The China-US Textile Agreement And Verifications

It is the purpose of this Act and the amendments made by this Act to increase and broaden the scope
of certain penalties relating to illegal imports and cargo theft so as to enable the Bureau of
Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security to effectively deter
commercial fraud in the United States, particularly concerning textile and apparel products.
Section 659 of title 18, United States Code, is amended in the fifth undesignated paragraph, by
striking one year and inserting three years.

China’s Circumvention Problem

Now that an agreement has been reached, Chinese textile manufacturers face some very
interesting issues. The proposed increase in fines and prison terms is just another issue with
which to be concerned. There are others. First, in paragraph five of the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the Governments of the United States of America and the People’s
Republic of China concerning Trade in Textile and Apparel Products, there is a clearly stated
obligation to demonstrate non-circumvention of the Agreement. The United States and China will
cooperate in enforcing the agreed levels and in preventing circumvention of the agreed levels by
transshipment, rerouting, false declaration concerning country or place of origin, falsification of
official documents, or any other means. If the United States has evidence that circumvention has
occurred, it may charge the actual quantities of goods that entered the United States in
circumvention against levels of those goods. Second, paragraph six requires electronic data
transmissions which are further defined in Annex III. The movement to mandated electronic
transmission is also indicative of concern over controls and circumvention.

To assist in the administration of this Memorandum, the United States and China will
establish an electronic visa system. Annex III of the MOU defines the purpose and content of the
electronic visa (ELVIS) transmission as a direct electronic communication with the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) that describes the shipment. China is obligated, as of January 2006, to
issue an ELVIS transmission for each shipment of products manufactured in China, shipped to the
United States, and that fall within agreed- upon categories regardless of the products value.

The ELVIS transmission shall certify the product’s country of origin and shall authorize the
United States to charge the shipment against any agreed levels within the Memorandum. The United
States recognizes that China shall be free to issue additional documents, such as paper visas or
certificates of origin. Each transmission shall originate from China and include the Visa number,
date of issuance, correct categories or part-categories, quantities, units, date of issuance, or a
Manufacturer Identification Code (MID). The United States cannot permit an entry if the ELVIS
transmission is not consistent with the information supplied by the importer. Finally the last page
of Annex III reveals that if hard documents are also used, CBP can hold the shipment until such
time as the paper documents can be confirmed to be authentic. The MID has been further clarified by
CBP. The Mid is required for all entries in which a CBP Form 3461 and CBP Form 7501 must be
submitted to CBP to make entry. This would apply to both formal and informal entries. For textile
merchandise identified in 19 CFR 102.21 (b) (5) this MID must be calculated from the manufacturer
that performs the origin conferring process. If an importer cannot provide the name of the
manufacturer that performed the origin conferring process, the goods can be excluded when there are
admissibility concerns, i.e. if the importer cannot provide the name of the manufacturer who
produced the goods when these goods are subject to quota/visa admissibility issues. The United
States has, in effect, established what means it could to prevent transmission, rerouting, false
declaration of country of origin, and falsification of documents, all in an attempt to prevent
circumvention of the agreement. There will likely be claims of transshipment and rerouting anyway.
Additionally, there will be an onerous burden on China to prove non-circumvention, and there will
likely be discrepancies in paperwork or electronic transmissions. However, there is a way for China
to avoid all or most of these potential problems. China can and should use a class of smart
boxes/smart containers to defend themselves against circumvention claims.

The Use of Smart Containers

While there is little agreement on defining a smart container because of a lack of
international standards, there is agreement on what a smart box can do. The container security
market is now better defined with the entry of the giants like Maersk/IBM; GE/NKY; and SAVI. What
this can do for China’s textile industry is quite clear. In our view and in the view of others, a
smart container must perform at least seven clearly defined operations.

1. A smart container must be a part of a system approach necessary to coordinate all facets
of the supply chain process to insure visibility and security. That begins at origin. Therefore,
the container must be able to record the identity of the person responsible for monitoring the
stuffing and securing of the container at the foreign point of origin, a responsibility set forth
in the World Customs Organization (WCO) standards adopted by 165 nations (99% of the trading world)
and the United States.

2. There should be an electronic capturing of certain trade data that will link to other
documentation. Examples would be the container number, or booking number. One could even include
portions of the Inward Cargo Declaration, Customs Form 1302.

3. Consistent with C-TPAT requirements to conduct a seven-point inspection of the container,
a smart box should be able to detect a breach anywhere into its body, not just through the doors.

4. The container should be able to report a breach in real time or close to real time with
the date, time, and geographic location of the breach.

5. The smart container is one that can give its geographic position throughout the supply
chain when queried, or automatically give its position if it is off its designated course of travel
in controlled environments.

6. The container must recognize and record the identity of the authorized person opening the
container at destination.

7.Finally, the container should be adaptable to different sensors and be able to communicate
with or be adapted to divergent logistic software packages used by shippers and carriers within the
supply chain.

