Trade

The textile industry's evolving material agenda came into sharper focus as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 closed in Shanghai. Buyers were able to assess recycled, bio-based and regenerated fibres directly against performance-led solutions at the four concurrent shows, and responsible choices were shown to meet practical requirements across a range of textile applications.

Over 100,000 visitors and more than 3,500 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions gathered in Shanghai across three days for the autumn edition of the Intertextile Apparel Fabrics fair. Four sourcing pillars spanning creativity, technical performance, responsible production and digital tools guided buyer discussions across 240,000 sq m at the National Exhibition and Convention Center.

Sample approval remains one of the more settled moments in a cross-border apparel order, yet fabric, trims, labels and pack configuration can shift between sign-off and shipment. A short sample version receipt is proposed to name every difference, assign a single owner and end with one of three deliberate release decisions before quantity is committed.

Europe’s textile fair circuit is crowded, and buyers are weighing travel, time and sourcing returns more carefully as sourcing budgets face sharper scrutiny. For Serhan Pul, Managing Director of B Group US and organiser of Intertex Portugal, the answer lies in efficiency, relevance, buyer qualification and Portugal’s manufacturing strengths rather than scale alone today.

India’s denim industry has evolved from a domestic manufacturing base into a major force in the global denim economy. With capacity exceeding 1,600 million metres annually and strong export linkages, the sector now stands at a new inflection point where sustainability, value addition, and market diversification will shape its next phase of growth.

Argentina's textile sector has shed more than 18,000 jobs since 2023, as tariff reductions, collapsing domestic demand, and irregular imports converge into a structural crisis with no clear floor. The closure of a vertically integrated cotton-textile firm over 100 years old — operating across two provinces since 1914 — has become the most visible signal that formal industrial employment in the country's northeast is in serious retreat.

Nepal’s garment sector shows strong export potential but is being held back by labour shortages, high turnover, low productivity, weak buyer linkages and costly logistics across production and delivery stages. If these constraints are addressed, firms expect exports to rise sharply, even as the industry faces mounting pressure from least developed country graduation and a changing global trade environment.

Global trade in secondhand clothing has expanded dramatically over three decades, intensifying scrutiny over quality, classification, and waste leakage. As volumes rise, weak border controls risk shifting disposal burdens rather than extending garment lifetimes. A new regulatory framework proposes technical standards, sorting mandates, and traceability rules to align trade flows with circular outcomes.

A feasibility assessment for South Africa has mapped 81 million additional garments for potential localisation by 2030, equivalent to R7.9 billion in annual manufacturing sales. The research assessed retailer demand, supplier readiness and factory-level competitiveness under the Retail Clothing, Textiles, Footwear and Leather (R-CTFL) Masterplan to test conditions for viability.

The single largest cotton trading company and a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), established in 1970, undertakes price support and commercial purchase operations to safeguard the economic interest of farmers in the cotton growing regions and to ensure its smooth supply to the textile industry. A Q&A with its Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, Lalit Kumar Gupta.