All articles by Jens Kastner

Jens Kastner

Xinjiang fashion, textile sector is upgraded by leaps and bounds

The US government enacted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in 2021 to stop the entry of Xinjiang goods, which US customs authorities decided…
Philippines fashion sector looks to Europe, Asia on US tariff burden

Under the US government’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, Philippines-origin garments now face an additional 19% duty when imported into the US. While this matches the rate for Indonesia and is only…
Impact of US-Vietnam tariffs on China’s fashion, textile investors

While Vietnam has struck an agreement in principle with the US that would see the US imposing a 20% baseline…
Trump tariff policies threaten China’s fashion strategies for Vietnam

China's investment in Vietnam’s textile and fashion sector was driven by Trump’s first administration (2017-21) and aimed to bypass US…
South Korea agreement set to boost Philippines apparel sector

The boost to the Philippines apparel sector is expected to come from a free trade agreement (FTA) between the Philippines…

Impact of Vietnam’s authoritarian politics on apparel sector

Tô Lâm was appointed Vietnam president in April 2024 and general secretary of the ruling communist party earlier this month (3…
Explainer: Why isotopic tests raise risks for China-linked Vietnam exports

Isotopic testing on goods from Vietnam could link cotton to specific geographic areas such as Xinjiang by analysing the concentration…
China moves apparel production abroad to keep sales

China textile company Shanghai Jingqingrong Garment announced earlier this year (January) it will open its first production plant abroad in…
EU-Philippines FTA needs right detail to boost garment exports

The potential impact of the EU-Philippines FTA on Philippines' garment exports is expected to depend on the agreed final text.…
Will robots replace garment workers in future?

Research and development has been making major progress in the handling of limp objects such as fabric – a key…