Staff Reporter,
Recognising the future potential of Nagpur as a vibrant city with possibility to emerge as logistics and defence manufacturing hub, the iconic brand World Trade Centre (WTC) has decided to start a Centre at Nagpur very soon. This will be third WTC in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune and will be a game changer for Nagpur’s commercial skyline.
A special team of World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) carried out preliminary survey of Orange city and zeroed on the location as well. Sharing this happy development with select group of mediapersons, WTCA India Director Zubin Jall said that they would like to locate WTC near inter-change of Metro routes near Sitabuldi. Infact, world over WTC has preferred such locations in Central Business District (CBD) and in case of Nagpur CBD has been proposed at Sitabuldi.
WTCA team also interacted with key policy makers including senior officers of Nagpur Metro Rail to know about project. According to Jall, WTCA is in a final stage of identifying a licencee and exact location and hoped that after place, person is identified, the WTC will become a reality within next 36 to 42 months. But unlike other commercial buildings, WTC itself becomes a prestigious address for businesses, because of its iconic brand value recognised globally. WTCA had built the WTC in New York and also at Mumbai. Recent WTC launch at New Delhi was a run-away success, Jall stated while playing down the current sluggish mood of realty market.
According to Jall, WTCs all over the world are interconnected and hold regular seminars, which are attended by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of big companies. WTCA provide special services to tenants and also has an exclusive WTC Club and annual events and meets are revenue churners, he said. About over-supply of retail space the WTCA top boss claimed that realty sector had witnessed many ups and downs and very soon market would bounce back.
Responding to apprehension about slowdown in the realty market due to decisions like demonetisation, introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Jall welcomed these steps and described them as “Right step in the interest of consumer. In the long run these decisions will help the real estate sector.”
About massive commercial complexes proposed by NMRCL along metro route including one proposed at Morris College ground, Jall claimed that WTC never competes with other developers and has never faced any problem to sell the space.
Jall also ruled out bidding for this project of Nagpur Metro and stated that WTC never bids for any project and construct properties as per their own design and specifications. About the size and scale of proposed WTC at Nagpur, Jall said “We have not decided the size of the centre and it will be decided by our licencee depending upon the market conditions.”
Justifying the decision to go for WTC at Tier-II city like Nagpur, WTCA India chief said, big cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Pune are already saturated and there is hardly any scope for future growth. Next centres of growth are Tier-II cities like Nagpur and WTC can be a game-changer, he predicted. Presently WTCs are functional at five places in India and have selected licencees in 25 more cities-part of Smart City project.

thehitavada.com

Noted fashion designer Gavin Rajah to choreograph a 20-minute textile event, aimed at projecting Khadi in a modern and trendy style, at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on April 30, during the concluding session of the two-day India-South Africa Business Summit, as a ‘The Tribute to the Mahatma and Madiba (Nelson Mandela)’.
The program is being held in memory of 125 years of the Pietermaritzburg incident where Gandhi was thrown out of a train by White supremacists, along with Mandela’s birth centenary. The Summit will be also be attended by Union Minister for Commerce, Industries and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu.
The event seeks to showcase New India in South Africa, with the intent to double two-way bilateral trade and investment within a five-year period. Saxena said on Wednesday that the KVIC had dispatched more than double the length of the desired fabric.
In March, Ruchira Kamboj, Indian High Commissioner in Pretoria, requested Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena, to provide different Khadi fabrics, including silk and muslin, in both embroidered and printed forms reflected by Gavin Rajah, who had played an active role as UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador.
Saxena said when Gandhiji reached South Africa, a war against apartheid and British rule was started. Now, Khadi is all set to bring economic freedom as the ‘Ahimsa Silk’ would showcase its piousness and economic feasibility in the land of Madiba, the clan name of Mandela.
As part of the Centenary Year celebrations of Gandhiji’s Swadeshi Movement, the High Commission of India in Uganda unveiled the Gandhi Charkha – gifted by KVIC – at the Gandhi Heritage Site at Jinja in Uganda on October 2, 2017, which is also the International Day of Non-Violence. The 25-kg Charkha was made of high-quality teak wood and is 3.6 feet long, 1 foot 11 inch tall and 1.5 feet wide, made in Ahmedabad by a Khadi institution. It was the first testimony that a Charkha had gone to the foreign soil.

