Latest manufacturing news and analysis articles 
Here you can find the latest updates on garment and footwear manufacturers, ranging from production information to company news, strikes and disruptions
Cambodia: A rising star with a falling reputation?
24 May 2013
Cambodia's reputation as a standard-bearer for apparel x - and yet the country is a rising star when it comes to attracting foreign investment and increasing exports.
BANGLADESH: Activists put compensation costs at EUR54m
24 May 2013
Labour rights groups estimate that more than EUR54m (US$71m) in long-term compensation payments are due to victims of the Rana Plaza factory complex collapse in Bangladesh last month.
Who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord - update
24 May 2013
A total of 40 companies have now signed the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building last month, which killed more than 1,100 people.
EUROPE: Jeans imports down for first time in a decade
24 May 2013
European jeans imports by volume were down for the first time in a decade last year, falling 7.3% on 2011 to 455m pairs.
just-style's most read stories this week...
24 May 2013
The most-read stories on just-style this week include a factory collapse in Cambodia, a look at who has signed the Bangladesh safety accord, and calls from institutional investors and shareholders for retailers to uphold their commitment to worker safety.
BANGLADESH: Protests halt production at 25 apparel units
23 May 2013
Production at nearly 25 apparel factories in the Ashulia industrial belt on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka was suspended today (23 May) as labour unrest intensified.
US: Manufacturing adds most to shoes' carbon footprint
23 May 2013
A new assessment of the carbon footprint of a pair of running shoes has shown that most of the environmental impact comes from manufacturing processes - a result that surprised researchers.
SOUTH AFRICA: Clothing workers strike against low wages
23 May 2013
Around 10,000 South African clothing workers have taken part in a two-day strike this week to protest at wage levels that are below the minimum level.
SWITZERLAND: Bluesign revises consumer chemical safety limits
23 May 2013
Swiss company Bluesign Technologies, which provides tools to help screen and manage chemicals used in the textile manufacturing process, has revised the consumer safety limits published in its BSSL (Bluesign System Substances List).
CAMBODIA: H&M clothes linked to latest factory collapse
22 May 2013
A factory where a shelter collapsed earlier this week injuring 23 people was making clothes for Swedish fashion retailer H&M without its knowledge, the company has admitted.
Gap hopes for a global alliance on factory safety
22 May 2013
The chairman and CEO of US retail giant Gap Inc says he hasn't given up on the idea of a global accord to tackle fire and building safety in Bangladesh - but that the current agreement largely backed by European brands and retailers "didn't make sense for us."
UK: Primark offers financial aid to all Rana Plaza victims
22 May 2013
Value fashion retailer Primark is to provide all victims of the Rana Plaza factory building collapse with short-term financial assistance, including those who made clothing for its competitors.
ALGERIA: To set up US$900m textile and clothing cluster
22 May 2013
The Société de Gestion des Participations Industries Manufacturières (SGP-IM), an Algerian state holding company which has stakes in numerous businesses including those specialising in garments, leather and footwear production, has signed a deal with Turkish group Taypa to build a textiles-clothing industry cluster in the North African country.
BANGLADESH: Setting up database of garment workers
22 May 2013
Bangladesh's apex trade body for garment manufacturers has started preparations on creating a biometric database that will contain records on all workers in the country's garment factories.
ISRAEL: Delta Galil first-quarter profit surges 69%
22 May 2013
Israel-based apparel business Delta Galil has reported a 69% increase in first-quarter net profit, boosted by higher sales in all regions.
SWEDEN: iStone becomes DeSL Fashion PLM partner
22 May 2013
UK-based software provider DeSL is partnering with Swedish IT consultancy iStone as its Fashion PLM partner.
US: Investors take a stand on Bangladesh safety deal
21 May 2013
Institutional investors and shareholders with more than $2.5trn in assets under management are adding pressure to retailers sourcing clothing from Bangladesh to implement a number of reforms, including signing up to the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety.
US: Retailers seek Bangladesh commitment to worker safety
20 May 2013
Apparel retailers and brands in the US and Canada are calling for assurances from the Bangladesh government that it is committed to worker safety issues in the country's garment factories.
Comment: Understanding China's success
20 May 2013
China ranks number one as the world's largest garment exporter with a 38% global market share. Bangladesh ranks number two with a 5% market share. We all acknowledge that China dominates the global garment export market. But how did it get here, and what are the upcoming challenges? asks David Birnbaum.
INDIA: Uttar Pradesh seeks textile and clothing export boost
20 May 2013
The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state in India, Akhilesh Yadav, has told just-style that his government wants to spur future expansion in clothing and textiles through major infrastructure investments.
just-style's research roundup
20 May 2013
Featured reports from just-style's research store this week include a review of the global market for workwear, a report on the prospects for the textile and clothing industry in Cambodia, and a look at the cost of spinning, texturing, weaving and knitting production in nine countries.
GERMANY: Jack Wolfskin commits to cleaner outdoor clothing
17 May 2013
As part of plans to remove harmful substances from its production processes and eliminate fluorines by 2020, German outdoor clothing brand Jack Wolfskin is teaming up with two research institutes to develop new fluorocarbon-free textile coatings.
VIETNAM: KyungBang opens $40m cotton yarn plant
17 May 2013
Korean textile manufacturer KyungBang Limited has opened a $40m cotton yarn plant at the Bau Bang industrial zone, in the northern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong.
BANGLADESH: Ashulia garment factories re-open
17 May 2013
Garment factories in the Ashulia industrial belt near the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka re-opened today (17 May) after a three-day shutdown following labour unrest earlier this week.
FRANCE: Lectra enhances Kaledo textile design suite
17 May 2013
Lectra has enhanced its Kaledo textile design suite to offer a wider range of creative tools along with improved usability for speed, control and accuracy.
just-style's most read stories this week...
17 May 2013
The most-read stories on just-style this week include a rush by apparel brands and retailers to sign the new Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a report on what the agreement entails, and plans by M&S to shake up its supplier base.
US: YuniquePLM release speeds line planning and costing
17 May 2013
The latest release of the YuniquePLM product lifecycle management software features enhanced line planning functionality for designers and merchandisers and new costing capabilities for planning and financial teams.
US: Apparel groups unveil own Bangladesh safety plans
16 May 2013
A group of North American retailers has gone its own way on strengthening safety efforts at Bangladesh garment factories, setting up a new initiative said to offer a long-term solution that also offers flexibility to "respond to an ever-changing environment."
CAMBODIA: Two workers killed in shoe factory collapse
16 May 2013
Two workers have died after a Cambodian factory that manufacturers footwear for Japanese sporting goods firm Asics collapsed earlier today (16 May).
Emerging markets to drive workwear growth
16 May 2013
The strength of global economies and their resulting employment levels is a major influence on the workwear market. A new report from just-style forecasts worldwide demand to grow by more than 20% over the next five years, driven by growth in emerging markets.