China’s Smart-Container Defense

Specifically in the case of the MOU, there will be likely be accusations and claims by
China’s U.S. textile competitors and perhaps even by CBP of transshipment, re-routings, and other
forms of circumvention of the Agreement. However, these accusations may be precluded or certainly
defended by China’s use of smart containers. Six defenses or benefits become obvious. First, China
could demonstrate the integrity of the stuffing process (container loading) at origin by
electronically capturing the identity of the person supervising the stuffing. Second, the ELVIS
transmission could take place at origin through the container itself and go directly to CBP and to
the U.S. importer simultaneously. Third, since a smart container can detect a breach anywhere into
its body, China could demonstrate that the container was not surreptitiously breach or opened after
if left its Chinese origin all the way to its U.S. destination. Fourth, since smart boxes are
easily tracked (at least by one smart-system manufacturer) the Chinese shipper could demonstrate
the actual movement of the container from origin in China to destination in the United States.
Other than sea carriage, the tracking could even indicate if the container moves too far off of its
intended route. Fifth, there would be transparency with respect to who opened the container in the
United States by electronically capturing the identity of the authorized person at destination.
Sixth, depending on the smart-system manufacturer, a third-party worldwide monitoring facility
would serve as a neutral party in verifying the itinerary of the containers international voyage.
Finally, the smart container would be usable or adaptable to different logistics packages of
exporters, importers, and government.In other words, the use of smart-box technology will offer a
defense for China and even gain them preferential treatment provided by green lanes or facilitated
clearance and movement through CBP at U.S. seaports. In fact, China would gain not only the
circumvention defense, but also gain a business advantage in the process. Additionally, China
International Maritime Containers (CIMC), one of the largest, if not the largest container
manufacturers in the world, is in China. Therefore, the costs of producing a new class of smart
containers or retrofitting currently-used containers would be less costly for the Chinese textile
manufacturers. In summary, the MOU brings with it the need for China to defend itself against the
expected claims of transshipment so often voiced by entities within the U.S. textile industry and
to comply with the new electronic demands stipulated in the Agreement.

Both may be accomplished with the use of smart-box technology while at the same time its use
can provide a competitive edge in moving through the international supply chain increasing the
profit margin of the firm.

Editor’s Note: Dr. James Giermanski is director, Centre for Global Commerce, Belmont Abbey
College, Belmont,N.C.; and chairman, Powers International Inc., Belmont.

October 17, 2006

Advertising Is An Art, Not A Science


I
 f money were no object, it would be relatively easy to decide which media to use to
market your product or service. But even with a hearty ad budget, it’s a challenge to create
effective advertising that breaks through the clutter of more than 3,000 marketing messages per
day.

Remember that advertising is an art, not a science, and that what works for one product or
service may not work for another. Here are some media to be considered in your marketing mix:

Direct mail can have the highest impact of any medium, but can also be the most expensive in
terms of cost per person reached. You can target a specific group, controlling who receives your
advertising message. A direct mail campaign is only as good as your list. If it’s not going to the
right people, it’s nothing more than junk mail. And seldom does a one-shot mailing have the desired
result, so consider a series of mailings. Direct mail can be a letter, postcard, brochure or flyer;
and is a good way to test ad copy or a promotional offer on a smaller scale before embarking on a
large-scale ad campaign. 

stereo

The Internet is electronic direct mail, and a medium flush with tiny niche markets. As with
direct mail, the right list will get you the best results. You can rent opt-in e-mail lists from
major vendors, allowing you to tightly target your message. E-newsletters, e-promotions and
e-coupons all are good ways to promote your product or services and drive traffic to your website.
But make sure your newsletter is educational and not just a sales pitch.

Newspapers typically are the most inexpensive way to reach a mass audience. But you’re
competing with a high number of advertisers and a lot of visual clutter. Therefore, headline copy
is critically important in newspaper advertising because the reader generally scans the pages. Your
desire is to provoke interest with the headline, drawing the reader in to read the copy. You might
also consider spot color in newspaper ads to draw the reader’s eye your way.

Magazines offer a better opportunity to catch the reader’s attention. Readers tend to peruse
magazines more carefully than they do newspapers, and because magazine ads are placed fewer per
page, the competition for the reader’s eye is reduced. Trade publications also give you the
opportunity to reach a targeted audience that has a specific interest in your product or
service. 

 

tv


Billboard and transit advertising are hard to miss, and are appropriate for simple messages.
I call outdoor advertising “The Reinforcer.” If someone drives past your billboard every day for a
month, your message gains strength each time. Billboards also can reinforce more detailed messages
seen in print. But remember the billboard mentality — don’t post an ad with more words than can be
read at 60 miles per hour.

Television is a mass medium that can be very expensive and likely will reach well beyond your
target audience. The cost to produce a television spot also is relatively high. Television is a
great medium for mass merchandisers selling directly to consumers. It makes far less sense for
niche marketers and business-to-business advertisers.

