Industry

Sleek Garments CEO Nora Abbott Warns: Ghana’s Textile Industry Must Move Quickly If AGOA Ends

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

Nora Banaman Abbott, Chief Executive of Sleek Garments Exports Ltd, has warned that Ghana’s textile industry must “move quickly” if the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is not renewed. Abbott argued that the country’s survival strategy must start at home—with citizens and domestic

Industry

AAFA Urges Long-Term Renewal Of AGOA To Safeguard U.S. And African Jobs

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has strongly urged Congress and the Administration to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) well ahead of its September 30 expiry, warning that failure to do so would derail billions in U.S. private-sector investment across Africa and threaten thousands of jobs both in the U.S. and […]

Fibre

Lenzing Expands Renewable Energy Portfolio With New Photovoltaic Plant

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

The Lenzing Group, a leading global producer of regenerated cellulose fibres for the textile and nonwoven industries, has expanded its renewable energy portfolio with the commissioning of a new 1.3 MWp photovoltaic (PV) plant at its Lenzing site, developed in partnership with Verbund. This addition increases the company’s total PV capacity to 8.3 MWp, strengthening […]

Cotton

India’s Cotton Output To Dip As Farmers Shift To Other Crops; Mills Eye Imports Amid Rising MSP

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

India’s cotton production for marketing year (MY) 2025/26 is projected at 24.5 million 480-lb bales (5.4 MMT) from 11.2 million hectares, down 2% from earlier estimates, according to the latest USDA report. The decline is attributed to farmers shifting acreage towards more profitable crops such as paddy, pulses and cereals. Despite the lower acreage, yields […]

Trade & Market

Kenya Pushes For Trade Pact With US As AGOA Expiry Nears

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

Kenya has stepped up last-minute negotiations with the United States to secure a reciprocal trade agreement ahead of the looming expiry of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a cornerstone of Africa–US trade relations for more than two decades. A high-level Kenyan delegation, led by Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, traveled to Washington, D.C., […]

Industry

Lesotho’s Textile Sector Collapses Under Weight Of U.S. Tariffs

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

Lesotho’s textile industry, the country’s largest private employer and a pillar of its economy, is reeling from sweeping U.S. tariffs that have triggered mass layoffs, shut down factories and shaken one of Africa’s most vulnerable nations. The tariffs, introduced in April under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal trade” policy, imposed levies of up to 50 […]

Export

Sri Lanka’s Garment Exports Up 5.2% In June

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

Sri Lanka’s garment exports climbed 5.2% year-on-year in June 2025 to US$ 439.39 million, up from US$ 417.71 million a year earlier, according to the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). The growth was powered by sharp gains in the UK and EU markets, which helped offset declines elsewhere. Exports to the UK surged 20.4% to […]

Trade & Market

US Textile And Apparel Imports Up 2.5% In June

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

The Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) reported that U.S. imports of textiles and apparel reached 8.56 billion square metre equivalents (MSME) in June 2025, up 2.5% compared to the same month last year. Textile imports totaled 6.53 billion MSME, a 3.1% increase, while apparel imports edged up 0.5% to 2.04 billion MSME. For the […]

Tete-A-Tete

Weaving A Jacquard Legacy: Dharshini Dhanaraj Leads Dharshini Impex Towards A Glorious Future

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

In a sector long dominated by male leadership, Dharshini Dhanaraj stands out, not just as a woman entrepreneur, but as a forward-thinking business leader in India’s evolving textile landscape. As the Director of Dharshini Impex (P) Ltd., she is seamlessly blending heritage and innovation to position her family-owned company as a leader in customized Jacquard […]

Export

Egypt’s Garment Exports Jump 26% In First Seven Months, Eye Historic High

Textile Insights September 9, 2025

Egypt’s ready-made garment industry is experiencing robust growth, with exports reaching US$ 1.939 billion in the first seven months of 2025, up 26% from US$ 1.539 billion in the same period last year, according to the Ready-Made Garments Export Council. Council Chairman Eng. Fadel Marzouk said the sector is entering a new phase of expansion, […]