FN Platform to Hit Vegas in February

Advanstar Communications and Fairchild Fashion Group are teaming up to launch a new global footwear trade show.

FN Platform, a partnership between Magic International and Footwear News, will debut Feb. 16-18 and run concurrently with Magic’s other trade show events in Las Vegas.

“Magic has [already] become an enormous [destination] for footwear,” said Chris DeMoulin, president of Magic and EVP of Advanstar Fashion Group. “We saw the opportunity to grow our presence and create a show that will allow both dedicated footwear buyers and ready-to-wear buyers to see all of the brands together.”

“As the leading publication in the industry, FN is delighted to partner with Advanstar on FN Platform,” added Fairchild Fashion Group President and CEO Richard Beckman. “This exciting new show will build upon the publication’s unique and powerful bond with the shoe business.”

Leslie Gallin, a former WSA executive who is now VP of Advanstar’s Fashion Group, will be managing FN Platform with her team at Magic.

“We’re going to create an environment unlike any trade show the industry has ever seen,” said Gallin. “Magic is pulling out all the stops to create that ‘wow factor.’”

The show, which will be housed adjacent to WWD Magic, will be divided into five distinct areas with innovative environments and buyers’ lounges that bring each category to life. The sections include women’s fashion, men’s fashion, athletic/outdoor, comfort and children’s.

Already, a roster of big footwear firms have signed on to participate, including Nine West, Steve Madden, Vince Camuto, Stuart Weitzman, Hugo Boss, DKNY and many others.

Gallin said the timing of the show would allow buyers to launch their product during New York’s FFANY show earlier in the month and continue to roll out their collections a few weeks later at Magic.

“This is a huge opportunity to unite the industry and help get the different shows in sync,” Gallin said.

The move marks an expansion of the relationship between Advanstar and Fairchild Fashion Group. The two companies already work together to operate the WWD Magic show.

“Expanding our successful WWD partnership with Fairchild to create FN Platform is a natural evolution,” DeMoulin said.

News Source: WWD.com

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Export to EU marks 8.65pc growth in FY 2008-09

Export of Bangladeshi products to European Union (EU) witnessed an 8.65 per cent growth in the fiscal year 2008-09 ended in June.

Country’s shipment to 26 out of total 27 EU member countries reached US$ 8.2 billion at the end of last fiscal year, which was US$ 7.6 billion in FY 2007-08, data revealed by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) showed.

“We expected growth over 10 per cent in export to the EU,” a well-placed EPB officer told the FE adding that it began to slow down by the first quarter-end of last fiscal year (2008-09).

Shrinking purchase order in readymade garments (RMG) export triggered by global financial recession that started burning European markets by September 2008 was the main reason for the slower growth, the EPB officer said.

Export to Europe faced several other challenges during the period, he elaborated adding that “Self imposed ban on frozen food export and falling market of leather and jute items in Europe also worked as major catalyst to this slow down.”

According to EPB sector-wise export performance record, apparel export covers 85 per cent (US$ 7.1 billion) of the country’s total export to EU in fiscal year 2008-09. Frozen food was the second largest exportable items to EU, earned US$ 0.23 billion, covering 2.8 per cent of the country’s total earning, the data revealed.

Germany was the largest importer of Bangladeshi products in EU during last fiscal, followed by the UK. Export earnings from Germany registered an increase of 4.37 per cent at the end of FY 2008-09 comparing to the previous fiscal. Export earnings from the country totalled US$ 2.27 billion in FY 2008-09 against US$ 2.17 billion in FY 2007-08.

Besides that, Bangladesh’s export earnings from UK totalled US$ 1.5 billion in last fiscal against US$ 1.3 billion in FY 2007-08.

With the economic recession slowly easing out and export ban deadline on frozen food likely to over soon, Bangladesh’s export performance to the region likely to witness a healthier picture ahead, experts related to the country’s international trade forecast.

Other than textile and frozen food, Bangladesh exports tea, agri-products, leather and leather goods, raw and processed jute goods and some other exportable items to EU

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4th Japanese Trade Fair-2009 will be starting on Oct 15, 2009

The 4th Japan Trade Fair-2009 (JTF-09), organized by the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI), is going to be held in the capital from October 15-17, 2009.

