Organizers of the 111th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) — held last spring at the China
Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, China, and comprising three phases offering a wide
range of commercial products — report that trade at the fair was affected by European and U.S.
economic conditions, but not as much as had been widely expected.

The Canton Fair is organized by the China Foreign Trade Centre. It is hosted by the Ministry
of Commerce, People’s Republic of China; and the People’s Government of Guangdong Province. The
venue offers an exhibition area of 1.16 million square meters and 58,700 booths.

A record-breaking 210,000 buyers from 213 countries and regions attended the fair,
0.23-percent and 1.23-percent increases, respectively, over the 110th and 109th editions held in
2011. However, export values, at US$36.03 billion, were 2.3-percent and 4.8-percent lower,
respectively, than spring 2011 and fall 2011 values; and trade volumes were 8.1-percent and
5.6-percent lower than respective year-earlier volumes.

Emerging markets including India, Brazil and Russia averaged a 4.1-percent increase in trade
volumes; and African markets registered a 13.5-percent increase in these volumes.

The Canton Fair International Pavilion presented the products and services of more than 520
companies from 44 countries and regions. Organizers hope to attract more foreign companies in the
future, particularly from industries targeting environmental markets, and report that most of the
International Pavilion booths have already been booked for the 112th Canton Fair scheduled for fall
2012.

Buyers were quite positive in their assessment of the fair. Kristrian Holmqvist, a first-time
attendee from Finland, stated: “It saved me a lot of time from going to many places to search for
new suppliers. Here is a great platform for us to find business opportunities.”

The 112th Canton Fair will be held Oct. 15-Nov. 4, 2012, at the same venue. Phase 1,
scheduled October 15-19, will offer electronics and household electrical appliances, lighting
equipment, vehicles and spare parts, machinery, hardware and tools, building materials, and
chemical products. Phase 2, October 23-27, will include consumer goods, gifts and home decorations.
Categories offered during Phase 3, October 31-November 4, include textiles and garments, shoes,
office supplies, cases and bags, recreation products, medicines, medical devices and health
products, and food.

July/August 2012

Austria-based woven plastic packaging production and plastic recycling machinery manufacturer
Starlinger & Co. GmbH has opened a Central Asia representative office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan,
to offer sales and after-sales service in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan.

Yuldosh Kazakov, Starlinger’s chief representative for the region since 2009, heads the
office, and a local technician is on hand to offer immediate customer service and troubleshooting
for any machine malfunctions.

Starlinger anticipates strong growth potential for its business in the Central Asian region,
which has experienced strong economic growth over the past several years. The company already has
sold machinery to companies in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for production of AD*STAR sacks, and in
Uzbekistan for bottle-to-bottle polyethylene terephthalate recycling.

July 17, 2012

The Austrian Man-made Fibers Institute (MFI) — organizer of the 51st Dornbirn Man-made Fibers
Congress (Dornbirn-MFC), to be held Sept. 19-21, 2012, in Dornbirn, Austria — reports that, based
on the number of early-bird registrations for this year’s congress in comparison to last year, it
is anticipating “vivid participation” in September. In all, more than 700 attendees from more than
30 countries, including a significant delegation from Japan, are expected to attend this year’s
event.

Austrian MFI has announced that this year’s congress will focus on “future viability based
on Sustainability, innovation and communication with the upcoming generations.” More than 100
lectures have been scheduled and will cover topics such as: “Fibers and Textiles in Automobiles”;
“Unconventional Fiber Applications;” “Fiber Innovations”; “Man-made Fibers for Environmental
Protection”; ” Medical Applications”; “Technical Nonwovens”; and “EU-Projects”; among other topics.

Organizers note that they are continuing to pursue a goal to make Dornbirn-MFC a central
communication platform in Europe, where participants are able to network and share ideas and
expertise. Participants include professionals involved in academics, research and industry; as well
as others from throughout the processing chain.

This year’s event will include an opportunity for six university students to present their
research to the plenary and afterwards through poster sessions to congress visitors.

As the result of cooperation between Dornbirn-MFC organizers and the German Association of
the Automotive Industry (VDA), the Textiles in Automotive working group will hold a meeting in
Dornbirn on September 18. Congress organizers are planning a similar so-called “clustering” of
roofing organizations at a future congress.