Like television, radio has the ability to touch a large audience, offering a better
opportunity to reach market segments by targeting certain station formats — country, soft rock,
talk and so on. It’s also relatively inexpensive in terms of airtime and production costs. Radio
also can be a good support for your printed advertising.

September/October 2006

Mega Showing In Atlanta

 
atlanta
Atlanta, home of the Georgia World Congress Center, will host Megatex’s collocated shows.


F
 or
the first time ever, the Industrial
Fabrics Association International (IFAI) Expo 2006 and the American Textile Machinery
Exhibition-International® (ATME-I®) 2006 — along with the collocated 2006 International Conference
& Exhibition (IC&E) of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, Research
Triangle Park, N.C. — will come together under the Megatex umbrella this fall in Atlanta. The
gathering is expected to draw up to 1,000 exhibitors and an estimated 15,000 visitors. As part of
the Megatex concept, each show will remain independent, taking place in separate exhibit halls in
the Georgia World Congress Center, and offering in a single venue a multitude of machinery,
equipment, and other products and services for the textile industry’s diverse needs and interests.

IFAI Expo 2006 — Roseville, Minn.-based IFAI’s event, occurring October 31-November 2 — and
ATME-I 2006 — the October 31-November 3 show produced by ATME-I Inc., a joint venture between
England-based show organizer Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd. and Falls Church, Va.-based show sponsor
American Textile Machinery Association (ATMA®) — will serve as event co-anchors in Halls A and B,
respectively. IC&E, taking place October 31-November 2, will feature exhibits and educational
tracks in Hall B. Registered visitors will be able to move among all three shows.

“Megatex will be a huge international event joining three key textile-related trade shows
under one roof at the same time,” said Dave Tellett, exhibition director, ATME-I/Megatex. “This
will be a tremendous networking and buying opportunity for the textile industry as a whole. The
range of exhibits and the spectrum of visitors will be unique [for] textile shows worldwide.”

Among Megatex’s many industry supporters is US Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Guiterrez,
whose department selected the event as part of the International Buyer Program — a promotional
program involving the 85 worldwide US Commercial Services offices. “If you are a US supplier and
you want to export your products, you need to be in Atlanta … ,” Tellett explained.

As part of the Distinguished Speakers Luncheon series, occurring Tuesday through Thursday,
October 31-November 2, three textile experts will discuss aspects of the US and global textile
industry. On Tuesday, Herwig M. Strolz, director general, International Textile Manufacturers
Federation (ITMF), will trace ITMF’s 30-year history of monitoring textile investments. The
following day, Frank J. Horn, president, Fiber Economics Bureau, American Fiber Manufacturers
Association, will examine the state of the manufactured fiber industry; and Peter Kilduff, Ph.D.,
chair, Apparel Merchandising and Management Department, California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona, will end the series on Thursday with a look at the US textile industry’s business
performance and supply-chain structure.

Other special events occurring during Megatex include IFAI Expo and ATME-I 2006’s
Halloween-themed networking reception Tuesday evening. The Turkish Machinery Association will offer
an overview of the Turkish economy and textile machinery sector on Wednesday, November 1, from 2 to
4 p.m. Also on that day, the National Textile Association will host a seminar that will be open to
all from 3:30 to 5 p.m. to discuss opportunities for US textile manufacturers in the Western
Hemisphere. ATMA will present Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
seminars — including an overview of CAFTA-DR; spotlights on the textile industries of Guatemala,
Honduras, and El Salvador; and a Central American Networking meeting — all occurring Thursday; and “
Shifting Markets for Textile Machinery” on Friday morning, November 3. 


September/October 2006

RadiciSpandex Hosts Stretch To The Future Contest

RadiciSpandex Corp., Gastonia, N.C.,
has invited junior fashion class students at Kent, Ohio-based Kent State University’s The Fashion
School to “Stretch to the Future,” a design competition involving the use of high-tech fabrics made
with spandex yarn. The competition encourages students’ creativity as they learn about fashion’s
future challenges.

Fashion, fabric and media experts will judge the submissions at the school’s New York City
satellite location in April 2007.

“Through the years, ‘Stretch to the Future’ has demonstrated just how talented, passionate
and innovative young designers can be when they are confronted with new applications and technical
advancements,” said Rob Rebello, CEO, RadiciSpandex.


September/October 2006

WestPoint Home To Acquire Manama Home Textile Assets

WestPoint Home Inc., West Point, Ga., has signed a letter of intent to acquire the home textile
assets of Bahrain-based Manama Textile Mills W.L.L., currently a supplier of bedding products to
WestPoint Home. The planned acquisition of the vertical bedding operation is part of WestPoint
Home’s strategy to establish overseas manufacturing capabilities, according to Joseph Pennacchio,
CEO.

