|
Advertisers
In This
Issue
Donel
Lingerie
G
World Collections
Vestiny
Lingerie Americas
Tia
Lyn
Lingerie
Interludes Lingerie
La
Lame, Inc
Music
Legs
Shirley
of Hollywood
Elegant
Moments Lingerie
Delicate
Illusions
Coconut
Grove
JWS
Intimates
Tony Shoes
International
Lingerie Shows
Classique Lingerie Show
Miko Exoticwear
McPete
Sales
Questfinder
Quick Commerce Credit Cards
Internetgazette
Styles Fashion
Sponsor's
For This
issue
Questfinder
Submit2
Internet Gazette
Articles Of Interest
DR CAFTA to be Investigated
Page
1
Sri Lankan Trade Unions Threaten Protest
Page
1
Australia Forced to Cut Cotton Production
Page
1
800,000+ Mislabeled Cashmere Products Recalled
Page
1
The Lingerie Americas Show
Page
2
Buyers' Best Sellers
Page
2
Ask Andy
Page
2
McPete Sez
Mailbag
Page
2
The Lingerie Americas Show
Continued
Page
3
French Fashion Catalogues Losing Ground
Page
3
Ask Kevin
Page
3
The Lingerie Americas Show
Continued
Page 4
New Fashion Symbol
Page 4
Burberry is Protested
Page 4
The Lingerie Americas Show Continued
Page
5
The Buzz
Page
5
Reps Corner
Page
5
Shows & Events
Page
5
We
Accept all
Major Credit Cards for Advertising
Foreign Exchange Rates
International
Size Charts
Put
my Banner
on your Web-site,
Click here and Link it to
www.mcpetesez.com
|
March 1, 2007
Issue #188
15/24
McPete
-Sez,
The
Lingerie Newsletter
&
Women's Wear Journal
Sleepwear-Daywear-Foundations-Loungewear-Hosiery-
Swimwear-Dancewear-Clubwear-Funwear
Ready to-wear.
*************************************************
///////
N O T I CE//////////
To View previous
issues,
go to =
Archives
For Shows around the
World, go to = Shows
For Advertising
Click
Here
Heather Briggs
& Pete McKeown Pete's Biography
This Newsletter is Read by an
average 21,000 Readers per issue.
over 7,600
Retailers subscribed.
with over 24,000 Hits Per
Day
To Subscribe Click
Here
To Unsubscribe Click
Here
Find
this newsletter
Interesting???
DR-CAFTA to Be
Investigated
The US International Trade Commission has begun an investigation to
assess the likely economic effect of proposed modifications to the DR-CAFTA rules of origin for certain apparel goods from Costa Rica
and the Dominican Republic.
The modifications to the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement relate to the rule of origin for apparel
containing pocket bag fabric and other modifications to tariff treatment under the agreement.
If necessary, the president can authorize modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, subject to congressional consultation and
layover requirements – but only after seeking advice from the ITC.
The results of the ITC’s investigations are expected in late May.
4/24
Spain's Apparel Sector Needs
Help to Fight Counterfeits
Spain’s apparel sector is asking the government to help curb a
growing trade of fake goods which is costing high-street retailers over EUR72m (US$94.57m) a year, a spokeswoman for trade lobby Acotex
said.
"We need more police and law enforcement initiatives to fight against apparel and textile brand counterfeits," she said, adding that the
EUR72m figure represents the value of seized parallel goods.
Brands are suffering additional losses from the negative impact that fakes have on their image, the spokeswoman noted.
The call for action came as Spain’s textiles and apparel industry reported a 2.2% turnover jump to EUR22.4bn in 2006, helped by rising
clothing consumption.
Spaniards’ average apparel spending rose 2.2% to EUR1,880, Acotex reported.
Despite previous concerns that the industry would collapse amid a soaring rate of Chinese imports, its efforts to
specialize in "more
quality goods" in fewer quantities is helping it beat the Asian threat, the Acotex
spokeswoman said.
Acotex said women accounted for 37.5% of apparel purchases last year while men took up 32.3%, roughly in line with 2005 statistics.
11/24
Sri Lankan Trade Unions
Threaten Protest
Sri Lankan trade unions say workers will down tools in a day of
protest if a settlement is not reached to increase wages of workers in the private sector.
The garment industry, the biggest employer in the manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka with around 300,000 workers, says it has already
increased worker salaries.
However, the trade unions say the salary increase is not enough and are demanding a 25% increase on a minimum salary of LKRR5,000
(US$50).
This amounts to a wage increase of around Rs 1,250 (US$ 12.5) per worker.
