Corporates

Suominen Corporation Appoints Liisa Pursiheimo As CHRO

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Suominen Corporation has appointed Liisa Pursiheimo as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and member of its leadership team, effective April 21, 2026. Pursiheimo brings decades of international HR leadership experience and most recently served as Global Director, Human Resources at Sachem

Apparel, Fashion, Retail

North American Retail Bodies Unite In Support Of USMCA Ahead Of 2026 Review

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Retail organizations from the United States, Canada and Mexico have reaffirmed their strong support for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA/CUSMA), stressing the need to preserve and strengthen the trilateral trade framework ahead of its scheduled 2026 review. During a recent visit to Washington, the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) met with the National Retail

Industry

AAFA Flags Cost Surge From China PNTR Revocation

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has cautioned that revoking China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status would significantly disrupt the U.S. apparel, footwear and travel goods industry, leading to sharp cost increases and supply chain challenges. In its submission to the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) under Investigation No.

Economy

Euro Area Inflation Rises To 2.6% In March: Eurostat

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Inflation in the Euro Area accelerated to 2.6% in March 2026 from 1.9% in February, while the broader European Union rate rose to 2.8% from 2.1%, according to data released by Eurostat. The uptick was largely driven by services, which contributed the most to inflation, followed by energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, and non-energy industrial […]

Export

Indonesia’s Textile Exports Seen Growing 3.55% In 2025: Santoso

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Indonesia is leveraging its integrated textile ecosystem to strengthen both domestic supply and export competitiveness, with shipments projected to grow 3.55% year-on-year to US$12.08 billion in 2025, stated Trade Minister Budi Santoso. Speaking on the sidelines of Indo Intertex 2026 at the Jakarta International Expo, the minister highlighted that Indonesia’s textile and

Policies

India, Norway Move To Ease Trade Barriers Under TEPA

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

India and Norway have agreed to address key trade and investment bottlenecks to fully leverage the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which came into force on October 1, 2025. The issues were discussed during the third India–Norway Dialogue on Trade and Investment held on April 16, where both sides identified challenges including sanitary and […]

Cotton

India Cotton Output Seen Lower At 290.9 Lakh Bales

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

India’s cotton economy is set to witness a marginal tightening in the 2025-26 season (October–September), with production estimated at 290.91 lakh bales (170 kg each), down from 297.24 lakh bales in 2024-25, according to the latest estimates by the Committee on Cotton Production and Consumption (COCPC). The dip in output comes despite a near-flat acreage […]

Product Launch & Innovation

Primark Rolls Out Circular Product Standard 2.0

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Primark has launched its updated Circular Product Standard 2.0, strengthening its push towards scalable circular design across its product portfolio. Building on three years of implementation and industry collaboration, the revised framework focuses on durability, use of recycled or sustainably sourced materials, and improved recyclability. The initiative aligns with the

Product Launch & Innovation

Freudenberg Performance Materials Launches Tacnera At EWMA 2026

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Freudenberg Performance Materials has launched Tacnera, a new technology for silicone-based foam dressings, at EWMA 2026, aimed at enhancing performance in advanced wound care. Tacnera integrates polyurethane foam, proprietary coating technology and silicone gel to address the long-standing challenge between strong adhesion and skin protection. The system enables the use

Product Launch & Innovation

Mimaki Europe Launches 3D Print Prep Pro V2.0

Textile Insights April 20, 2026

Mimaki Europe has introduced an upgraded version of its 3D workflow software, 3D Print Prep Pro v2.0 (3DP3v2), aimed at simplifying 3D data preparation and expanding application possibilities. Building on its 2021 launch, the updated software automatically optimises 3D data for printing without requiring specialised expertise. New features include lattice structure