ABINGDON, Md. — July 24, 2017 — Representatives of the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) recently testified in front of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to object to a proposed ban on secondhand clothing imports from the U.S. by members of the East African Community (EAC). SMART, a trade association, acted on behalf of its numerous small and medium-sized member companies who use, convert and recycle pre-and post-consumer textiles, including used clothing.

SMART’s testimony was delivered on July 13 before an interagency panel conducting an out-of-cycle review hearing under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade preference program that gives trade preference to numerous African nations. The hearing was held in response to a petition filed by SMART in March 2017 asking the U.S. government to conduct an out-of-cycle review of the AGOA beneficiary status of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. SMART filed the petition in light of a March 2016 announcement that those countries would begin phasing in a ban on imports of secondhand clothing and subsequent related import duty increases on these goods.

The testimony on behalf of SMART specifically targeted EAC countries Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Although Kenya recently rolled back these duties, in its testimony, SMART representatives called upon the U.S. government to include Kenya in this review until the association could confirm that reported minimum tariffs on containers of used goods will not be implemented in a manner that negates a July 1 rollback of Kenya’s tariff increases.

As SMART representatives noted in their testimony, AGOA requires beneficiary countries to have established or to be making “progress toward establishing …” a “market-based economy” and “the elimination of barriers to U.S. trade.” The association pointed out that the countries subject to this review (and perhaps Kenya) are erecting new barriers to U.S. trade in used clothing, and that the tariff increases and import ban “do not manifest progress toward market-based economies.”

Representatives advised the panel of the dramatic negative impact the additional duties imposed on used clothing exports is already having on the textile recycling industry, as evidenced by a recent survey of SMART members. These results demonstrated a marked decline in business with EAC member countries and a corresponding fall in employment within the United States. Namely, the survey found:

• 40 percent of survey respondents have reduced employment by at least 25 percent since the 2016 tariff increases.
• 88 percent of survey respondents have experienced a revenue reduction of at least 25 percent since the tariff increases.
• More than 52 percent of survey respondents say they would be forced to reduce their number of employees by at least 50 percent if the full ban were implemented.
• More than 94 percent of survey respondents said a full ban would cause them to experience a 25 percent to 75 percent reduction of revenues.

SMART representatives reported that industry-wide, there are at least 40,000 U.S. jobs within the private sector and another 150,000 jobs in the not-for-profit sector that stand to be negatively impacted by the import ban. The estimated value of U.S.-sourced used clothing that flows through third countries into Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya is $100 million. In short, the total value of exports to the EAC represents $124 million, or about 22 percent, of the U.S. industry’s total exports.

In addition, representatives noted before the panel that the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries and other partner charities stand to lose millions of dollars because elimination of the EAC markets will depress prices for used clothing.

SMART representatives questioned the claims that used clothing imports account for a decline in local textile industries, stating that decline is due more to the 2005 termination of the Multi Fiber Agreement. Once the MFA was terminated, African markets were deluged by cheap new clothing imports from countries like China.

During the hearing, SMART representatives clarified that the request is for a suspension of duty-free status for all currently eligible apparel imports from these countries, rather than a request that any EAC countries be removed from AGOA beneficiary status.

“We are grateful for USTR’s diligence in ensuring AGOA eligibility standards are met,” says SMART Executive Director Jackie King. “For so many in these countries who are existing on the equivalent of $1.00 – $2.00 or less per day, secondhand clothing and shoes provide their only meaningful access to quality apparel. We are now awaiting a final determination from the U.S. government, and it is our hope that a resolution can be reached with all the EAC member countries to benefit our industry as well as the people of the EAC.”

Posted July 24, 2017

Source: The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART)

TEL AVIV, Israel — July 24, 2017 — Delta Galil Industries Ltd. the global manufacturer and marketer of branded and private label apparel products for men, women and children, today announced that its Real Cool Cotton^™ and Real Lasting Cotton^™ technologies have been selected to be featured at Cotton Incorporated’s booth during the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. Please visit the Cotton Incorporated booth (#38037) between July 26-29 to learn about Delta Galil’s innovations specifically made from cotton fabrics — cutting edge evaporation solution, enhanced durability and usability, ‘new’ look after multiple washes, and design for ultimate comfort.

