WASHINGTON — July 10, 2013 — Congressional leaders today released a letter backed by the National
Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) signed by
167 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.  The letter calls for strong textile rules,
including the “Yarn Forward” rule of origin and long tariff phase-outs for sensitive products to be
included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement currently being negotiated by the United
States and 11 other nations.  Support for the strong textile provisions has more than doubled
since 2012 when 76 House members signed a similar letter.

“NCTO is grateful for the leadership of Representatives McHenry, Coble, Pascrell and 164 of
their peers in Congress who today stand in strong support of the more than 500,000 workers in the
overall textile sector in the United States,” said NCTO President Cass Johnson.

“The breadth of support for this letter indicates that members of Congress are concerned not
only about the impact of textile rules on U.S. producers and workers but also of the impact on
trade preference countries in the Western Hemisphere and Africa that depend on exports of apparel
to the United States for badly needed employment and foreign exchange.”

The strongly bi-partisan letter had widespread regional diversity with members of Congress
from 34 states.  In addition, ten members from the House Ways and Means Committee, which has
jurisdiction over trade issues, signed the agreement.

Strong textile rules have made existing free trade agreements successful and mutually
beneficial to all participants, helping to spur more than $25 billion in two-way textile and
apparel trade annually between the United States and its FTA partners.

“There are two million jobs in the textile and apparel supply chains in the Western
Hemisphere and Africa that are dependent upon the trade principles enshrined in strong enforcement
of a ‘Yarn Forward’ rule of origin.  It is critical that the TPP maintains and enforces this
and other important provisions to ensure that free trade is also fair trade.”

The letter notes that, “The yarn forward rule has been a success because it ensures that only
textile and apparel manufacturers within a particular free trade region, such as the proposed TPP,
get the benefits from the agreement.  Vietnam is seeking to replace this proven rule with a
new one that would allow its state-owned industry to flood the U.S. market using subsidized Chinese
inputs.”  The Congressional letter supports the U.S. government position which has been in
favor of strong textile rules.

The entire letter may be found
here.

The complete list of signatories may be found
here.

Source: NCTO

WASHINGTON — July 7, 2013 — Speaking this afternoon at a U.S. House Small Business Committee
Hearing on worldwide American competitiveness, CEO of Alice Manufacturing, Smyth McKissick, urged
lawmakers to endorse textile and apparel trading rules in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that
are ‘cornerstones’ of every major free trade agreement since NAFTA. 

Mr. McKissick testified before the House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital
Access.Mr. McKissick warned in his testimony that a poorly negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) will cause widespread textile, apparel and manufacturing job losses in the United States and
the Western Hemisphere.”

The TPP is the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA that the U.S. is negotiating with
eleven other nationsIf properly structured, the U.S. textile industry is poised to continue a
positive trajectory of growth. However, if weak rules are adopted, particularly given Vietnam’s
participation in the TPP, our industry will be at the mercy of an unfair free trade agreement,
which will decimate the United States textile industry once again.”

Also included in Mr. McKissick’s testimony were concrete examples of U.S. policies which have
complimented domestic manufacturing and job growth in recent years, including an enforced “yarn
forward” rule of origin.”

The yarn forward rule of origin has been especially important to our industry. The yarn
forward rule of origin means that the yarn used to form fabric, dyeing and finishing of fabric, and
the final cut, sew, and assembly must occur in a free trade partner country to gain U.S. market
access. Yarn forward has been the standard bearer in the creation of nearly $25 billion in two-way
trade between the industry and our FTA partners. The rule has been the primary force behind the
more than two million textile and apparel jobs in the United States and amongst our Western
Hemisphere free trade partners.”

Text of Mr. McKissick’s full testimony is available
here.

Posted July 16, 2013

WASHINGTON — July 11, 2013 — OTEXA will sponsor a USA Pavilion at ExpoProducción 2014.

DATES: February 5-7, 2014

LOCATION: World Trade Center, Mexico City, Mexico

SHOW DESCRIPTION: ExpoProducción is the only trade show and conference serving the complete
sewn product supply chain for the fashion, home and technical textile industries in Mexico and
Central America. This is the best place for you to meet key decision makers involved in all aspects
of production, including development, research, quality control, engineering, designing,
merchandising, logistics, purchasing and sourcing.

OTEXA will sponsor a USA Pavilion at ExpoProducción 2014. Exhibitors in the USA Pavilion are
offered a “turn-key” package of services including space rental, booth construction, table, chairs,
carpeting, lighting, electrical outlet, signage, material handling, show directory listing and
pre-show promotion.

COST: USA pavilion members will receive special member rates:

9 sqm x $320 = $2,880; 12 sqm x $320 = $3,840; 15 sqm x $320 = $4,800; 18 sqm x $320 = $5,760

All corner booths incur an additional $300 per open corner.

Special offerings for USA pavilion members:

Export/SAT Education:

OTEXA will provide an educational webinar to participants on the Key Requirements to
Exporting to Mexico and SAT’s new, streamlined procedures for audits

Pre-Show Promotion:

            Internet – USA Pavilion
Exhibitor Listing on the ExpoProducción Website

            Media – USA Pavilion Press
Release

            Attendee – USA Pavilion
Promotional E-Card

For additional information and to receive a participation kit please contact Kim-Bang Nguyen
at (202) 482-4805, email at Kim-Bang.Nguyen@trade.gov or fax form to (202) 482-2331.



Posted July 16, 2013

Source: OTEXA

The Netherlands — July 9, 2013 — Air France-KLM will further cut tonnes from its annual aircraft
carbon dioxide emissions, simply by using revolutionary new lightweight cargo nets that it is now
introducing. Just one new lightweight net with Dyneema® will save Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo
over 210 gallons of kerosene fuel per year. That means CO2 emissions will be over 2.5 tonnes less
per net per year.

