Gildan Activewear Announces Leadership Changes – Vince Tyra Appointed As President And CEO; Glenn Chamandy Leaving

MONTREAL — December 11, 2023 — Gildan Activewear Inc. today announced that Glenn J. Chamandy has left his position as president and CEO and director of the company. Vince Tyra has been appointed president and CEO, effective February 12, 2024. Craig A. Leavitt, a director of the company since 2018, will serve as interim president and CEO until Tyra assumes his new position.

“The board is confident that Vince is the right person to lead the company into the next stage of its evolution and growth. He has an extensive career as a global organization leader with experience as an apparel industry executive, an operator, an investor and transitioning founder-led companies. Vince’s diverse professional background will provide the necessary leadership skills to propel Gildan to even greater success,” said Donald C. Berg, chairman of the board.

“Over the span of his 40 year career, Glenn has been a forerunner in our industry, taking Gildan from a small family-owned business to a leading apparel company with over US$3 billion in revenues” Berg said. “We thank Glenn for his service and wish him well.”

The company remains fully focused on the Gildan Sustainable Growth strategy and its three key pillars: Innovation, Capacity-driven growth and ESG. As such, we look to continue leveraging our core strengths and reinforcing what we do best -large-scale, low cost, vertically integrated manufacturing.

Tyra stated: “I am looking forward to joining Gildan early in the new year. It is a truly iconic business with an unparalleled global reputation. I look forward to working closely with the Board and the senior executive team, and all of the extremely talented employees to leverage their knowledge and expertise so that we continue maximizing value for all of Gildan’s stakeholders.”

Throughout a career spanning leadership roles in the apparel and investment sectors, Vince has demonstrated an exceptional ability to drive growth and shareholder value, while building strong teams and key relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Tyra brings to Gildan a deep understanding of the apparel industry from manufacturing processes to distribution and brand building. He led alphabroder where he spearheaded the transformation of the business through a merger and during his six years as CEO, he tripled alphabroder’s revenue, making it the industry leader. Before alphabroder, Vince was president of Fruit of the Loom, where he led a turnaround of the company culminating in its sale to Berkshire Hathaway.

Tyra also brings strong financial acumen. He was an operating partner at Southfield Capital, where he was a member of the Investment Committee. Most recently, he served at Houchens Industries as senior vice president of Corporate Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions, leading the strategic growth of this $4 billion in revenue holding company, through investments in various industry sectors including consumer products and retail. He also served as the University of Louisville’s vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics, establishing a new culture of excellence and compliance, while orchestrating the rebuilding of this major NCAA athletics program.

“In my brief tenure as Interim President and CEO, it will be my privilege to work with this great team to ensure continued orderly operations of this highly profitable enterprise and ensure a successful transition for Vince as our new leader. Gildan is well positioned to build upon our strong market share and best in class capabilities,” said Craig A. Leavitt, board member and new Interim CEO.

Posted: December 11, 2023

Source: Gildan Activewear Inc.

Mohan Spintex: Fast-Growing Textile Company In India Invests In Machinery

From left to right: father, son, and daughter – Mr. Sudhakar Chowdary, Managing Director, V. Suhruth Chowdary, V. Sri Keyura (Mohan Spintex, Wolfgang Ruckh, Technical Director and Thomas Wiget, Area Sales Manager (Brückner)

LEONBERG, Germany — December 11, 2023 — Founded in 2005, Mohan Spintex India Ltd. (MSIL) is one of the fastest growing textile companies in India in the last decade. Sudhakar Chowdary, the young and dynamic managing director, has led Mohan Spintex with a vision through its exponential growth to become the second-largest textile company from Andhra Pradesh. By the turn of this decade the company will be without doubt among the top with a large global presence.

With 4,500 employees and a yearly turnover of $0.134 billion, Mohan Spintex’s product portfolio includes cotton, blends of cotton with polyester, viscose, modal, linen and lyocell fabric. The weaves include percale, satin, twill, damask stripe, pin stripe, dobby and jacquard. In the home textile segment Mohan Spintex offers a variety of products from flat sheets over mattress protectors to comforter shells. The company offers end-to-end solution for BCI cotton, organic cotton, Egyptian cotton and Supima cotton products. The Mohan group produces for leading Indian fabric & garment manufacturers such as Welspun, Himatsingka, Indo count, Mafatlal etc. while it also exports to leading fabric and garment manufacturers all over the world, mainly the United States, European Union and China.