“Bahrain has a stable economic and political environment and provides a low-cost platform
that will allow us to compete anywhere in the world,” Pennacchio said.

“The free trade agreement between the [United States] and Bahrain, which eliminates duties on
textile products produced in Bahrain, is an additional benefit of this acquisition.We have an
excellent relationship with WestPoint Home, and I am pleased to have reached this letter of intent
with a company of their caliber for our home textile operations,” said Hamid Nishat, CEO, Manama.
Nishat noted Manama has made substantial investments in its bedding operation in recent years, and
said the company will now focus on developing and expanding its denim business.

In other news, Pennacchio said WestPoint Home’s towel operation in Lahore, Pakistan, is on
track to be operating at full capacity in the first half of 2007.

September/October 2006

Optimer Performance Fibers Adds Dri-release® Bamboo

Dri-release® with FreshGuard® — a
patented moisture-release technology from Optimer Performance Fibers Inc., Wilmington, Del., that
uses a blend of man-made and natural fibers — now includes bamboo as a fiber component option,
joining a portfolio of other fibers including cotton, wool, linen, Tencel® and SeaCell®.

In addition to the soft, lightweight and breathable nature of bamboo fibers, their makeup
naturally accelerates Dri-release’s moisture transfer, making them ideal for the technology, the
company reports. The fibers also take dye quickly, resulting in minimum dyestuff
requirements.


September/October 2006

NCTO To Participate In AAPN Annual Meeting

The American Apparel Producers’
Network (AAPN), Atlanta, has invited members of the Washington-based National Council of Textile
Organizations (NCTO) to participate in its upcoming annual meeting, Sept. 13-15, 2006, focusing on
the man-made fiber apparel supply chain of the United States and the Central America-Dominican
Republic Free Trade Agreement region. The meeting will be held at the Watermark Hotel in San
Antonio.

According to Mike Todaro, AAPN managing director, the collaboration was “unusual” because
AAPN is apolitical and NCTO has a political agenda. “But, our meetings with the usual industry
organizations produce only usual results,” he explained. “So by going to a national organization of
fiber, yarn and fabric producers — one we’ve never worked with before, we’re trying something
different.”

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for US textile manufacturers to sit down at the table
with apparel manufacturers and retailers to develop new business, personal relationships, and the
necessary business infrastructure for an integrated supply chain,” said Mike Hubbard, vice
president, NCTO.

AAPN members and nonmembers may register for the meeting at
www.aapnetwork.net/Content/121.htm.



September/October 2006

A Climate For Change


W
 hen the French landed in New York City six years ago with European Preview – an
exposition of quality fabrics from leading European mills – buyers and sellers of apparel fabrics
took note. It was “un succes incroyable,” an incredible success. The rest of the world immediately
followed suit, with separate New York events for textiles from Italy, Turkey and Asia. Today these
shows – which include the Turkish Fashion Fabric Exhibition (TFFE), TexWorld USA, Innovation Asia,
Direction and PrintSource New York, in addition to Premiere Vision Preview New York – have
refocused, consolidated and expanded. Exhibitors at each show are looking for ways to gain a
foothold in the lucrative American market.

Premi Vision Preview New York is the new name for European Preview. Along with fabrics from
European Union countries, Turkish and Japanese fabrics were on view at the most recent event. Held
recently at the adjoining Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building, it was a full house with 150
exhibitors. Attendance was up 8.5 percent over 2005. Daniel Faure, chairman and CEO of Premi
Vision, said, “There is more confidence in business today than there was a year ago. ”

Italian fabric companies have integrated with Premier Vision Preview and represented the
largest group of exhibitors, with 59. Fifteen former exhibitors from TFFE also joined the Premi
Vision Preview group. As a result, this years TFFE was a smaller show, and attendance was light.
Rumor has it the remaining TFFE exhibitors may join Texworld USA in January 2007.

A first-time venture, Texworld USA was held at the Hotel Pennsylvania and Penn Plaza Pavilion
with 157 exhibitors from 18 countries, primarily in Asia. This show is a joint venture produced by
Messe Frankfurt Inc. in concert with Lenzing AG, Austria. Innovation Asia, a small show of Asian
mills, is now part of Texworld USA.

Exhibitors at two surface design shows, Direction and PrintSource New York, report most of
their buyers are retailers, brands and apparel designers. At one time they were converters. Studios
exhibiting at these shows frequently work with global customers to color and scale patterns. With
sophisticated computer equipment, design work can cross continents in a matter of seconds.

 
europeanpreview
Fall/Winter 2007-08 trends from Premiere Vision New York


Luxe Woolens

Creativity and innovation at Première Vision Preview are boundless. This show caters to better
markets looking for something special.