July 17, 2012

Italy — July 2, 2012 — RadiciGroup r-Radyarn® is a low environmental impact product made from 100%
post-consumer recycled PET bottles. It is an eco-sustainable yarn ideal for applications in the
technical sportswear and medical sectors. What is more, r-Radyarn® is a safe product, the result of
a multi-stage process — from post-consumer bottle collection to reprocessing and yarn production —
all taking place in Europe and monitored at every step.

“There is so much talk about the green revolution and it affects us directly,” said Roberto
Parenzan, RadiciGroup Polyester Area R&D manager. “Sustainability concerns so many of our
target sectors, from technical sportswear to intimatewear and automotive, to mention just a few.
Now the players involved must set forth goals that are clearer, more concrete and more tangible.”

“The r-Radyarn® range,” Mr. Parenzan continued, “represents a concrete example of our
commitment to increasing the lifecycle of raw materials, reducing energy consumption and lowering
CO2 emissions, as well as safeguarding the health and safety of people. The latter issue has
recently been the centre of attention of the world of sport, football, in particular. Indeed,
during the last few weeks, the European Consumers’ Organization (BEUC), after an investigation,
warned against the presence of toxic substances, dangerous to the health, in the shirts of some
teams participating in the 2012 European Football Championship. The results of the investigation,
once again in the strongest terms, stressed the need for sportswear producers to have reliable
suppliers. Our Group has developed the r-Radyarn® range so it can offer its customers
sustainability, high performance and safety. In creating Radyarn® we have turned plastic waste into
a resource and a new raw material that finds its application in sportswear with a smaller
measurable environmental footprint, maximum comfort, freshness, breathability, colour solidity and
thermoregulation. Sustainable, high-performance garments that are, above all, safe. Our Oeko-Tex
certified yarns are free of heavy metals and other toxic substances and can be confidently used to
manufacture garments with guaranteed safety.”

The r-Radyarn® range is available in a variety of counts, colours and lustres, and in three
different versions: textured, interlaced and taslan (POY and drawn versions of this eco-compatible
yarn are sold under the r-Starlight® brand name).

r-Radyarn® comes in several cross-sections: standard (round and trilobal) and special
(multi-lobal, channel and hollow trilobal). For higher environmental sustainability, these yarns
are also available in solution-dyed versions. Besides utilizing recycled raw materials,
solution-dyed r-Radyarn® ensures a considerable savings in both water and energy consumption, in
addition to lower waste treatment costs.

In other RadiciGroup news, the company reports its Raditeck® high-tenacity PA66 yarn can be
used for resistant, safe, reliable fabrics; and it has added new fine and medium counts to its
product portfolio of high-tenacity PA66 yarns

Developed for applications in the technical textiles sector, Raditeck® Fine and Raditeck®
Dyna polyamide 66 yarns ensure excellent fabric performance — improved tear and abrasion resistance
with superior light stability — even in critical applications. These products are ideal for the
manufacture of sails, parachutes, hot-air balloons, as well as sportswear, workwear, footwear,
backpacks and suitcases.

RadiciGroup has added new fine and medium counts to its product portfolio of high-tenacity
PA66 yarns, which already includes traditional counts: 33/10 dtex, 55/13 dtex and 78/34 dtex FLAT
yarn and 580/140 dtex and 1100/280 dtex TASLAN yarn. “The market response to these new products has
been really positive,” said Filippo Bona of Radici Yarn R&D. “The development and marketing of
the Raditeck® Fine versions began about two years ago. We started off by proposing a range of fine
counts, such as 33/10 dtex, for applications in the sportswear segment and then, quite recently
actually, introduced new high-tenacity 180/68 dtex and 360/136 dtex TASLAN yarn for applications in
the technical, sportswear and workwear sectors. These yarns were designed to guarantee resistance,
total reliability, safety and quality — to meet market demand for materials providing better
performance.”

“RadiciGroup’s competence and experience, as well as the vertical integration of its nylon
production chain, has played a fundamental role in the development of these products,” Mr. Bona
continued. “Inside our Group, we have the needed raw material, polyamide 66, which comes from out
chemical production plant in Novara, Italy, and the necessary yarn processing technology. Also of
central importance has been our close collaboration with customers. In effect, our customers are
the starting point of every innovation at RadiciGroup.”