The company attaches great importance to the quality of its products. This is reflected not only in an excellent machine park but also in the in-house laboratory, where the most modern testing equipment is located. Efficiency and effectiveness are key factors of Mohan’s success which translates in ISO certifications and 5S workplace organization. Mohan Spintex complies with sustainability and social certificates like GOTS, ÖKOTEX, Egyptian Cotton, WRAP, SEDEX and more.

For processing, Mohan Spintex has invested from 2018 to 2020 in world-class machinery for their finishing department which comprises now five machines in total. In 2020 the company installed two Brückner machines. The Brückner POWER-COLORTHERM continuous dyeing range is an oil-heated machine with 3,200 millimeter working width, one dyeing padder, one ECO-STEAM unit, an infrared dryer and respectively a cooling zone in the entry and the exit. The second machine is an oil-heated POWER-FRAME tenter with 8 chambers, horizontal transport chain and highest drying capacity.

The extremely homogeneous air volume and temperature distribution due to countered thermo zones and the proven split-flow air circulation system were decisive for the customer. The maintenance-friendly components, such as the virtually lubrication-free horizontal transport chain with combined clip and pin bar fabric transport and the width adjustment spindles, help to save production costs. Especially the exactly reproducible finishing results due to full automation as well as recipe management of the line are much appreciated.

Mohan Spintex appreciates the good reliability of Brückner’s 100-percent made in Germany machinery and the low power consumption as well as the technological advantage and the excellent after-sales service.

Vallabhaneni Sudhakar Chowdary, MD of Mohan Spintex, said: “We are very much satisfied for the investment made with Brückner because they delivered high quality technology and metallurgy. The Brückner CDR and stenter brings us energy savings. The machines are also delivering consistent quality fabrics with better productivity and less breakdowns. The cooperation with Brückner was excellent in terms of after sales service and spare parts.”

Posted: December 11, 2023

Source: Brückner Textile Technologies GmbH & Co. KG

The American Apparel & Footwear Association Unveils the 2024 American Image Awards Honorees

The 2024 AAFA American Image Awards Honoree Slate

WASHINGTON — December 7, 2023 — The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) announces inspiring honorees for its 2024 American Image Awards this spring in NYC. Celebrating excellence and influence across the fashion landscape, this prestigious event spotlights visionaries who have embodied Innovation, Stewardship, Leadership, and Global Impact.

A distinguished group of individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions across the fashion industry and in communities around the world, the 2024 honorees include:

Lizanne Kindler, executive chair & CEO, KnitWell Group, as Person of the Year; Carhartt, Inc. as Company of the Year; Wes Gordon, creative director, Carolina Herrera, as Designer of the Year; Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director, International Trade Centre, as Global Vanguard; Global Fashion Agenda, accepted by CEO, Federica Marchionni, as Eco-Steward of the Year; and Allan Ellinger, senior managing partner, MMG Advisors, as Trailblazer.

The gala — taking place at Gotham Hall in New York City on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 — will feature return emcee Segun Oduolowu, Boston Globe Today TV show host. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation will be the event’s longstanding charitable beneficiary.

Steve Lamar, president and CEO, AAFA reflected: “This year’s American Image Awards honorees have shepherded significant advancements throughout our industry — transforming the business through innovation and stewardship while accelerating traceability, transparency, and technology across their U.S. and global operations. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and ambitions.”

“Entering our 8th consecutive year as AAFA’s beneficiary partner, the CFDA and its Foundation are incredibly proud that with AAFA’s support we are able to foster critical initiatives bettering the American fashion industry at large,” said Steven Kolb, CEO, CFDA. “We thank AAFA for their continued focus and partnership of the CFDA Foundation, which is so crucial to our initiatives around health, safety, diversity, inclusion, and progress.”

Posted: December 10, 2023

Source: The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)

The National Retail Federation (NRF): Import Cargo Peak Came Later Than Expected As Volume Kept Growing

WASHINGTON — December 8, 2023 — Inbound cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports should continue to slow in the final weeks of 2023 after reaching its peak later than expected this fall, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“We originally thought peak season would come in August but imports kept growing in September and again in October,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Whether it was merchandise for retailers or cargo for other businesses, that’s a good sign for the economy and for the holiday shopping season. NRF expects record-setting holiday sales this year and retailers are well-stocked to meet consumer demand.”