One of the most crowded booths was France-based Masters of Linen — the promotion arm of the
European Flax and Hemp Confederation. A thickly napped fabric called Cashlin from Michele Solbiati
Sasil S.p.A., Italy, caught buyers’ attention. It is a blend of 63-percent cashmere and 37-percent
linen. The linen yarns are double-twisted. The fabric is 350 grams per square meter (g/m2), and has
a supple, warm, dry hand.

Other popular fall fabrics at Masters of Linen are from John England (Textiles) Ltd.,
Northern Ireland, and Italy-based Ratti S.p.A.’s Braghenti Division. One from John England is woven
of 57-percent linen/43-percent wool and washed at a high temperature to give it a crinkled effect.
A Braghenti fabric of special interest is a double-faced, yarn-dyed plaid velour woven of
100-percent linen.

Elegant wool suitings from Italy-based Lanerie Luigi Boggio Casero S.r.l. are woven with
ultrafine compact yarns. There are subtle surface effects, mini patterns and shadowy tweeds. There
are clean, double-faced jacketweights, mohair crepes with a dry hand, almost invisible pinstripes,
seersucker surfaces and checks in dark gray/black colors.

Along with classic plaids woven with mohair, Lanficio Lamberto, Italy, showed cotton/metal
memory cloths and pleated double cloths that are joined with appliqués and embroidery. Picchi
S.p.A., Italy, combines classic with ultramodern. There are shaggy wools that resemble fur, tucked
herringbone tweeds with subtle spots of color, checked tweeds woven with thick and thin yarns,
laser-cut patterns and paisley designs on crinkled surfaces. New this season are silk chiffons.
Some are flocked with narrow velvet stripes.

“Anglo-mania” is how Italy-based Angelo Vasino S.p.A. described its tartan group. Fabrics are
ultralight with mohair relief patterns. Metal, especially gold, is another look. It is used
discreetly in classic patterns such as herringbones that are woven in blends of wool/viscose/metal.
High-twist crepes with mini designs are splashed with small spots of a color.

At two British woolen mills, Anglo is updated. England-based Abraham Moon and Sons Ltd. is
showing tweeds in misted colors of the Scottish Highlands. Blurred olives, aged yellows, grays and
browns predominate. There are chunky patterns and classic chalk stripes. At Neill Johnstone Ltd.,
Scotland, the look is subtle and elegant. There are soft gray/black mohair bouclés with a hint of
glitter, diamond-patterned jacquards in black/beige/gold, checks woven with twisted yarns and
randomly colored nubs, shadow tweeds woven with mélange yarns, and double-faced coatings in
wool/angora that are ultralight, thick and warm.

There is faint surface interest in the woolen line shown at France-based Isoule Textile.
Traditional Chanel tweeds are of less interest. Yarn-dyed plaids are hairy, crinkled or washed; or
have low-relief textures. Black/gray/olive color combinations were pointed out, and there was
discreet shine.

Along with luxury, Wilhelm Becker GmbH, Germany, is showing performance. There are
water-repellent wool/silk/nylon coating fabrics. A double-faced stretch fabric reverses from
100-percent wool herringbone to brushed cotton/Lycra®. There are worsted wool corduroy, 100-percent
wool stretch and silky finished wool fabrics woven with compact yarns.

Ultrafine 105-g/m2 wool georgette at The Japan Wool Textile Co. Ltd. (Nikke), Japan, has a
silky touch. A double-sided, loden-type fabric weighs in at 400 g/m2. In between, there are
small-patterned jacquards and wool/angora herringbones.


Classic And Casual

Turkish woolen mills showed quality classics in wool blends. At BTD Textile Group, there are
washable crepes and flannels of polyester/wool/spandex. One popular fabric is a
polyester/viscose/spandex flannel that has a wool look and touch. Traditional checks and stripes at
Yünsa Yunlu Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. are woven in wool-rich blends; many contain cashmere and silk.

Another Turkish vertical, Bossa, is focusing on yarn development and finishing. Much of what
it showed was for early fall. There are cotton/wool blends woven with twisted or flammé yarns.
Finishes range from clean and calendered to flannel, brushed, milled, crinkled or distressed.

H. Hecking Söhne GmbH & Co. KG, the only denim weaver in Germany, reported light weights,
bi-stretch and black dyed denim that turns faded gray after washing are popular.

At Spain-based Tejidos Royo, cleaner looks are selling. Premium denim is woven with dyed weft
yarns, and the fabrics are over dyed and brushed. The color holds, and the look is more formal.
Stretch and sueded finishes were pointed out.

Italy-based Olmetex S.p.A. has memory cloths, washable wax finishes and classic plaid double
cloths.

Three France-based companies showed elegant casual looks. Philea Textil is into metal and
vintage. There are crushed voiles, satins, jacquards and double-faced fabrics. Fabien Doligez gives
an antique look to fabrics with subtle touches of tarnished Lurex®. Jacquards coordinate with
satins, taffetas and silk chiffons. There is polyester that has the hand of metallic memory cloths.
Reynaud Rexo sells to the eveningwear trade, showing dark colors spiked with a touch of metal.
There are tonal and matte/shine jacquards, iridescent taffetas and dimensional stripes.