www.thehindubusinessline.com

The arrivals of cotton at ginning factories across the country till January 31, 2018 registered 7.51 per cent increase compared to corresponding period last year, disclosed a fortnightly cotton arrival report released by Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association (PCGA) here on Saturday.
The report revealed that over 11.432 million bales of cotton arrived at various ginneries in Pakistan as on January 31, compared to 10.634 million bales during the corresponding period of last season. The report pointed out that the cotton arrivals in Punjab increased by 4.84 per cent while in Sindh cotton arrivals increased by 12.34 per cent.
Of the total arrivals of 11.432 million bales at various ginneries in Pakistan, 11.432 million bales were pressed by ginners, of which 10.434 million bales were sold, leaving an unsold stock of 9,97,937 bales with the ginners, as on January 31st, according to the data. The textile mills in country consumed 1,02,18,322 million bales, while another 2,16,615 bales of cotton were sold to exporters.
Ginneries in Punjab recorded arrival of 71,81,153 bales against the last year arrival of 68,49,887 bales. Sindh ginneries recorded arrival of 42,51.721 bales while last year Sindh received 37,84,740 bales. Textile mills bought 1,02,18,322 bales while exporters bought 2,16,615 bales. The total bales sold out so far were calculated at 1,04,34,,937 bales.
While 9,97,937 bales are lying unsold because some ginners are waiting for higher prices of cotton in market.
The break-up shows that Multan received 2,82,342 bales, 3.97% decrease than last year, Lodhran 1,68,363 bales, 12.14% decrease, Khanewal 7,01,642 bales, an increase of 21.39%, Muzaffargarh 3,62,176 bales, an increase of 11.45%, Dera Ghazi Khan 4,36,513, an increase of 26.83%, Rajanpur 4,47,244 bales, 34.18 % increase, Layyah 2,94,084 bales, 5.86% increase, Vehari 5,78,481 bales, 52.38% increase, Sahiwal 2,71,221 bales, 27.38% more than last year, Pakpattan 39,130 bales, 6.52% decrease, Okara 15,775 bales, 17.35% down, Toba Tek Singh 1,74,882 bales, 9.22% increase, Faisalabad 36,549 bales, 0.33% less than last year, Jhang 21,232, showing a decrease of 29.83%, Mianwali 2,06,219, a decrease of 24.94%, Bhakkar 85,097, up 35.88%, Sargodha 7,293, 25.94% decrease, Rahimyar Khan 10,67,501 bales, 7.38% decrease, Bahawalpur 10,03,078, an increase of 2.89%, and Bahawalnagar 9,73,995 bales, a decrease of 17.96%.
In Sindh, Hyderabad received 2,51,684 bales, 10.64% more than last year, Mirpur Khas (Thar) 2,21,367 bales, 18.20% less, Sangarh13,82,037 bales, 12.56% increase, Nawabshah 3,48,299 bales, 5.92 % increase, Naushero Feroze 3,73,675 bales, 9.92% increase, Khairpur 3,35,916, 16.49% increase, Ghotki 3,83,951, 28.29% increase, Sukkur 6,15,671, 16.31% increase, Dadu 68,636, 54.77% increase, Jamshoro 1,30,110 bales, 17.85% more, Badeen 17,335 bales, 35.86% less, and Balochistan received 1,16,700 bales, up 52.45%.
Total 189 ginning factories are operational in the country. Of them, 326 are in Punjab and 150 in Sindh. Total 9,97,937 bales are lying in unsold stock.

nation.com.pk

Pakistan and Russia are moving towards greater economic cooperation, which will have long-term impact on the economic relations of the two countries, said Russia Acting Ambassador Vladimir Berezyuk. “We have taken initiatives to boost our trade and economic ties,” he added.
Addressing members of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) on Tuesday, Berezyuk said that Pakistan and Russia are making efforts for greater bilateral economic cooperation.
Russia begins delivery of advanced assault helicopters to Pakistan
Trade and investment cooperation of the two countries has been improving but it did not match potential, he added. Russia is already cooperating with Pakistan in the construction of north and south gas pipelines, however, this cooperation needs to be expanded to other sectors as well, he said.
‘We are not the Soviet Union but we are capable of deterrence’
Russian companies are taking an interest in making investment in Pakistan as there are brighter chances for joint ventures in sectors like construction, agriculture, energy, information technology, textiles and other sectors. Responding a question, head of visa section Vadim Zaetcov said that getting visa for business and trade has become easier than in the past years.