NRF is forecasting that 2023 holiday sales will increase between 3 and 4 percent over last year, in line with pre-pandemic growth rates, and will hit a record-setting total between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion.

“The U.S. economy appears to be on a sustainable growth path as consumer demand remains buoyant,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said, noting solid Black Friday weekend sales, strong corporate profits and continued growth of gross domestic product. “It would be natural to assume that any thought of a recession is behind us, but a significant number of economists and politicians remain skeptical. As always, time will tell.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled a higher-than-expected 2.05 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units – one 20-foot container or its equivalent – in October, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was up 1.3 percent from September and up 2.5 percent from October 2022 for the first year-over-year increase since June 2022.

By topping September’s 2.03 million TEU, October should turn out to be the peak of the holiday shipping season. With 1.96 million TEU, August had originally been expected to be the peak month. The peak historically came in October but has occurred in August or sooner for seven of the past 10 years after a series of port labor disputes prompted retailers to bring merchandise into the country early to avoid potential disruptions near the holidays. 2020 was the most recent year that shipping peaked in October.

Ports have not yet reported November numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 1.96 million TEU, up 10.5 percent year over year. December is forecast at 1.93 million TEU, up 11.5 percent year over year.

Those numbers would bring 2023 to 22.4 million TEU, down 12.4 percent from last year. Imports during 2022 totaled 25.5 million TEU, down 1.2 percent from the annual record of 25.8 million TEU set in 2021.

Year-over-year volume growth each month is expected to continue in 2024, with January forecast at 1.93 million TEU, up 6.6 percent year over year. February — historically the slowest month because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in Asia — is forecast at 1.77 million TEU, up 14.5 percent year-over-year. March is forecast at 1.75 million TEU, up 7.7 percent year-over-year, and April at 1.8 million TEU, up 1 percent.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker

Posted: December 10, 2023

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)

 

 

The VDMA Textile Machinery Association: Young Engineers Honoured In Dresden

Award winners with foundation chairman, foundation MD and professors – Photo TU Dresden

FRANKFURT, Germany — December 7, 2023 — As part of the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference in Dresden, the Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, Peter D. Dornier, presented awards to four successful young engineers. Two promotion prizes and two sustainability prizes were awarded in the Bachelor and Diploma/Master categories. Academic works in which solutions for resource-saving products and technologies are developed are eligible for the sustainability prizes.

A sustainability prize worth 3,000 euros in the Bachelor’s category was awarded to Franziska Jauch, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, for her Bachelor’s thesis on pigment digital printing in denim production.

The promotion prize in the Bachelor’s category, also worth 3,000 euros, went to Annika Datko, RWTH Aachen, for her work on determining the polyester content in used textiles.

Dave Kersevan, TU Dresden, was honored with a sustainability prize in the Diploma/Master’s category, endowed with 3,500 euros. The subject of his thesis was the development of a laboratory system for the production of needled carbon preforms.

This year’s promotion award in the Diploma/Master’s category, endowed with prize money of 3,500 euros, went to Flávio Diniz from RWTH Aachen. The subject of his Master’s thesis was the feasibility of manufacturing ultra-thin carbon fibres.

The award ceremony 2024 will take place in April at the VDMA stand at the Techtextil fair in Frankfurt.

Posted: December 10, 2023

Source: The VDMA Textile Machinery Association

Accelerating Circularity Receives $1.5 Million From The Walmart Foundation To Build Circular Systems

CAMPBELL HALL, N.Y. — December 7, 2023 — Accelerating Circularity’s mission is to catalyze new circular supply chains and business models to turn used textiles into mainstream raw materials. The organization believes that used textiles are “Too Good to Waste™” and the environmental impact of millions of tons of waste generation is too big to endure.

To date, through a previous grant from the Walmart Foundation awarded in 2021, ACP has done extensive work to demonstrate that textile to textile recycling is possible. ACP advanced a methodology that:

  • Mapped existing systems and identified gaps.
  • Modeled new circular supply chain systems for textile-to-textile supply networks.
  • Linked the newly identified supply chain systems to build markets.
  • Piloted trials at scalable levels to demonstrate textile-to-textile recycling in the US & Europe.
  • Developed Tools to facilitate future trials and expedite circular systems – e.g. Playbook “how to guide.”

