The following is a round-up of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media.

  • After Pakistan’s cotton output fell to 9.8m bales during the 2016-16 season, the local textile industry is having to import raw cotton from overseas to meet its raw material requirements. The Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) is now urging the government to waive all duties and taxes on cotton imports to help the local textile industry. The textile industry currently pays 3% custom duty and 1% additional duty on cotton imports. The KCA also wants cotton to trade without any quantitative and qualitative restrictions. BUSINESS RECORDER

  • The Kerala State Textile Workers’ Federation (KSTWF), affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), is calling on the state government to increase the wages of textile mill workers. The union is seeking a hike in basic wages and ‘dearness’ allowance for mill workers, a cost of living adjustment allowance paid to government employees to mitigate the impact of inflation. THE HINDU

  • Construction has started in Uzbekistan’s capital city, Tashkent, on a US$15m Korea-Uzbekistan Textile Techno-Park. The project is said to be an “example of Uzbek-South Korean cooperation” and will be established in 2018. The goal of the techno-park is to develop and implement international training and research programmes, as well as share advanced technologies aimed at the textile industry. The project will be funded under the ‘Official Development Assistance’ (ODA) programme of the Government of the Republic of Korea. THE TIMES OF CENTRAL ASIA

  • India’s government has said it is considering negotiations with the UK on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) for duty-free garment exports, following the UK’s decision to exit the European Union (EU). The Ministry of Textiles says garment export sfrom India to European countries attract 9.6% duty, making its shipments uncompetitive in comparison with Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. BUSINESS STANDARD

just-style has not checked these stories so cannot guarantee their accuracy.

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