tribune.com.pk

Egypt’s exports of readymade clothes increased 16 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2018, recording $382 million (LE 6.75 billion), compared to $330 million during the same period of 2017, according to Sherin Hosny, executive director of the Ready Made Garments Export Council.
Exports to African Countries
Hosny added that the sector’s exports to African countries do not exceed 2 percent, but activating trade agreements, especially the African Continental Free Trade Area, will increase the export of Egyptian products to specific markets such as South Africa, stating that South Africa’s demands for readymade clothes are increasing.

She clarified that not having a specific trade agreement with South Africa, in addition to the high tariffs, are considered to be obstacles in the way of exporting to South Africa, hoping that these obstacles are solved by the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement.
Through this agreement, Egypt can import accessories used in manufacturing ready-made garments from African countries, and African countries can rely on Egypt’s textile sector, Hosny said. She added that such an agreement creates opportunities for cooperation between Egypt and African countries in the field.

2018

The export council aims at increasing readymade clothes’ exports 20 percent by the end of 2018 to record $1.8 billion, according to Hosny. She anticipated that the sector’s exports will exceed $1.8 billion in case the rate of exports continues on the same trajectory as the first quarter of the current year
Hosny said that the export support fund worked on overcoming the burdens of exporters in light of high shipping costs, adding that the fund is also targeting to have Egyptian products that can compete globally and to provide foreign currencies to the Egyptian treasury. Generally, Egypt has an export support fund that helps companies introduce Egyptian products to international markets. Hosny said that the exporters of ready-made garments have arrears to the fund reaching 18 months.
QIZ Agreement
Hosny said that the QIZ agreement has had a significant role in the rise of Egypt’s exports of readymade clothes since the fourth quarter of 2018. Egypt signed the Qualified Industrial Zone (QIZ) agreement with Israel and the United States in December 2004, allowing Egyptian products to enter American markets with no tariffs, provided that Israeli components represent 11.7 percent of these products.
In October 2017, Egypt signed a new agreement with Israel, including a modification of the QIZ deal, reducing the percentage of Israeli components in Egyptian products to 10.5 percent.
Destination Africa Exhibition
Regarding the third edition of the “Destination Africa” exhibition, Hosny said that the exhibition targets more Egyptian exhibitors for the ready-made garments sector and brings 400 foreign buyers – 200 buyers of ready-made garments and 200 buyers of furniture and textiles. The exhibition spans an area of more than 3,000 square meters.

Hosny said that the export council contacted all the embassies and commercial offices in Egypt to participate in the exhibition, seeking to achieve the exhibition’s goal of integrating the garment baskets in Africa, with Egypt turning into the main center for garment production on the continent.
She clarified that Destination Africa doesn’t target increasing exports to Africa, but creating integration between garment and furniture manufacturers in Africa to export to the rest of the world. Destination Africa is an international, specialized, pan-African B2B sourcing event for the readymade garment, textiles and home textiles industries in Africa. The exhibition aims to have Africa as the sourcing destination in these industries. It is organized by the Egyptian Exporters Association (ExpoLink), the Readymade Garments Export Council, the Textile Export Council and the Home Textiles Export Council.

