The following is a roundup of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media. just-style has not checked these stories so cannot guarantee their accuracy.
- Angola is looking for partners to contribute around $870m to revamp three textile plants and jump start its once-prosperous textile sector. The plan is to rehabilitate the three plants, Textang II in Luanda, Africa Textil 1 de Maio in Benguela province and the Satec plant in Dondo. Even though Japan’s Marubeni Corp has agreed to contribute $0.5m, Angola still lacks 85% of the funds needed to relaunch the sector. REUTERS
- Bangladesh exporters have nearly used up the duty-free quota to export garments to India, with just 19,000 pieces left to be allocated for 2010 out of a total of 8m. The annual quota was almost used up in the first six months of the year. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is calling for the quota restriction to be lifted. THE DAILY STAR
- Senior US trade officials are reported to have promised to work towards greater market access for Pakistani textile products in the United States and to advance bilateral trade and economic ties. Speaking at the Texworld trade fair, the executives said they are hoping for early finalisation of legislation to set up reconstruction opportunity zones (ROZs) in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL
- A strike that began last week at the gold and textile sections of the Tehran bazaar has spread to other sections. The strike, the second major protest since 1979 at the bazaar, began after rumours circulated that the government planned to increase taxes up to 70%. KHABAR ONLINE
- Four hundred Sri Lankan women who were Tamil guerrillas a year ago are leaving rehabilitation camps and moving into new jobs in clothing factories owned by the Tri Star Group. They will be working as machine operators in three garment plants that ship clothes to Target and Wal-Mart. Tri Star Group has 16 garment factories island-wide and has promised to provide 1,200 jobs to former Tamil Tiger women. WOMENSENEWS
- More than 50 textile units have been closed in Pakistan during the last two months, according to the chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA). He blamed the closures on the regulatory duty on yarn exports from the country, which has made textile prices uncompetitive. The duty is currently due to end on 26 July. THE NATION
- Indian textile giant Raymond Ltd plans to set up an office in Malaysia to support its expansion in the region. The company says it wants to build a chain of 35 stores in South-East Asia under The Raymond Shop banner, selling ready-to-wear apparel and made-to-measure clothing. It already has more than 500 outlets across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. BERNAMA
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