MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel — July 30, 2019 — As a worldwide supplier of nylon 6,6, NILIT® has taken significant measures to strengthen its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) position over the last three years. The company has examined its products and manufacturing facilities, conducting complete Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). It also has ensured that company policies and procedures fully safeguard employees and the communities in which it operates while also protecting the planet and the people who inhabit it. Nilit has documented this commitment in a sustainability business strategy that has the full backing of its Board of Directors and leaders at its facilities around the world.

“Respect for the planet and people has always been a NILIT® core value,” says Ilan Melamed, NILIT’s general manager. “Our dedication to responsible operations has never been stronger. But, most important for our brands and retailers, this formal sustainability business strategy focuses our ongoing commitment to creating more sustainable products that will make possible the beautiful, high quality, socially and environmentally considerate apparel that today’s consumers demand.”

NILIT’s sustainability business strategy encompasses all aspects of its operations and adheres to NILIT Board of Directors guidance statements. The company’s focus is on:

• Reducing its carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of water and other natural resources, and use of harmful chemicals and nonrenewable materials.
• Accelerating the creation and commercialization of new products that are bio-based, biodegradable, and recycled.
• Adhering to the highest standard with regard to ethical business practices while treating employees, customers, suppliers, and partners with courtesy and respect and choosing to partner with those who do the same.
• Supporting sustainability education and charitable programs in the communities in which it operates.

In addition to implementing this sustainability business strategy in all of its global locations, Nilit will work closely with its supply chain partners to identify opportunities to enhance the sustainability of their products and procedures as well. This initiative will result in improved environmental, social, and ethical practices across the industry.

Some of the new initiatives Nilit has implemented as a result of the LCA are:

• Moving to natural gas as the main source of energy at its largest manufacturing site;
• Implementing BAT (Best Available Techniques) processes for reduction of emissions;
• Recycling waste products including emulsions, oils, electrical supplies, manufactured products, and solvents;
• Installing state-of-the-art water treatment systems;
• Implementing policies to procure raw material from responsible vendors; and
• Optimizing shipping and logistics to reduce the environmental impact of freight transport.

Product wise, NILIT is in the process of launching exciting new sustainable products in addition to its NILIT ECOCARE recycled yarn. These products among other things use recycled material, biomass feedstock, and decomposable ingredients. Plus, they use less energy, water and chemicals in manufacturing and downstream processing. NILIT will share news about these important new products with the textile and apparel market in the coming months.

Posted July 30, 2019

Source: NILIT®

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — July 30, 2019 — During the Mongolian president’s visit to the United States of America, the largest cashmere manufacturer of Mongolia Gobi Corp. is preparing to announce its plans to enter the U.S. market by September 2019. The subsidiary Gobi Cashmere USA will be located in Los Angeles and is launching an e-commerce website specially dedicated to U.S customers.

Gobi currently supplies high-quality raw cashmere products onto the international market however, its presence on the U.S. market has been niche due to the fierce competition from China. As of now, Gobi has its franchise stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. If the trade bill is passed, this would allow cashmere companies from the young democratic nation to compete with its competitors.

The increased trade between the United States of America and Mongolia will benefit many stakeholders in the supply chain of cashmere including the consumers, nomads, employees and the economical trade between both countries.

The nomads of Mongolia rely on the sale of their raw cashmere to manufacturers for half of the annual income, which is highly needed for the education of their children and other costs that are incurred during the year. As goats are one of the herds that are valued and herded by the nomads, the raw cashmere that is being provided onto the market will be supplied regardless of the demand by the nomads. Besides, Mongolian traditional nomadic way of coexisting with livestock gives the special feature of differentiation to cashmere sourced from Mongolian land, in terms of traditional heritage, care for the goats and humane way of treatment.

Additionally, Gobi has more than 2800 employees and 80 percent of them are females. As a part of the company social responsibility, the national giant company Gobi thrives to be the number one organization that leads others by example by taking good care for the employees well beings, especially for those in need. This is another driver of the company’s expansion to the international market, as the production increase will directly affect the employees’ standard of living.

Mongolia, a landlocked country sandwiched between Russia and China is utilizing its third neighbor policy to its highest potential by expanding its diplomatic relations with countries around the world.

Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and United States of America formally established on January 27, 1987, and it has expanded both in economic and political platforms. On July 26, 2018, Representative Ted Yoho and nine other members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a trade bill to the U.S. Congress. The trade bill would seek to promote trade between the United States of America and Mongolia by allowing duty-free treatment for certain imports from Mongolia such as cashmere products and textile materials.

In relation to the trade bill, the president of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa is visiting the United States of America on July 31, 2019. By the visit, Mongolian president is expressing his full support for the trade bill and appreciation to the sponsors.

The trade act would be helpful to Mongolian economy for various reasons. One of the major examples is the fact that its ability to open more trade opportunities to export cashmere products onto the U.S. Market. Mongolia supplies around 48 percent of the total raw cashmere to the world market which makes the country the second-largest raw cashmere supplier of the world, yet they utilize only 15 percent of it to make ready-to-wear finished cashmere garments locally. Remaining 85 percent of the raw cashmere is sold as a semi-processed material to other markets with less added value, which is becoming the focus area of the Mongolian government and domestic cashmere manufacturers. The United States of America is considered as the second largest cashmere consumer country. This duty-free treatment would open a tremendous opportunity for Mongolia to diversify its economy.

The world heard about Mongolians’ invasion hundreds of years ago from their rich history, but now, they have prepared to invade the world cashmere market with their silky soft pure cashmere products. And now they are coming to your doorsteps America.

Posted July 30, 2019

Source: GOBI Corp.

TOKYO — July 30, 2019 — Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, announced today that it has developed a polyester fabric that looks and feels like fine silk. Teijin Frontier, which envisions various applications for its silk-like material, such as blouses and outers from thin to medium thicknesses, is targeting annual sales of 150,000 meters by the fiscal year ending in March 2022.

While high-function materials made with man-made fibers are recently established as fashion trend in the market, demand also has been growing for natural-texture materials made with natural fibers. Materials in which delicate fiber fluff is expressed, or fibrillated, on the surface of the fabric for smooth textures, similar to silk or cupro, are becoming popular, but these materials have problems with color fastness ⁽¹⁾ in wet condition, yarn strength, color migration, fading due to fluff release and shape loss by washing.

Teijin Frontier responded by developing unique processing technologies to produce a new stable, easy-care polyester fabric that boasts the soft texture and fine appearance of silk produced by wild silkworms.

This new material’s specially fabricated surface is soft and glossy, holds bright coloring, resists color migration, shrinkage and shape loss by using polyester fibers with excellent color fastness and fiber strength.

Color fastness to rubbing in deep color (grade)*

*Based on JIS L0849-II standard

⁽¹⁾ Color change due to washing, water, perspiration, rubbing, light, etc. is collectively known as color fastness. The degree of color change is divided into five grades, with higher grades indicating less change.

Posted July 30, 2019

Source: Teijin Ltd.