www.egypttoday.com

NDO – Vietnam’s target of exporting US$34-34.5 billion worth of garments and textiles for 2018 is within reach as the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) said that many companies have received orders until the end of the third quarter of 2018.
According to VITAS statistics, the total export revenue of textile and garment products was estimated at US$7.62 billion in the first quarter of 2018, an increase of 13.35% over the same period last year, and equivalent to 22.4% of the year’s target.
First quarter exports soared sharply
Vice President and General Secretary of VITAS Truong Van Cam said that in the first quarter, the export revenue of garment products alone posted at US$5.98 billion, up 12.49% compared to the first quarter of 2017. Besides traditional garment and textile products, goods with a high value-added such as fabrics, fiber, geotextiles, and textile and garment accessories have also grown very well. In terms of export markets, Vietnam enjoyed stronger growth in export revenue with its key export markets including the US, member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU, the Republic of Korea, China, and ASEAN. T-shirts, jackets, and shirts were among the top export products in the first two months of this year.
According to the General Department of Customs, Vietnam’s textile and garment exports to the US were reported to be around US$3.14 billion in the first quarter of this year, up 13.2% over the corresponding period in 2017, the highest pace of growth in the last three years.
Vitas predicted that Vietnam’s garment and textile export revenue to the US would reach nearly US$13.8 billion in 2018, up 11% compared to 2017.
Truong Van Cam said that many garment and textile enterprises have received orders until the end of the third quarter, which, in combination with favourable prospects for the world and domestic economy in 2018, makes the export target of US$34-34.5 billion for 2018 an achievable goal.
CPTPP to be Vietnam’s second largest textile and garment export market
Vietnam’s textile and garment exports to CPTPP member countries grew at an average rate of 8% per year in the 2013-2017 period, accounting for about 15% of Vietnam’s total textile and garment export revenue.
Within CPTPP, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore often import Chinese textiles and garments. When CPTPP becomes effective, it will create advantages for Vietnamese textile and garment products to enter these markets thanks to preferential treatment under tariff reductions. For instance, Canada commits to immediately eliminate 42 tariff lines for Vietnamese textile and apparel products upon the effectiveness of the trade deal.
It is expected that Vietnam’s textile and garment exports to CPTPP countries will reach US$4.8 billion in 2018, an increase of about 10.5% compared to 2017. Thus, the bloc of CPTPP countries will be the second largest export market for Vietnam after the US market, which accounts for 47% of Vietnam’s total garment and textile export turnover. However, in order to enjoy tariff incentives when the CPTPP comes into effect, Vietnam’s textiles and garments must meet the “yarn forward rule of origin,” which means that all items in a garment from the yarn stage to the weaving, dyeing, and sewing stages must be made in member countries of the CPTPP deal.
Regarding the level of development of textiles and garments, the technical standards of the CPTPP are not a big problem for Vietnamese enterprises. The matter is to meet the ratio of textile and garment accessories produced within CPTPP countries for the total value of the finished product.

en.nhandan.org.vn

The State government on Tuesday floated two separate corporations – Telangana Handloom Development Corporation Limited (THDCL) and Telangana Powerloom and Textiles Development Corporation Limited (TPTDCL), to improve the socio-economic status of weavers and to facilitate the holistic development of power loom sector respectively. Both the corporations have been separately floated with a total share capital of Rs 5.1 crore each.
Handlooms and Textiles director Shailaja Ramaiyer, Deputy Secretary for Industries P Kiran Kumar, and another official from Finance Department will be members of both the corporations. These corporations will be established with an initial capital of Rs 10 lakh each and the remaining Rs 5 crore each will be provided after the commencement of operations. According to the orders issued, the State government approved the proposal to establish the THDCL to develop handloom industry, provide sustainable livelihood to handloom weavers and also buy back all the products produced on handlooms in the State by playing the role of Master weaver through floating an exclusive Handloom Development Corporation.
To ensure high-quality standards of products and time schedules for production, an in-house pre and post-loom processing facilities will be set up paving the way for the creation of an exquisite range of silk, cotton, linen and synthetic fabrics. The corporation will also market the handwoven fabrics under an exclusive brand, not only in India but also in the global market. It will also have an exclusive export division to cater exclusively to the requirements of global players.
Similarly, the TPTDCL will promote, aid and facilitate holistic development, welfare and rehabilitation of the Powerloom sector, along with weavers, ancillary and indirect industries associated with the industry. The exclusive Powerloom Development Corporation has been established with an aim to create a necessary infrastructure which includes the establishment of pre and post-loom facilities for the powerloom industry. The corporation will also procure all government requirements of cloth to support the powerloom industry.