With the return of the dress, prints on stretch jersey, cotton voile, viscose crepe, silk
satin and chiffon are selling. Spain-based Pasarela Textil S.A. has small gray and black
geometrics; some are highlighted with a splash of red. There are small box and mosaic patterns.
Italy-based Miroglio Group has an early group of mini-scaled black/white/gray geometrics, some of
which have a hint of metal. And, it was pointed out, animal skin patterns are still hot. Along with
prints, Confetti Tekstil Pazarlama A.S., Turkey, has yarn dyes with eyelash stripes on stretch
twill and crinkled shirtings.

 
eppeople
Premiere Vision Preview New York visitors view trend displays at the show.


TFFE

Last year, textile exports from Turkey to the United States totaled $450 million. Along with
twice-a-year TFFE shows in New York, London is another venue, and next year exhibitions will be
held in Milan.

At Kipas Textile Group the trends are to light weights, dark colors and stretch. Faded
7.5-ounce denim was pointed out. Along with stretch suitings at Almodo Altunlar Tekstil San ve Tic
A.S., there are classic checks with elastic puckers, matte/sheen jacquards and tweed looks. Cotton/
wool/polyester fabrics with a vintage appearance are soft and warm at Abaci Tekstil. There are
micro-patterned dobbies and shaded patterns that have a patchwork appearance.

Guny Mensucat showed wool-blend stretch flannels, pinstripes and herringbones. Patterns are
classic and subtly colored. At Urgurteks/Akugur Textile, yarn-dyed bottomweights are overprinted.
There are glen checks and herringbones with blotchy flowers.



Texworld USA

At a press conference held at the inaugural edition of Texworld USA, it was announced
that this show will come to New York City twice a year for winter and summer editions. The next
event will take place Jan. 23-25, 2007, with fabrics for Spring/Summer 2008. This will precede
Texworld Paris by several weeks. Next year, Texworld will move its Paris show to a space in Le
Bourget, a location close to Villepinte, where Première Vision takes place.

China-based Zhonghe Group recently opened a New York City office. June Lauck, director, sales
and marketing, noted this company has the capacity to produce 10 million yards of fabric a month
with 70 percent going for export. The focus is on finishing and quality. Cotton is the basis of the
group’s line. It is blended with bamboo, cashmere, wool, metal, spandex and man-made fibers. There
is a wide range of finishes, including coating, bonding, microsanding, Airo®, wrinkle- and
water-repellent, Teflon®, Nano-Tex™, antibacterial, and ultraviolet-resistant. For fall, Lauck
pointed out a group of velvets and corduroys.

Hironen Co. Ltd., Japan, showed suiting weights in blends of polyester/triacetate and Ojo, a
yarn that is made from paper. Satins and crepes were of special interest. Taiwan-based Li Peng
Enterprise Co. Ltd. showed ultralight fabrics woven and knitted of polyester/Lycra. Crushed and
crinkled surfaces, novelty stripes and weave effects were sampling. India-based Siyaram Silk Mills
Ltd. has suiting weights woven in polyester/rayon blends that have a wool touch. Some contain
Lycra.

Embossed, sueded and quilted fabrics were highlights at Taiwan-based De Licacy Industrial Co.
Ltd. There are woven polyester/bamboo/charcoal antibacterial fabrics, stretch shirtings in
cotton/Dow XLA™ blends and Nano-Tex treatments.

China-based Mozartex Co. Ltd. specializes in using Tencel®, which is frequently blended with
silk or linen. The company’s focus is casualwear, with fabrics ranging from shirtings to moleskin
and corduroy.

Israel-based fabric producer Polgat Textiles Co. (1960) Ltd. showed luxury-blend suiting
weights in classic and refined rustic weaves. Compact flannel in wool/Lycra, micro-designs with
subtle shine in wool/silk, fine cavalry twills and color-flecked retro tweeds are some of the
highlights. Fabrics woven with twisted yarns, stretch and washable wool-blend suitings are in
demand.


Surface Design

Original collections at Direction and PrintSource New York focus on patterns for prints, yarn
dyes, jacquards, dobbies, knits, appliqués and embroidery. Exhibitors are globally based, with many
representing studios from Europe, Asia and South America. There was a time when designs were shown
on paper. Today, fabric is the base, often cut to suggest a garment.

N’Ketiah, a designer from Ghana who is now based in New Jersey, showed ideas for menswear.
Batiks, paisleys and line-drawn florals are among the popular looks.

HB Brewster from London pointed out blocks of color with a modern art look, playboy graphics
in dark colors, flowers printed over geometrics, and a lot of plaids and checks.

Tom Cody Design, based in New York City with an office in London, had fabrics inspired by
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, creating a modern arts and crafts look. Textural no-print prints; small,
ditsy designs; and tartans are among the ideas.