Posted on July 17, 2012

Source: RadiciGroup

 

150 years ago — on 16th April 1862 — Charles Terrot (1831-1903) and the businessman Wilhelm
Stücklen founded the Terrot factories.

This marked the beginnings of what is now Terrot GmbH and makes it the world’s oldest large
circular knitting machine manufacturer that is still in business.

On 13th of July 2012 the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. Almost 200 guests from all
over the world followed the invitation of Andreas von Bismarck and Peter Schüring, both Managing
Directors of Terrot.

At the Terrot site at Paul-Gruner-Straße the guests expected a site tour through the
mechanical production and the assembling hall, followed by ceremonial act in the Terrot assembly
hall. At the center of the official speech stood the outstanding and eventful company history as
well as strategic goals and opportunities of the company in the future. Further highlights were the
visit of the Industrial Museum of Chemnitz and the subsequently city tour by bus. In the evening
has taken place a dinner ceremony with 150 invited guests.

Terrot has made major contributions to the development of the global textile industry based
on expertise gained as a result of 150 years of experience and its many innovations and it is still
able to demonstrate its technical prowess. Terrot will continue to place great importance on
research and development in future too in order to continue to maintain its position in the global
markets through its technical expertise and innovations. This will safeguard the company’s success
and continued existence.

“Currently we are producing 55-60 circular knitting machines per month,” says Managing
Director Peter Schüring (72). Terrot circular knitting machines are sold worldwide. They are
operating in textile factories in India, China, Turkey and Brazil. Terrot generates an annual
turnover of 30 million euros with a staff of currently 200 employees.



Posted on July 17, 2012

Source: Terrot GmbH

TOKYO, Japan — July 17, 2012 — Teijin Ltd. announced today that it will expand its supply
capability for dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), a petrochemical used as a raw material in producing
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and for other specialty chemical applications. The company’s
existing DMT production facility at the Matsuyama Factory in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, will add a
new line that processes DMT into high-purity briquettes, the form suited for external sales.
Capital expenditure for the expansion will be approximately one billion yen. Construction will
begin in October, with operations scheduled to begin in April 2013.

 

The expansion will enable Teijin to double its annual supply capability for DMT from the
current 50,000 tons to 100,000 tons, making the company one of the largest DMT suppliers in the
world. By 2016, the company plans to roughly triple its current revenue of approximately 5 billion
yen from DMT sales.

 

DMT is a petrochemical produced from mixed xylene. When polymerized with ethylene glycol,
DMT can be used as a raw material for PET. In the past, DMT was widely used for this application,
but now purified terephthalic acid (PTA), which can be mass-produced at larger facilities, has
become the raw material of choice for general purpose PET production. As a result, the number of
global DMT manufacturers has been declining, and only a few retain systems for processing DMT for
external supply.

 

However, due to the fact that functional particles can be added to DMT at low temperatures,
that DMT dissolves easily in a solvent and can easily be made to react, and that DMT is neutral,
offering little interference with the function of additives-all characteristics PTA lacks-there is
increasing global demand for DMT as a raw material for specialty chemical applications. Examples
include specialty polyesters, elastomers, adhesives, and other alternatives to glass with superior
chemical resistance.

Teijin has been producing DMT as a raw material for in-house production of polyester fibers,
films, and other materials since 1964. In the 1980s, with the establishment of technologies to
process DMT into flakes, enabling long-term storage, Teijin began external sales and has been
expanding that business while establishing other advanced processing technologies. The company’s
total production capacity for DMT is 230,000 tons per annum, of which the company will have the
capability to process 100,000 tons for external sales upon completion of the expansion, doubling
the current external supply capability of 50,000 tons.

July 17, 2012

Source: Teijin Ltd.

HATTERSHEIM, Germany — July 2, 2012 — Climate catastrophes have caused shortfalls in the supply of
natural fibers, there have been increasing difficulties in the wool market, and there is a growing
global focus on sustainability. These factors have brought man-made fibers more into the foreground
again — and mainly polyester.  Fiber manufacturer Trevira is meeting this trend with a new
fiber for high quality clothing, one that shows great potential in terms of innovation, coupled
with supreme comfort for the wearer, and it is recyclable.