telanganatoday.com

India’s exports fall while global demand is on the rise
Garments exporters are looking at the government for some succour to check the continuous decline in exports over the last few months.
Exporters say the fall is mostly due to the liquidity crunch faced by units following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) last year which worsened over the months due to inadequate steps taken by policy-makers to address the problems.
“Apparel exporting units are woefully short of cash and many can’t take new orders. A sharp reduction in reimbursements under the duty drawback scheme and Remission of State Levies (RoSL) scheme after the implementation of GST has hit apparel exporters.
“So has the 5 per cent GST that they are made to pay and which is not getting refunded properly,” pointed out A Sakthivel, a Tirupur-based garments exports who heads a number of export bodies.
Because of the reduction in duty drawback rates and the RoSL rates, there has been a net decline of receipts by exporters up to 5.5 per cent of export value, despite the fact that the government had increased the reimbursement rate under the Merchandise Export Incentive Scheme scheme for garments by 2 per cent, pointed out Anil Peshawari from Meenu Creation in NOIDA.
The decline in exports from India is taking place despite robust demand in the global market, points out HKL Magu, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC). “The global demand positions are good and the industry is keen to take up more orders but cost disadvantages are affecting India’s relative position as a sourcing destination,” Magu said.
Shipments decline
AEPC, in a statement earlier this week, pointed out that garments exports had entered a “recessionary zone’’ with shipments in March 2018 falling 17.78 per cent to $1.49 billion and an overall dip of 3.83 per cent to $16.71 billion in 2017-18. Exporters bodies, including the AEPC and the FIEO, have been approaching the government for relief in some form to help them tide over the problems being faced due to GST implementation.
“We are in touch with the Ministers of Textiles and Commerce. Both are sympathetic and understand our problems and hopefully some kind of a scheme to reimburse us of the disadvantage of 5 per cent that we are suffering will be announced soon,” Sakthivel said. He added that in the absence of a response from the government, things would only get worse for India and the competitors from countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia will take away India’s business.
India’s overall goods exports increased 9.78 per cent to $302.4 billion in April-March 2017-18, but declined 0.6 per cent to $29.11 billion in March 2018.
The fall in exports has been much more in case of India’s apparel exports.
The sector presently employs 12.9 million workers but due to the ongoing slide, several clusters have been impacted.

www.thehindubusinessline.com

The Gram Seva Sangha will launch series of movement against the Central Government if it fails to remove the handmade products from the purview of Goods and Service Tax (GST).
Speaking to newsmen here on Tuesday, Sangha Member Prasanna alleged that though Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced GST exemption on 29 handicraft items two months ago, till date it has not been implemented
At present, the handmade products are placed in the 5 per cent to 18 per cent tax category.
Artisans working in the Cottage industry are struggling to survive. He said that with the growing machine-made products in the market, the rural artisans would soon close down their business if the Central government failed to bring them under the cooperative sector and make them tax-free.

www.uniindia.com

The government today said it will decide on next course of action over patent and royalty issue on Bt cotton seed after studying the recent Delhi High Court order that dismissed the US-based agri-biotech firm Monsanto’s plea to enforce patent for its genetically modified (GM) technology.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has already fixed the maximum sale price of BT cotton seeds along with royalty fee for 2018 kharif season.
“We will study the Delhi High Court order and will take a decision in a week’s time,” Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak told reporters, responding to a query about the ministry’s further course of action in light of the court judgement in a case between Monsanto and Nuziveedu Seeds.
“The case was between two private parties. We will abide by the court’s direction to the government,” he added.
For the 2018 kharif season, maximum sale price of BT cotton seed has been fixed at Rs 740 per packet of 450 grams, lower from Rs 800 per packet last year. The royalty fee or trait value to be paid by domestic seeds firms to technology developer Monsanto Mahyco Biotech (India) Ltd (MMBL) has been reduced to Rs 39 per packet from Rs 49.
From March 2016, the government started controlling prices of cotton seeds, including the GM versions, by fixing a uniform maximum sale price.
Last week, a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna in Delhi High Court had partially allowed the counter-claims of three Indian seed companies that Monsanto does not have a patent for its BT cotton seeds.
BT cotton is the only GM crop allowed for commercial cultivation in the country. Over the last decade, Bt cotton technology has been adopted on over 95 per cent of the country’s cotton growing area, making India the second largest producer and exporter of the cash crop
timesofindia.indiatimes.com