More than 35 companies from various sectors are expected to participate in the biennial fair, Toru Misabayashi, vice president of JBCCI said.

The fair will take place at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) and would remain open for public from 10:00am to 8:00pm, he said.

Addressing a press conference in a city hotel Wednesday, he said, renowned companies including electronics, automobiles, IT equipment, capital machinery, readymade garments, leather products, cargo transportation and logistics providers will exhibit their latest products in more than 100 booths at the fair.

Different Japanese government and semi-government organizations will also take part in the fair, he added.

Chairman of Japan-Bangladesh Joint Committee for Commerce and Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC) Tokyo will lead a six-member high-powered economic delegation from Japan to visit Bangladesh on a three-day tour, T. Uehara from Embassy of Japan said at the press conference.

They will also hold a meeting with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) as per schedule, he said.

JBCCI organizes the trade fair in Bangladesh every two years in support of the Embassy of Japan, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Dhaka. Windmill Advertising Limited will organize the trade fair this year.

News Source: apparel.com.bd

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SIS garments workers stage sit-in for dues

The workers of SIS Garments staged a sit-in-demonstration at Muktangan in the city Wednesday demanding all outstanding arrears and the arrest of their employer.

The leaders of National Garments Workers Federation (NGWF) claimed that SIS Garments authority illegally closed the factory on September 13 without prior notice, said a press release.

They further claimed that the authority did not pay the wages of three months from July to September and overtime dues of five months from May to September.

The authority must pay rightful compensation with all the dues to the workers, the leaders demanded, added the release.

The federation President Amirul Haque Ameen, central leaders Faruq Khan, Arzu Ara and Bangladesh Garments Sramik Oikkyo Parisad leader Alomgir Roni, addressed the workers.

News Source: apparel.com.bd

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Bangladesh garment exporters to use Pakistani fabric for EU

Bangladesh has agreed, in principle, to issue GSP "Form A" to imported fabric from Pakistan from January 1, 2010. This was stated by Federal Advisor on Textile Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig in a statement issued here on Tuesday. Dr Baig said that he had taken up the matter with the authorities in Bangladesh at several forums in the context of Sri Lanka, which also allowed a similar facility to Pakistani fabric.

He said that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are members of SAARC, which allows duty free trade of ggoods among the member states. Dr Baig said that garment manufacturers in Bangladesh would buy Pakistani fabric after this facility, thus providing a boost to Pakistani fabric. He pointed out that Bangladesh Textile Manufacturers and Exporters Association was opposing the import of fabric from Pakistan for the manufacture of garments when European Union had allowed GSP Plus status to Bangladesh.

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Garment retailers urged to pay Asian living wage

Activists in 11 European countries are launching a series of campaigns this week calling for retailers to pay a living wage to all garment workers in their supply chains.

In particular they are pressing retail giants such as Carrefour, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl to take up a ground-breaking new proposal for an Asia Floor Wage (AFW) which would see the equivalent of a 475 dollars a month minimum wage throughout Asia.

"The Asia Floor Wage Alliance is uniting unions and NGOs in Asia around a common wage demand," says Mr Jeroen Merk of the Clean Clothes Campaign International Secretariat. "It's a powerful response to industry practices that have kept wages at a poverty level and play off workers against each other."

The AFW, calculated using the World Bank's purchasing power parity, would allow workers to purchase the same set of goods and services across key garment-producing countries in Asia, the campaigners suggest.

They add that a living wage is regularly denied to workers in the garment industry where workers, mainly women, who produce clothing for international retail chains often live in severe poverty.

The proposals will be formally launched with events in countries across Asia this week including India, Indonesia, China, and Bangladesh.

News Source: AEPC India

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Service reforms clothing accessory culture

Marketing measures like star advertisement, follow-up by imitation, discount and promotion adopted frequently in the past have all failed to be effective in the face of rational customers, many brand operators admitted.

For customers with little difference in culture, lifestyle and consumption demand, the clothing brands, transforming from focusing style to brand operation and owning the similar consumption groups, find it difficult to stand out from the comparable brands irrespective of the fact that they make a luxurious exhibition of their brand culture in fairs or promote the brand image by extensive advertisement campaign.