The new fiber is called Trevira Moisture Control and supplies these requirements. The
company reports fabrics made from Trevira Moisture Control have the proven characteristics of
Trevira apparel textiles, including very good pilling properties, fastness to color, resilience and
easy care qualities. In addition, they offer an improved semi-dull appearance, soft handle, and
optimal moisture management.

Research at the Hohenstein Institutes has demonstrated in terms of appearance and comfort
that in every respect a suit made using 100% Trevira Moisture Control matches a classic business
suit made using 100% wool. Made from the new fibers, the Trevira suit offers elegant, high quality
looks; very good wear properties; and its standard of comfort is assessed by Hohenstein as “very
good.”

Wear trials conducted at airlines have shown that a uniform in 100% Trevira Moisture Control
guarantees the wearer an optimal feel good effect, accompanied by high standards of resilience. The
fiber profile has a special dual channel system that accelerates transport of condensation
molecules given off from the skin, from inner to outer layer. Moisture conducted onto the textile
surface is quickly dispersed there and evaporates rapidly. In this way the inner side of the
textile touching the skin stays drier, preventing an unpleasant chill effect.

Textiles containing the new fibers are suitable for use in corporate wear, business clothing
or sportswear. Trevira Moisture Control may be used 100% or in blends with wool.

Trevira Moisture Control: properties at a glance

• Very good moisture management
• Rapid dispersion and evaporation of moisture
• Quick drying
• Good pilling characteristics
• Easy care
• Washable with good fastness standards
• Pleasant handle
• Good electro-static properties
• Resistant to UV light and chlorine

Posted on July 17, 2012

Source: Trevira

CLEVELAND — As our infrastructure ages, workers across the country are working tirelessly to keep
the lights running. Unfortunately, many times this requires exposure to dangerous, and
unpredictable cramped spaces, confined and underground.

As a result, National Safety Apparel’s Research and Development team has designed a safety
product specifically for these conditions: a high-tech suppression blanket to protect workers from
arc blasts in underground vaults, switchyards, tunnels, and any other confined space.

National Safety Apparel spends a significant amount of time and energy on design and testing
to ensure the safety of the workers, and this product is no exception. The ArcGuard Blanket™ is one
of the few arc suppression blankets available today that has been tested and rated per ASTM F2676.

The blanket is designed to be attached to fixed points near the arc flash hazard area to
redirect the release of energy that may occur. NSA offers high-strength Kevlar® webbing straps to
beused with the blanket.

Technical Information:

• Tested to ASTM F2676
• Meets OHSA 1910.269(T)(7)
• Meets NFPA 70E-2012
• Maximum Arc Current Imax = 25 kA
• Breakopen Threshold Performance = 362 kA*cycles

July 17, 2012

Source: National Safety Apparel

DULUTH, Ga. — June 26, 2012 — AltaBlue™ touch series adhesive melters from Nordson® Corporation
provide control and flexibility for precise, demanding hot melt adhesive applications. These
high-precision, variable-speed melters use an intuitive, touch screen operator interface and
simplified maintenance to maximize production uptime and product quality. AltaBlue touch melters
deliver the performance requirements for nonwovens production as well as for product assembly
applications such as woodworking and filter.

The Optix™ user interface improves operator experience and minimizes training for set-up and
operation. System status is displayed on-screen with a remote-visual-system light tower option
available as well. Control features include recipe development and storage, graphing and data
logging. Routine maintenance is simplified with single-tool, easy-access panels and doors,
disposable basket-style filters, and accessible tank isolation valves.

AltaBlue touch melters offer production flexibility with advanced delivery control modes
including:

• key-to-line control
• pressure build and control
• manual
• flow control

Variable-speed AC motors and up to four dual stream or single-stream pumps help
manufacturers meet specific delivery requirements.

­­­The AltaBlue touch series also enables pressure and flow monitoring and control through
optional control boards. This integrated solution can measure and control material delivery and
dispense rates in response to production rate changes. Material consumption is reduced while
production efficiency and product quality are improved with this variation management.

Nordson also reports its Allegro™ elastic attachment nozzles from uniformly apply hot melt
adhesive to elastic strands using a novel air-assisted contact coating technology for precise
adhesive deposition. Concentrated delivery of hot melt adhesive to individual elastic strands
enhances bond integrity for improved creep resistance. Applications for single or multi-strand
attachment include elasticized legs, leg cuffs and waistbands on disposable nonwovens infant
diapers, training pants and adult incontinence products.