At New York City-based Marilyn Kern Textile Designs Inc. there are bicolored animal skins,
borders, no-print prints and sophisticated conversationals. Spotty animal skins on the diagonal and
in borders, graphic leaves, and small geometrics are some of the designs at Nancy Parker of London.

New York City-based European Textile Collection has tonal silhouetted florals, printed lace
looks, plaids and amusing conversationals. There is a rich feeling to quilted designs, embroidery
and sequin patterns at David Lee of London.

England-based ChromaShare and Precision Textile Color (PTC) Inc., Brockton, Mass., have
joined forces to collaborate on design and also to present an Internet color library. Using
ChromaShare Internet-based software and PTC’s color browser, users can select custom colors and
develop recipes. The software is calibrated to give the exact shades in separate locations around
the globe.

The next Direction and PrintSource
New York will be held Jan. 16-18, 2007; Texworld USA, Jan. 23-25, 2007; and Première Vision Preview
New York, Jan. 24-25, 2007.


September/October 2006  

Quality Fabric Of The Month: Microbial Elimination – Crude And Simple

Bio-Chemical Textile Technologies LLC (BCTT), Newburgh, N.Y., is offering an innovative antimicrobial technology for military, hospital/institutional, air filtration, emergency preparedness and first-responder applications; as well as for contact sports such as wrestling.
According to the company, Bio-Shield Fabrics™ imparts permanent protection to cotton, wool, silk, and other natural carbohydrate- and protein-based fabrics — as well as to fabrics containing a blend of natural fibers with man-made fibers — by covalently bonding cationic lipids to the fiber surface. The technology also can be applied to man-made fiber fabrics using minor modifications of the basic process.The technology was developed and patented by Robert Engel, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY), Flushing, N.Y., and the Graduate Center of CUNY, New York City, in collaboration with former students JaimeLee I.A.C. Rizzo, Ph.D., Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York City, and Karin Melkonian, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus, Greenville, N.Y.

The lipids attack and completely kill most Gram+ and Gram– bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and others within one minute; and fungi including Candida albicans, Sacchromyces cerevisiae, Aspergillis niger and others within a couple of minutes, according to
Engel. He also said it will easily kill 99.99 percent of Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax — both free bacteria and spores. When a particular chain length of lipid is used, it will completely kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa — a particularly resistant bacterium commonly found in hospital settings.

Engel explained how Bio-Shield works compared to antibiotics, which kill via a metabolic route and lose efficacy when bacteria mutate into resistant strains. Bio-Shield causes penetration and electrostatic disruption of the bacterium’s cell wall, leading to cell death. In tests,
subsequent bacterial contamination also was completely eliminated.

“Our system is much cruder than the metabolic approach. This is brute force, not trying to poison or trick something,” he said. “We are just ripping the cell wall — there is nothing devious about it. The bacterium would need to change the cell wall dramatically in order to avoid this
problem. Nothing so far has been able to become resistant.”

According to Engel, Bio-Shield is safe for both the environment and the wearer, not only shielding from exterior contamination, but also killing bacteria on the skin. Washing the treated fabric with conventional laundry detergent and water does not reduce its effectiveness, but washing with a strong base or peroxide-generating enzymes does damage the agent.

Bio-Shield does not affect the fabric’s hand; and is suitable for clothing and accessories, and for shelters in conjunction with an air-filtration system. Fabrics are engineered to provide critical protection according to end-use specifications.

BCTT has licensed Prismatic Dyeing & Finishing Inc., also based in Newburgh, to process the fabric, applying the treatment to open-width fabrics in roll form, and also to socks and T-shirts. A protective apparel system might include a hood, gloves, booties and closures made from
Bio-Shield fabric. A temporary shelter fitted with a Bio-Shield air-filtration system could protect its occupants from anthrax contamination.

“This is the most exciting technology I’ve seen in my 30 years in the textile industry,” said Gary Innocenti, managing partner, BCTT; and president and CEO, Prismatic. “Because of Bio-Shield’s extremely aggressive killing mechanism, the treated fabrics are virtually self-decontaminating. In working with the chemists and microbiologists, we are still discovering new opportunities for this technology.”

Engel has used a variation of the technology successfully to destroy viruses that infect bacteria, and said the work looks promising for human and animal antiviral applications. He also is developing a chemical warfare agent deactivation treatment that can be mixed with Bio-Shield.

Innocenti said BCTT is in talks with US Department of Defense agencies to provide Bio-Shield on uniform and tent fabrics. The company also is working on hospital bedding and air-filtration solutions.

One of the first commercial end-products to use Bio-Shield is a line of innovative two-piece moisture- and microbe-resistant wrestling suits from New York City-based DoubleSport Inc.