As the similarity of products, price, shopping environment and target consumers becomes more obvious, it has become an indisputable fact for the success of terminal stores that adopting the brand image to increase the product value and expediting the realization of product value by service value of the brands.

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Marks & Spencer unveils its autumn collection 2009

Marks & Spencer India has announced the launch of its autumn collection 2009 across all its stores in the country.

Deep, rich and opulent colours like blue, reds and pinks with fabrics full of detail and texture describe the autumn ’09 collection. Catering to the Global Indian, the new range includes menswear, womenswear, lingerie, kidswear and home decor, using fabrics and styles that are synonymous with style and comfort.

With something for everyone, the autumn collection 2009 promises to colour the season with high quality great value clothing and home products. Also launching this season some new product categories like luggage, men’s footwear, kids’ toys and books.

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Employees Oldage Benefits Institution (EOBI) Now Made Part of Textile Policy

The government has for the first time made the Employees Oldage Benefits Institution (EOBI) part of the textile policy and allowed its reimbursement to encourage women employment in textile industry and support the handicapped employees in textile units registered with the Ministry of Textile.

A notification was issued in this regard on October 1, 2009 which specifies that the reimbursements under this notification shall be allowed for contributions made till 30th June, 2014. The documents available to Business Recorder state that this order may be called the Reimbursement of EOBI Contribution, 2009, which extends to the whole of Pakistan.

It shall be applicable only to the extent of payments made by textile units towards EOBI contributions for women workers and the handicapped in their respective units. It shall come into force at once. The reimbursements under this Order shall be allowed for payments made from 1st October, 2009 onwards.

The reimbursement shall be available to all textile units registered with the Ministry of Textile Industry. The unit shall be a registered sole proprietor, partnership or a company and shall be a member of a textiles association registered with the Directorate of Trade Organisations, Ministry of Commerce.

The registered units shall furnish data and any information related to the unit's operations, employees, domestic sales, accounts and exports as and when required by the Ministry of Textile Industry. The units shall submit modified PE-01 and PR01 forms specified at Annexure I and II respectively to EOBI along with special identification number provided by the Ministry of Textiles Industry and EOBI registration number.

Textiles units claiming re-imbursement shall submit revised PR-02-A form specified at Annexure III to EOBI on monthly basis. EOBI shall forward instructions duly signed by notified persons to NBP, on quarterly basis to make payments, to compliant textiles units' equivalent to contribution made by them for female and handicapped employees in the preceding three months.

NBP will make payments to the beneficiaries on receipt of instructions from EOBI. The payments will be made from the same branches through which the EOBI contributions were made and through the mode and method as may be determined by the NBP. The receipt of reimbursement payments shall be properly reflected in the book of accounts and other relevant financial statements of the unit.

Random, on-the-spot checks and audits shall be carried out where deemed necessary by the EOBI or its representatives to verify the authenticity of information provided by the unit and reimbursement received under this Order. Any unit which is in contravention of the provisions of this Order, through acts of omission or commission, and files fraudulent or false claims shall be liable to penalties under EOBI Act of 1976.

The appellate authority where penalties have been imposed shall be the Secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry. The Federal Government reserves the right to make any changes, additions, deletions and modifications in the scheme under this Order which it may consider necessary or to discontinue the scheme under this Order at any time. Any interpretation or clarification required regarding the application of this Order shall be made by the Ministry of Textile Industry.

While commenting on this order, Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Textile Ministry and Industry Waqar Masood Khan told Business Recorder on Friday that for the first time EOBI has been made part of the Textile Industry under the new textile policy. He further said that the new policy encompasses indigenization, women employment support programme and support for disabled, and handicapped. Waqar said that there is no age limitation and a person with one year service could also benefit under EOBI.

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FPCCI’s Nominated M A Jabbar as Chairman

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has nominated M A Jabbar as chairman standing committee on World Trade Organisation (WTO).

He has been also advised to revive the WTO resource center initially se up during 2003-04 at the PFCCI. The resource centre was supported by department for International Trade Development, UK, as part of its programme to develop the capacity, says a press release.

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