Patent-pending Allegro nozzles accommodate high-speed production, speeds up to 650 meters
per minute, while supporting elastic centers as close as two millimeters. Integral strand guides
stabilize strand position and post adhesive-application process air forms adhesive around each
individual elastic strand. Exceptionally-low coating variability is achieved and add-on rates as
low as 0.025 grams per coated meter optimize adhesive efficiency and maximize product performance.

The robust design and all-steel construction deliver exceptional durability and resistance
to the wear associated with high-speed elastic handling, as well as simplify cleaning and
maintenance. And, Allegro nozzles offer a wide operating window, across a variety of process
conditions as well as a broad range of elastic and adhesive materials.

Allegro elastic attachment nozzles are compatible with Nordson Universal™ modules. In
addition to standard nozzle configurations, special nozzle strand configurations and nozzle lengths
up to 175 mm for many-strand applications may be ordered.

July 17, 2012

SAN DIEGO — July 10, 2012 — The United States and its eight TPP partners made important progress at
the 13th Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiating round that concluded today.  The talks,
which were held July 2-10, continued the march forward toward conclusion of the more than 20
chapters under negotiation between the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.  The TPP Agreement is a key trade initiative of the
Obama Administration, which is seeking to support jobs for American workers by boosting American
exports to the dynamic Asia-Pacific region, promote manufacturing, innovation, and
entrepreneurship, and at the same time, reflect in the agreement important values on key issues
such as worker rights and the environment.

 

This week’s talks made further substantial progress across the chapters, reflecting
significant preparatory work done by each of the TPP countries since the previous negotiating round
in Dallas in May.  Negotiating groups made particularly significant progress in a number of
chapters, including customs, cross-border services, telecommunications, government procurement,
competition policy, and cooperation and capacity building.  In addition, the negotiating
groups moved their work ahead substantially on other issues, including rules of origin, investment,
financial services, temporary entry, and other issues.  Notably, the United States tabled a
new proposal in the intellectual property rights group having to do with copyright limitations and
exceptions.  Negotiators will now take the progress made in the various chapters back to their
capitals for review.

 

The nine countries continued intensive discussions on the ambitious tariff packages they are
seeking to conclude that will provide access to each other’s industrial goods, agriculture, and
textiles markets.  They also advanced their discussions of how to promote regional supply
chains to further augment the benefits of the agreement.  In addition, they discussed specific
commitments on liberalization of their markets for services, an area where the United States and
other TPP countries see potential new opportunities from the agreement.  

 

The U.S. Government recognizes the importance of obtaining as broad a range of input from
the public as possible throughout the TPP negotiations; the active engagement we are undertaking is
refining our negotiating positions and will result in a better agreement.  This negotiating
round featured numerous opportunities for nearly 300 people who had registered to meet with U.S.
and other TPP negotiators.  On July 2, the first day of the negotiating round, a Direct
Stakeholder Engagement Forum was held at the negotiating venue, which enabled representatives of
industry, non-governmental organizations, academia, and the general public to meet directly with
negotiators to discuss specific TPP issues.  Some stakeholders also chose to make formal
presentations to negotiators.  On July 3, the Chief Negotiators from all nine TPP countries
held a briefing with stakeholders, and the U.S. Chief Negotiator also participated in a roundtable
discussion hosted at the University of California, San Diego.  On July 6, negotiators from all
nine TPP countries participated in an event hosted by the AFL-CIO and other groups, which featured
remarks from Congressman Bob Filner, San Diego Port Commissioner Scott Peters, and Lorena Gonzalez,
Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. 
There were also numerous additional meetings between negotiators and interested parties throughout
the negotiating round.

 

During this round, USTR also notified Congress of its intent to enter into TPP negotiations
with Mexico and Canada on July 9 and 10, respectively.  This notification triggers a 90-day
period during which the Obama Administration will consult with Congress on objectives related to
these new entrants to the TPP negotiations.  Mexico and Canada will join the TPP negotiations
once current TPP members successfully conclude their domestic procedures.

 

The 14th Round of TPP negotiations will take place in Leesburg, Virginia on September
6-15.  We will provide further information about public events surrounding this round of
negotiations as soon as it is available; however, we urge all interested parties to save these
dates.

July 17, 2012

Source: USTR