"The companies previously agreed to increase salaries using the existing mechanism which is the Wages Boards but now they are making
objections," said Anton Marcus, joint secretary of the Free Trade Zone and General Services Employees Union.
Trade unions are also asking the government to introduce laws to make the salary increase mandatory to all private companies inside and
outside the free trade zones.
The Joint Apparel Association Forum said back in January the salary increase would cost companies more than the agreed amount when
applied.
"This is the minimum increase. Most companies will actually increase salaries by more than that under their internal wage schemes," said
deputy chairman of JAAF, A Sukumaran.
Australia Forced to Cut
Cotton Production
Australia, faced with worsening drought, has been forced to more than
halve its cotton production area.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics said that the country’s estimated 143,000 hectares sown to cotton in
2006-07 is 57% below that planted in 2005-06, and the smallest area since 1983-84.
Production of cotton lint is expected to be down 58% for the period, to around 250,000
tons, the bureau said.
The very dry spring and lack of irrigation water in Australia, the world’s fourth largest cotton producing nation, caused total summer
crop areas to be cut by half in 2006-07, to 743,000 hectares.
In addition, the country’s total summer crop production is forecast to fall by nearly 60% in 2006-07 as most of the main growing areas in
southern Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Riverina remain in the grip of drought.
8/24 Photographed by
Michael Brouwer
Tanzania Granted Duty Free
Export License to SACU
Tanzania has been granted a five-year export license to supply
textiles and garments duty-free to the member states of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
The deal extends a six-month interim agreement that allowed Tanzania to export its textile products to SACU members South Africa,
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.
And it follows an earlier five-year accord under which Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia were granted quotas to export textile
products to SACU member states between 2001 and 2006.
Dr Juma Ngasongwa, Minister for Planning, Economy and Empowerment, said that Tanzania qualified for preferential market access because
of its ability to produce both fabrics and garments.
12/12
800,000+ Mislabeled
Cashmere
Products Recalled
More than 800,000 mislabeled cashmere products exported to Japan
have been recalled by the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute.
On February 13 the CCMI announced that the products, including sweaters and mufflers, had been manufactured in China and were
exported into Japan by various companies.
"We had representative garments tested at independent laboratories and they were found to have actual cashmere content significantly
less than that stated on the labels," said CCMI's Japan representative, Kenneth Shimizu.
Karl Spilhaus, CCMI president, said: "This is about fairness of trade and protection of consumers, our ultimate objective is not
prosecution.”
The CCMI president has also praised Japanese retailers and importers for their responsible action in recalling the product when
mislabeling was found.
Spilhaus said: “These problems could have been avoided by sufficient attention, on the part of the importers, to the quality of the
articles sourced in China. CCMI is ready to work with the trade providing the latest accurate information on
fiber testing and evaluation.”
6/24
Matalan Might Axe 100 Jobs
UK discount retailer Matalan could cut 100 jobs held by head office,
field and distribution centre employees, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Matalan’s cuts drive could save the company in excess of $58.9m.
The company said: "Matalan recently returned to private ownership. As a result of this all structures have been reviewed to identify ways
in which we can reduce the cost base to a financially viable level going forward to allow the business to be competitive and grow.
"Regrettably the outcome of the review is that the level of staffing is unsustainable and as a result an immediate reduction of the
workforce is necessary. This affects roles across head office, the distribution
centers and field based roles.
 
16/24
Creating an Ethical Future
for the Fashion Industry
The role played by fashion students in helping to improving
conditions for garment workers is the focus of a new conference taking place next month.
Leading high street brands Gap, Zara, Next, and Topman are also expected to be at the event, ‘Creating an Ethical Future for the
Fashion Industry,’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum on March 7, along with garment workers, industry specialists, and tutors.
Organized by Fashioning an Ethical Industry, a project of Labor Behind the Label, the day-long event will focus on how fashion
students – as the next generation of industry players – can have a significant role to play in bringing about any lasting change.
Liz Parker, project coordinator from Fashioning an Ethical Industry, said: “Fair trade companies and alternative brands have taken up the
challenge of sourcing more ethically.
“Yet low pay, lack of rights and unacceptable working conditions are still the norm for millions of garments workers across the world.
“Fashion students could have a crucial role in raising standards in the fashion industry of the future.”
1/12
Colombian Clothing
Exports to US Down 12%
Colombian clothing exports to the US fell 12% to $520.3m in 2006,
compared to $591m in 2005, according to the latest data from the
textile division of Colombian business association Andi.
The US takes around one-third of Colombia’s textile and clothing
shipments, making it the country’s largest export market.
Around 90% of Colombia’s clothing exports to the US last year took
advantage of preferences under the Andean Trade Preference and Drugs
Eradication Act.
( End
of Page 1 of 5)
|