“Consumers today are active and versatile in their daily routines, and in turn demand the same multi-tasking efficiencies in their clothing as it relates to fit, comfort, look, feel and performance,” said Esti Maoz, CMO and Head of Innovation at Delta Galil. “Delta Galil’s innovations are changing the way cotton acts, converging the comfort of cotton with the durability, evaporation and absorption that meets the demands of today’s multi-tasking consumer.”

Real Cool Cotton

Real Cool Cotton (RCC), a historic breakthrough in natural fabrics, can evaporate significantly faster than the rate of standard cotton. This innovative technology increases the absorption capacity of the fabric, while also transferring moisture to the surface so it can evaporate more rapidly. The natural fabrics with improved qualities allow for professional cotton activewear and increased performance level of synthetics.

Real Lasting Cotton

Real Lasting Cotton (RLC) is a technology that preserves cotton fabrics with durability and every day wear. RLC not only keeps clothing looking and feeling brand new after multiple washes, creating a longer life span for clothes, but has a super smooth surface and amazing soft touch, adding pima-quality luxury to everyday garments. With two billion shirts produced around the world each year, requiring 2,700 liters of water along with chemicals and gases per shirt, this technology addresses significant environmental concerns.

By combining RCC and RLC technologies, Delta Galil is creating technologically advanced products that not only perform better, but also feel like new clothing for longer.

RCC is a registered patent in Europe, Canada and Israel; patent pending in the U.S.

Posted July 24, 2017

Source: Delta Galil Industries

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — July 21, 2017—With seven more laundries certified this month, UniFirst Corp. has widened its lead among multi-location uniform service companies in achieving the Hygienically Clean Food Safety designation, as 30 facilities now have reached this milestone. The July additions included the company’s first such achievements in Nevada, New York and Wisconsin after UniFirst plants were already certified in 16 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

This achievement reflects UniFirst’s commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by third-party on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing.

The certification confirms a laundry’s dedication to compliance and processing garments and other textile products using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, the focal point for TRSA inspectors’ evaluation of critical control points that minimize risk.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for servicing animal processing, dairies, fruit/vegetable, bakeries, grain and other food and beverage industry segments.

UniFirst facilities certified in July are in Ontario, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Buffalo, NY; Amarillo, Austin and Houston, TX; and Wisconsin Rapids, WI. States with previously Hygienically Clean Food Safety certified UniFirst laundries (one each except where noted) are Calif. (2) Colo., Conn., Fla. (2), Ga., Mass., Md., N.C. (4), N.H. (2), N.J., Okla., Pa., S.C., Texas (5), Utah and Va.

The Hygienically Clean Food Safety protocol examines a laundry’s Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices, including its techniques for:

• Conducting hazard analysis;
• Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, correcting them if not under control;
• Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness; and
• Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance.

Inspection and re-inspection verify laundry practices including washing procedures (detergent formulas, temperature, disinfectant, pH, extraction), drying, garment inspection and transportation. Each certified laundry plant’s operational flowchart is evaluated, ensuring these procedures (as well as pickup, unloading and sorting of soiled items and sorting of clean laundry) are mapped. Employees’ use of personal protective equipment is documented.

Inspectors also evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for adherence to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directives.

“More and more, we’re seeing our customers in food-related industries looking for third-party validation that our specialized Product Protection Process and our hygienically clean standards are consistent with HACCP and GFSI guidelines,” said Adam Soreff, director of marketing and communications at UniFirst, based near Boston. “Working with a Hygienically Clean Food Safety certified laundry helps reassure them that their managed uniform program is working in concert with their own food safety protocols to help them ensure food safety for consumers.”

Posted July 21, 2017

Source: TRSA