Garment exports from Thailand are expected to reach US$7.8 billion in 2014, according to the Department of International Trade Promotion. Analysts say that improving economic conditions in Western export markets, especially in the European Union, coupled with weaker currency values in Thailand will both be key drivers of Thai garment exports this year, which are

Exports of textiles and raw materials from Turkey, excluding apparel, reached US$771 million last month, indicating a 5.2% year-on-year increase, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly. These exports accounted for nearly 6% of all Turkish exports for the month as well. Last year, Turkey exported US$8.39 billion in textiles and raw materials. (Fibre2Fashion)

The United Kingdom has launched a trio of projects to help improve safety and working conditions within Bangladesh’s garment factories. Operating under the Trade and Global Value Chains Initiative, the US$3 billion effort will focus on improving collaboration between factory workers and managers, helping middle managers to better understand safety standards, and allow factory medical

Wal-Mart, Gap, and The Children’s Place have become the first U.S. retailers to contribute to a US$40 million fund for the victims of last year’s Rana Plaza factory collapse. While none of these companies have publicly admitted to sourcing clothes from a Rana Plaza production facility, labor groups say that both Wal-Mart and The Children’s

Vietnamese garment exports to the Middle East and Africa have tripled since 2009, reaching US$117 million in 2013 according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Much of the growth has been driven by the sale of Islamic garments to the region, many of which have a high value-added quality about them, with other broader

The Canadian agency responsible for major uniform and apparel purchases for civil servants says that it will begin to disclose the countries where those garments are made. The decision comes following a newspaper investigation into the oversight of companies who supply clothes to the Canadian government. The move is seen as a first step toward

Vietnamese footwear exports to the European Union will be getting a boost as E.U. officials say they are cutting the tariff on Vietnamese footwear from between 13% and 14% to between 3% and 4%. The move is in line with the current European Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which is in effect until 2016.

Exports of leather products from Turkey reached US$1.9 billion last year representing an increase of 16.4% year-on-year, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly. Leather goods accounted for 1.3% of all exports from the country last year with Russia being the primary destination followed by Italy, Germany, and Iraq. Fibre2Fashion