This new grant is intended to build on earlier success and learnings with a three-pronged approach to continue to demonstrate the technical feasibility of textile-to-textile recycling systems.

The objectives include:

  • Tool Development based on the who/what/where/when/how identified in the Textile Waste Hierarchy to allow users to optimize the flow of used textiles through channels that have the highest circular potential or GHG reduction benefits.
  • Build Markets through commercialization of circular textile-to-textile recycling at standard production scale volumes for circular materials; development of additional circular fibers, yarns, and fabrics; and including strategic new geographies to establish sustainable circular supply chains that include all of North and Central America
  • Educate and engage brands/retailers and institutions on responsible disposal pathways for used textiles to reduce the amount of used textile moving through landfills.

“We are fortunate to have the support of the Walmart Foundation to do this next level of work and move closer to realizing our vision of a world in which textiles are no longer wasted,” said Karla Magruder, founder, and president of Accelerating Circularity. “We aim to broaden our engagement as we continue to build the business case for circularity and invite new industry collaborators to join us in this endeavor.”

To join ACP in testing the feasibility of scaling circular systems and building markets, please contact us at info@acceleratingcircularity.org.

To learn about tools like the Playbook, Reality Zone Directory, ACTR definitions, or Textile-to-Textile Primer, etc go to www.acceleratingcircularity.com/tools

Posted: December 7, 2023

Source: Accelerating Circularity

Orion S.A. Leads Industry With Four Carbon Black Plants Awarded International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS)

HOUSTON — December 7, 2023 — Orion S.A., a specialty chemicals producer, announced today a fourth plant has earned International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS). The company now leads its industry with the number of certified carbon black production sites.

Orion’s facility in Cologne, Germany, was the company’s latest plant to pass extensive audits confirming the site’s compliance with rigorous ISCC PLUS sustainability requirements. The plant was certified for producing circular and bio-circular raw materials.

“Orion has long been a leading innovator developing circular solutions and sustainable products for customers,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “ISCC PLUS verifies the transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials in our value chain. It also shows our dedication to sustainability.”

Last year, Orion was the first to achieve ISCC PLUS for multiple carbon black grades made from different feedstocks at plants in two regions of the world. The facilities were in Borger, Texas; Belpre, Ohio; and Jaslo, Poland. The three facilities were recertified this year.

“In addition to recognizing the sustainable grades for rubber applications produced in the three plants, the certification of our Cologne plant is an important milestone for Orion’s sustainability efforts because the facility produces a wide variety of specialty products for several applications, including batteries, coatings, printing and polymers,” Painter said.

A decade ago, Orion was the first major producer to develop and commercialize carbon black made from renewable feedstocks, such as industrial-grade vegetable oils or other oils derived from waste and residues of biological origin from agriculture or forestry.

Orion is also the only carbon black producer in the BlackCycle initiative, an EU-funded project focused on developing the production of circular carbon black.

The ISCC PLUS certification is granted by the Cologne-based ISCC Association, which promotes the sustainable production of biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables.

Posted: December 7, 2023

Source: Orion S.A.

Helping Revitalize U.S. Manufacturing: America’s Cutting Edge Celebrates Three Years

Adonis Summerville of Chicago is one of 7,000 people across the U.S. who has successfully engaged in America’s Cutting Edge no-cost, online CNC machine tool training since the program launched in December 2020.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — December 7, 2023 — On Dec. 7, 2020, University of Tennessee (UT) professor Tony Schmitz took a bold step in helping revitalize U.S. manufacturing.

That’s the day he launched America’s Cutting Edge’s (ACE) successful online training program.

The goals: Inspire young people about jobs in manufacturing, kickstart careers with machining training and help others further develop their skillsets. The program has grown to certify participants in CNC machining, metrology, composites and cybersecurity.

ACE now celebrates its third anniversary. Its growth has been through the support of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program. The workforce training initiative is managed by the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and combines advanced training tools and techniques from UT and the scientific expertise of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“When I launched this program, I did it in a very organic way,” said Schmitz. “I made a list of all the people I knew in the machine tool industry, and I emailed every one of them individually and said, ‘Hey, could you take a look at this content, see if it’s relevant?'”

