with the government in an effort to improve the industry. MGMA leaders say that the garment industry of Myanmar has a great potential for growth over the next 10 years, but must have a plan to attract larger