The following is a round-up of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media. just-style has not checked these stories so cannot guarantee their accuracy.
- Factories in Thailand are being urged to take steps to save power in order to save the country from an energy crisis. A reduction of 10% or 1,200 megawatts a day is being sought, with efforts including a reduced use of machines and a switch to compact fluorescent or LED lamps. The gesture is voluntary, but may be taken into consideration when it comes to renewing factory licences, a government minister has warned. THE BANGKOK POST
- Textile firm BorKar is to close its operations in Costa Rica, with the loss of 300 jobs. However, former workers are reported to have set up a smaller operation in the same premises. In the past four years, thousands of textile jobs have disappeared in the country, including 500 at US firm Confecciones Jinete, which announced plans to close in January. TICO TIMES.NET
- Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has pledged to compensate thousands of garment factory workers after the owner fled the country to escape mounting debt. Some 7,000 workers at the Yung Wah Industrial Complex in Kandal province, which supplies Gap Inc, blocked the main road in Takhmao town for two days protesting for more than two months’ back-pay. Union officials said each worker would be eligible to receive US$200-2,000. RADIO FREE ASIA
- The Indian textile industry has urged the government to intervene to release cotton purchased by procurement agencies – as they claim this has led to shortages and higher prices. SV Arumugam, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), said releasing nearly 25 lakh bales of procured cotton could fetch impressive profits for the agencies. He added that keeping hold of the procured cotton harms the industry and does not benefit farmers. THE TIMES OF INDIA
- The footwear industry in Thailand is facing a labour shortage after a nationwide rise in the minimum wage led many workers to return to their home towns to seek work. Last year, footwear production in Thailand fell to 13.7m pairs, against the annual average of 19m pairs. The country has also lost market share to Vietnam, where production capacity and export value have tripled. PATTAYA MAIL
- German textile companies have visited Gujarat in India to look at opportunities to team up with firms making sport and technical textiles. According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, Eurotextiles, Nextrusion, SR Webatex and Ploucquet are among the companies keen to collaborate with Gujarat. The state contributes nearly INR200bn (US$3.68bn) to the Indian technical textiles industry, which is worth INR750bn. THE ECONOMIC TIMES
- Indonesia’s footwear exports are likely to fall 10% this year due to labour unrest, higher wages, and global economic uncertainty, according to the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo). In 2012, footwear exports rose 6% year-on-year to $3.5bn. “Buyers won’t want to buy with our new higher prices and our production costs keep climbing,” warned Eddy Widjanarko, chairman of the association. THE JAKARTA GLOBE