From there, the conception of the online machine tool course became a reality – the no-cost course was released to the public. Despite the coronavirus pandemic gripping our world, droves of people — from high school and college engineering students to entrepreneurs and workers deep into machine tool careers — flocked to ACE and provided it a generous tailwind that helped drive the program forward.

Online ACE alums soon thereafter gathered for weeklong in-person bootcamps. Those bootcamps got their start at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, before spreading to more than 25 machine tool training centers across the United States.

Lives quickly began to change

“I was interested in machining as a possible career path,” said Chris Shaffer. “But I wasn’t completely sure because I hadn’t had much hands-on experience. The ACE program was a huge part in helping me determine this is something I wanted to do for a living. I couldn’t find too many other things where I felt that at home.”

“The online course was completely new information for me. I hadn’t seen anything like it before, but they walked through the process of machining clearly,” said Neeki Meshkat. “Then the in-person training was the perfect way to give hands-on experience for even a novice like me. They weren’t just machining something in front of you but letting you do it yourself. That makes a huge difference in learning something.”

These are just two of the many success stories coming out of ACE.

As the benefits of ACE became more recognized, the program became more popular.  Coincidentally, ACE online training started on a seven — December 7 — and has now hit other lucky sevens.

“The fact that it’s exceeded 7,000 online participants for the ACE program and 700 in-person participants is wildly satisfying,” Schmitz said. In fact, this week marks 36 months of consecutive growth for the successful program.

Of those 7,000, nearly 6,000 from all 50 states have come from the machine tool course. Metrology is pushing 1,000, with the rest of the numbers coming from a few hundred combined between composites and cybersecurity.

While the growth has been remarkable to witness, Schmitz says there’s still new heights to ascend.

“When I started the program, I stated that my goal was to reach 10,000 online participants, and that’s where we’re headed,” he said.

As ACE looks toward the future, great prospects are on the horizon. More locations and bootcamps are being added. In-person bootcamps are being configured for ACE metrology and composites. Videos in Spanish are being developed.

With all these underway and new ACE partnerships continuing to come online, the impact on United States manufacturing will be immeasurable.

“It is inspiring to see how this program has grown,” said Joannie Harmon, IACMI workforce vice president. “But it’s even more inspiring when you realize these growing numbers represent people – people that are scaling up their abilities and contributing to workforce manufacturing needs in our nation.”

“For many, ACE bootcamps are their first chance to run these machines,” said Adele Ratcliff, director of MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office, which supports ACE. “I’m confident that by expanding opportunities to engage in that process, more people in this next generation will be inspired to come into manufacturing and machining.

“I believe the more people we can expose to this curriculum, the better chance we have of growing the country’s machine tool capabilities from the ground up to what we had several decades ago,” said Schmitz said. “I am passionate about seeing the U.S. machine tool industry being at the top of the food chain again.”

Are you ready to join the thousands who have sharpened their skillsets with ACE? See ACE in action:

Then register online at https://www.americascuttingedge.org/  to advance your career now!

Posted: December 7, 2023

Source: IACMI – The Composites Institute

ULTRAFABRICS + PANTONE Collaborate On Pantone Color Of The Year 2024

NEW YORK CITY — December 7, 2023 — Ultrafabrics is delighted to announce its partnership for the second year with Pantone for the annual Pantone Color of the Year announcement with a bold vision of how color can transform environments and encourage personal connection, and have brought that to life through a beautifully rendered dreamscape.

Both Ultrafabrics and Pantone’s Color of the Year are celebrating their 25th anniversaries in 2024, and this year’s announcement embodies the creativity and possibility of the year to come. Pantone has long set the global benchmark for color trends and Ultrafabrics has made equal strides as the top performance fabric brand across 11 markets around the world, including partnerships with brands such as MillerKnoll, Fitbit, Jaguar Land Rover, and Virgin

Galactic. Both iconic brands are celebrating a quarter century of inspiration and innovation, with bold sights on a long and inventive future.