The first nets, made with ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE) fiber,
manufactured by DSM Dyneema and branded as Dyneema®, were formally handed over at Schiphol airport
in Amsterdam on July 9th.

Produced by AmSafe Bridport, world leader in aviation restraint technology, the nets will in
future be used on all aircraft operated by Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, the dedicated air cargo
business of the Air France-KLM Group. It is the first major airline group to replace all cargo
pallet nets, normally made in polyester (PET) fiber, with lightweight nets made with Dyneema.

Revolutionary lightweight cargo nets made with Dyneema® will slash Air
France-KLM greenhouse gas emissions.

Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, AmSafe Bridport and DSM have been collaborating on
development and testing of the lightweight nets for several years. They have succeeded in producing
nets that weigh around 9 kg, which is half the weight of a traditional net in PET fiber. Air
France-KLM-Martinair Cargo has now recognized Amsafe Bridport and DSM as preferred suppliers of
sustainable aircargo solutions. Tuesday, July 9, Atzo Nicolaï, President Netherland of DSM, and Ian
Kentfield, President of AmSafe Bridport, handed over the first revolutionary lightweight cargo net
to Camiel Eurlings, CEO of KLM.

“We are proud to be the first major airline group to introduce light weight nets with
Dyneema,” said Camiel Eurlings. “At Air France-KLM, we are fully committed to reduce our carbon
footprint, and our efforts are being recognized. For the eighth year running, Air France KLM has
come out at the top of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in the airline sector.”

“Weight reduction on board our aircraft is an important part of those efforts. These
lightweight nets can lead to important reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and are the latest
in a series of efforts we are taking to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Important too is the fact that lightweight nets with Dyneema mean operatives can handle them
more easily and safely. Furthermore, the nets are more damage-resistant than polyester nets, and so
require around half as much maintenance, which is a significant saving. “That’s what I call a
win-win-win situation,” concluded Eurlings.

AmSafe Bridport’s Ian Kentfield highlighted the collaborative efforts between the three
companies that had made possible such an important step forward in reducing aircraft emissions.
“Delivery of a new product to a customer requires a good in depth understanding of their needs and
requirements,” he said.

“We have worked closely together for seven years to ensure this product meets Air
France-KLM’s needs operationally, financially and aesthetically, and that it can fulfill the
performance criteria of a cargo pallet net for its entire five- year lifetime-which is 60% longer
than rival products.”

Atzo Nicolaï from DSM said that the new nets provided an excellent example of DSM’s use of
“bright science to create brighter living,” and its spirit of collaboration with industry partners.
“We are very proud that Dyneema, with its characteristic very high strength and low weight, has
such a great impact on the planet and on people, as well as our customers’ profit,” he said.
“Sustainability is key, and the reductions in emissions that Air France-KLM will achieve are very
impressive.”

Posted July 9, 2013

Source: DSM Dyneema

Invista, a Wichita, Kan.-based fibers and polymers manufacturer, has introduced an improved
Cordura® Lite Plus Fabric for technical packs, daypacks, messenger bags, luggage and other portable
items requiring durability.

The fabric is made using the company’s highest-tenacity Type 749 nylon 6,6 air bag
technology fibers and offers 12-percent greater tensile strength than the current Cordura Lite Plus
Fabric, which is made using Type 725 fibers. According to Invista, the new fabric also offers up to
twice the filament density and lower denier per filament with a higher weaving coverage factor than
the current fabric, thereby offering a smoother, softer and more supple hand; a more tightly woven
fabric, minimizing water or air leakage; the ability to achieve equivalent hydrostatic results with
less coating; and the ability to be packed or folded to fit a smaller radius or seam.

The improved Cordura Lite Plus Fabric is offered in lightweight rip stop, dobby, plain and
ballistic weave constructions; and in several deniers ranging from 210 to 525 denier.

July 9, 2013

The Netherlands-based polyester fiber manufacturer Advansa BV has partnered with Egypt-based
organic cotton textile producer Sekem Textile to offer Advansa Thermo°Cool® eco2 with Egyptian
Organic Cotton yarn for underwear and other first-layer garments.

The yarn features a 50/50 blend of Advansa’s Thermo°Cool eco2 — a high-performance,
post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate fiber featuring Duoregulation™ evaporative
cooling and thermo-buffering technology — and Sekem’s Egyptian organic cotton fiber — which
includes GIZA 86 and GIZA 90 cotton varieties that are cultivated without the use of synthetic
insecticides, toxic pesticides or fertilizers; is certified to be carbon-neutral and sustainable;
and, according to Sekem, offers improved elasticity.

The companies report that underwear featuring the Advansa Thermo°Cool eco2/Egyptian Organic
Cotton yarn blend is soft, light and breathable; and regulates body temperature.

Sekem will spin the yarn and manufacture the underwear at its facility in Egypt.

July 9, 2013

Switzerland-based HeiQ Materials AG — a manufacturer of silver composite additives and
high-performance, sustainable textile finishes — has debuted Glider, a low-friction textile
treatment for sportswear, activewear, underwear, workwear, medical and other next-to-skin textile
applications.

According to the company, the treatment complements the fabric’s composition and construction
to help minimize a garment’s friction properties — which can cause blisters on the skin — and offer
enhanced tactile features while allowing it to maintain its hand; colorfastness; and
moisture-management, anti-pilling and anti-snagging properties. The treatment is
Oeko-Tex®-certified and is pending bluesign® standard certification.

Glider may be pad-applied to polyester, polyamide and cotton fabrics as well as blends, and
can function in combination with any of HeiQ’s other textile finishes. The technology will be made
available to HeiQ mill partners as of October 2013.

July 9, 2013