“The traditional singlet wrestling suit really exposes the body to infections,” said Mario R. Mercado Jr., president and chief operating officer of DoubleSport and a former wrestler himself, citing impetigo, staph infections, ringworm and others. “So, I went about designing a new, more modern uniform that would address hygiene issues. In researching antimicrobial technology, I came across Engel’s work and contacted him.”

The fabric used in the suits — a 70/30 mix of high-filament-count polyester and RadiciSpandex Type S-45 heat-resistant elastane — was engineered for DoubleSport by Mark Lazarus, president, Laztech Consultants Inc., Holland, Pa.; in collaboration with Charbert, an Anton, R.I.-based elastomeric fabric manufacturer. Mercado sent the fabric to Engel to be bonded and tested. After successful fabric testing, the suits are in production.

DoubleSport also will offer Bio-Shield-treated wrestling and yoga mats; as well as cotton socks, towels and T-shirts.

For more information about Bio-Shield Fabrics™, contact Gary Innocenti (845) 561-1800.

August 2006

Capital Ventures


T
 his month, instead of the usual roundup of mill running conditions and market outlooks,

Textile World
 surveyed spinners about their capital spending priorities. The primary subjects of discussion
were capital projects completed in the last year and plans for future investment.

All of the spinners reported some type of capital program completed in the past 12 months.
These ranged from multimillion-dollar expenditures to minor tweaking of operations.

“The only capital spending we’ve done has been to get the flexibility to run a multitude of
products and keep from being so dependent on the commodity business,” said a ring spinner.

This included adding blend lines and additional ductwork to run polyester blends. The company
also made some changes necessary to get into some military business.

A specialty spinner reported completing a major capital project that included a new
accounting software system, additional Toyoda spinning machinery and the newest of the new Murata
winding equipment.

“We have just gone through an extensive machinery installation in our ring operations,” said
a multisystem spinner. “We’ve spent $2 million, and we plan to add more.”

“We have increased our production through small capital expenditures in order to maximize our
production capacity,” said a specialty ring spinner. “We continue to see yarn counts go finer and
finer. The opportunities have generally been in the finer-count yarns.”


Software Sells


Spinners spoke enthusiastically about timekeeping and accounting software packages. Two
vendors were mentioned by name: Kronos Inc., Chelmsford, Mass., and Datatex AG, Switzerland. In
fact, two spinners mentioned new software systems before they spoke about production equipment. The
times and the mills are definitely changing.

“We were concerned that we were going to outrun our old system,” said one spinner. “The new
system is browser based. We went from the bottom to the top as far as technology.”


Investing In The Future


As far as future reinvestment programs go, the spinners contacted for this column appeared to
sort into two groups: those that plan to minimize their capital spending in the near term and those
that feel upgrading equipment and capabilities must be a continuous process. The two primary
determinants of these philosophies are most likely the current state of a company’s technology and
the amount of capital it can spend. Some things don’t change.

“We’ve looked at new machinery such as cards, roving and drawing; but not spinning and
winding — they are just too darned expensive,” said a ring spinner. “If we were going to make some
capital expenditures, it would be on the back end of our plants.”

“We currently don’t have any specific plans for significant capital expenditures,” said a
specialty ring spinner. “We have talked a bit about some internal expansions to better balance our
production capacity.”

Interestingly enough, both of the mill managers who described their capital programs as a
constant worked for multisystem spinners.

“We continue to replace older open-end equipment and also look at additional ring spinning,”
said one multi-system spinner. “We are spending $3 million or $4 million a year, year after year. I
don’t see any slowdown.”

“We figure that the only way we are going to survive in this market is to continue to
reinvest money into our plants and equipment to remain competitive,” said a second multisystem
spinner.


Cotton Crop Projections Down 200K Bales


The US cotton crop for the 2006-07 season was reduced 200,000 bales to 20.5 million, 14
percent below the 2005-06 record, according to the latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Cotton and Wool outlook.

The lower forecast resulted from the continuation of drought conditions in the Southwest –
and the expected reduction this season in harvestable acres – which more than offset higher area
planted to cotton, as reported in the June Acreage report. In that report, US producers indicated
they had planted nearly 15.3 million acres of cotton in 2006, 4 percent above the March prospective
plantings. In addition, the 2006 area is 7 percent higher than plantings in 2005 and the highest in
five years. However, US harvested area is forecast to fall below the last two seasons, as the
forecast abandonment rate of 16 percent rises to its highest level since 1998.

The USDA further noted that on a regional basis, the Southwest has seen the largest increase
in cotton area for 2006, expanding nearly 600,000 acres or 9 percent above a year ago. Meanwhile,
the Southeast and Delta plantings each rose about 300,000 acres, 11 percent and 6 percent,
respectively. In the West, upland cotton area has been reduced by 19 percent to only 580,000 acres
– less than half the level grown a decade ago. However, more extra-long-staple cotton is being
grown in the West, pushing the total U.S. area to a record 336,000 acres in 2006.

August 2006

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