For the Pantone Color of the Year 2024 PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, Ultrafabrics engaged Belgium-based WeWantMore Studio to design and develop visual concepts that show the warm, tactile peach color in all its glory. Nestled between pink and orange, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a velvety gentle peach whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul. Using AI as a tool, WeWantMore created this powerful image of a dainty bird perched in its home — a nest made out of Ultrafabrics — surrounded by a dreamscape of flowers. It embodies the very essence of PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz, which brings tactility, comfort, and warmth.

Nicole Meier, Director of Branding at Ultrafabrics, says, “As Ultrafabrics celebrates its quarter century as a successful business, we are thrilled to be working with Pantone for the Pantone Color of the Year 2024 as the expert in the interior environment. PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is everything that our fabric is about: haptics, warmth, and comfort. This color, and its meaning, could not be more perfect for us this year.”

Barry Silverman, vice president of Marketing and Branding at Ultrafabrics, said: “We achieved so much success with our brand partnership last year, inspiring specifiers and designers in every market we serve. This coming year, while celebrating both the brands’ mutual milestones, we will continue to explore the intersection of color, culture, and emerging technology that will engage our audience.”

“The Pantone Color of the Year 2024 in its essence fosters community and collaboration. We are excited to continue our work with industry leader Ultrafabrics to explore the application of the Pantone Color of the Year 2024 in the interior design world and beyond,” says Elley Cheng, vice president and general manager of Pantone.”

Ultrafabrics will deepen its collaboration throughout 2024 with ‘The Nest’, a series of global, interactive events. Sharing their expertise on how the Pantone Color of the Year can be implemented in almost any type of space, this offering will also include exclusive palettes incorporating a Pantone Color of the Year inspired shade that can be custom-developed across the Ultrafabrics’ collection range. Together, the brands will inspire designers with new ways to approach and utilize any color in their work.

Ultrafabrics’ 25th year of business promises to be a peachy year indeed

Posted: December 7, 2023

Source: Ultrafabrics

EURATEX Welcomes The Unanimous Approval And Adoption Of The Modernized PanEuroMed Rules Of Origin

BRUSSELS — December 7, 2023 — EURATEX welcomes the unanimous vote in support of the new rules of origin under the PEM Convention, as a historic achievement. Facilitating trade and investments in the “PanEuroMed” region — covering 27 EU member states and 24 partner countries in the neighborhood region1 — is top priority region for the EU, as trade with these countries accounted for 677 billion euros in 2023. For the EU textile and clothing sector, the region represents 35 percent of its exports and 21 percent of its imports.

In 2013, the European Commission adopted a package of proposals aimed at increasing trade between the European Union and neighboring countries in the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) region. The proposal introduced modernized rules of origin of the PEM convention, lifting the prohibition of duty-drawback and introducing the principle of “full cumulation”.

Today, after ten years of intense negotiations which EURATEX supported, the European Commission reached a full and final agreement with all PEM partners. This is a landmark achievement that will unlock the full potential of the Euro-Mediterranean area as the biggest and most integrated region of advanced manufacturing and trading of sustainable textiles and clothing. The rules adopted today will accelerate the integration of T&C supply chains and boost T&C production and trade within the region, both in the East and Southern borders of the EU. In a moment when companies are looking at moving their production from Asia to nearby, like-minded and more reliable countries , it is very timely to have the PEM Convention implemented.

EURATEX’s President Alberto Paccanelli commented: “This is a strategic trade deal that can help European companies recover from the multiple crisis which we face since 2020”. He continued “We call on the European Union to not stop here, but keep up the efforts to secure trade deals that are good for European companies and their competitive position in the world. The next objective should be the adoption of the EU-Mercosur Agreement and a conclusive settlement of all trade disputes with the United States”.

According to Director General Dirk Vantyghem: “Today’s unanimous vote in favour of the modernised PEM rules is good news for our industry.. We should now engage with these partner countries to fully exploit the potential of these new rules. EURATEX is ready to engage in an industrial dialogue with the companies from the PEM Countries to facilitate their transition to the new framework”.

1 The PanEuroMed contracting parties are: the EU, the EFTA States (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), the Faroe Islands, the participants in the Barcelona Process (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the territories of West Bank and Gaza, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey), the participants in the EU’s Stabilisation and Association Process (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo), the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine.

Posted: December 7, 2023

Source: EURATEX

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