Supply Chain news and archive

Australian organisations team up to develop country’s first National Manufacturing Strategy

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and clothing manufacturing company R.M. Williams have established a new partnership to develop what would be Australia’s first-ever National Manufacturing Strategy. The duo intend to mobilise efforts to “rebuild and future-proof” the local fashion and textile industry in the pursuit of building up a globally...

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Business|Analysis

Inditex: How Trump’s current ‘asymmetric tariffs’ could impact the Spanish mulitnational

Madrid – Of all the possible scenarios, the one emerging from this “pause” of 90 days decreed by US President Donald Trump regarding the new tariff policy of the US, with its “asymmetric tariffs” for China and the EU, appears to be the worst, most unfavourable, and most challenging for the interests of Inditex. What are the reasons? Let's take a...

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Business

Hugo Boss textile reuse subsidiary Eightyards begins operations

Eightyards GmbH has officially launched its business operations from its base in Metzingen, Germany, where it will allow the Hugo Boss Group, of which it is a wholly-owned subsidiary, to repurpose surplus materials for new use. Hugo Boss first announced the establishment of Eightyards towards the end of 2024, stating at the time that its...

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NRF warns of consumer impact of reciprocal US tariffs

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order implementing a reciprocal tariff policy, meaning that any tariffs imposed on US goods by other countries will be matched equally, leading to a wave of fresh concerns being raised, including some by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Signed last Thursday, the policy applies to tariffs and...

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EU backs projects to strengthen India's textile industry

Last week, on February 15, the European Union (EU) and the Indian Ministry of Textiles jointly launched seven new projects to strengthen India’s textile and handicrafts industry. The initiatives, funded by the EU to the tune of 9.5 million euros (approximately INR 85.5 crore), were unveiled on the sidelines of the Bharat Tex event. They aim to...

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Tariff Tensions: The impact on U.S. retail and consumer sectors

The latest wave of tariffs introduced by the U.S. administration threatens to disrupt the retail and consumer landscape, posing fresh challenges for businesses already contending with economic volatility. Unlike the trade tensions of 2018, which largely spared broad consumer segments, this new tariff regime casts a wider net. “Broad-based...

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Better Cotton shifts to certification model

Better Cotton has announced its official transition into becoming a certification scheme, contributing to efforts of boosting “impartiality and independence” among its business. Farm-level certification decisions will now be outsourced to independent third parties. Tom Owen, head of certification at the non-profit organisation, dedicated to...

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Business|Interview

Future Institute forecaster: 'Simply selling stuff is not a model for the future'

The clothing industry is suffering from dampened consumer spending, but what macro trends lie behind this phenomenon? Boris Planer, expert for retail and consumer goods at the Frankfurt Future Institute, explains in this interview what the dominant trends of our time could mean for fashion. One hypothesis: in the face of a shift in values and a...

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Shein bans cotton from unapproved regions for US

Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein has introduced new rules for sourcing cotton in products destined for the US market, Reuters reports. The company announced that cotton will now only be sourced from approved regions, such as the US, India, Brazil and Australia. Pressure is mounting for Shein to be more transparent about its supply chain,...

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Survivors of the earthquake in Türkiye now receive compensation

The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) Türkiye, a non-governmental organisation that protects workers' rights in the global supply chain, reports in a press release that a number of workers who survived the devastating 2023 earthquake in southeastern Turkey and Syria, which killed over 50,000 people, have finally been compensated by their employer....

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New report unveils child labour concerns at Indian cotton farms

A new report by Transparentem has brought forth worrying allegations of child labour, abusive working conditions and wage violations at Indian cotton farms linked to 60 global brands. The organisation’s initial investigation began in 2022 and ran until March 2023, with the report further underlining companies’ efforts to remediate the issues as...

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Shein dodges supply chain questions during UK parliamentary hearing

Amid its pursuit of a listing on the London Stock Exchange, Shein left a bad impression with British MPs during a hearing on Tuesday, January 7. The hearing is part of the UK's Workers' Rights Bill, which aims to protect workers from poor working conditions when buying imported goods. It was intended to give potential investors more clarity...