#Associations

2023-02-09

Results of the 18th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

The business situation is at a new low point since ITMF started the Global Textile Industry Survey in 2021. High inflation and rising interest rates are the main current drivers of the global economy, but the core problem of the textile supply chain in 2023 are high inventories at the brand and retail level. With the opening of economies around the world after the COVID crisis, consumers had the opportunity to spend the money they could not during 2020 and in the first half of 2021.

Consequently, demand soared, and brands and retailers increased orders to meet this pent-up demand. With inflation rising, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, demand for consumer goods slowed while inventories remained very high.

Business situation: gloom – Expectations: boom

Respondents to ITMF’s 18th GTIS survey confirm that order intake has continuously decreased since November 2021. In January 2023, the indicator was negative in all regions and segments except for North & Central America and fibre producers. The latter saw orders rise for the first time since last summer. The previously high global order backlogs also steadily decreased from 3.1 months in March 2022 to 2.4 months in January 2023, mainly due to brand and retailers’ restraint to place orders. The dampening effects of the earlier supply chain disruption further helped reducing order backlogs by improving global trade flows which led to slight rise of the capacity utilisation rate worldwide (mostly driven by fibre producers and spinners).

Expectations in 6 months-time have soared and respondents are globally positive about business in June 2023. Textile manufacturers expect a better situation due to two important factors. First, the world is now in a much better energy situation with a relative mild winter in Europe and energy prices in Europe and Asia (especially for gas) dropping back to levels seen before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Second, the sudden end of the Zero-Covid-policy in China with a swift opening of the borders is promising to strengthen demand in China as well as abroad (more tourists and imports of goods). Everything else being equal, the global economy will see a higher growth level than expected and this will benefit the global textile industry.

For more information, please see www.itmf.org or contact secretariat@itmf.org.

ITMF and IAF conclude successful Joint Convention 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) have successfully concluded their second joint convention, held this year in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In close collaboration with the host Indonesian Textile Association (API), the event gathered over 400 delegates from around the world from across the entire textile and apparel value chain.

Joint Statement: Urgent clarification needed on scope of Textiles EPR for PPE and Medical Devices

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside fellow industry associations CIRFS (European Man-Made Fibres Association), EURATEX (The European Apparel and Textile Confederation), ESF (European Safety Federation), and EuroCommerce (Retail & Wholesale), has issued a joint statement raising critical concerns regarding the transposition of Directive (EU) 2025/1892, the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive.

Young researchers recognised for cutting-edge work in recycling, fibre technology and textile mechanics

At the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference held in Aachen at the end of November, Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation of the VDMA, honoured five successful young engineers. Promotion and sustainability prizes were awarded in the categories bachelor/project theses and diploma/master theses. Academic theses that develop solutions for resource-saving products and technologies, for example, are eligible for the sustainability awards.

Level playing field at stake: Europe’s textile industry demands decisive action

Yesterday, the European Parliament took a welcomed and necessary step by voting a resolution calling for stronger market surveillance, reinforced customs controls and faster enforcement of the Digital Services Act in case of infringements. For Europe’s textile and clothing manufacturers, this is the first political acknowledgement that the system is broken — and that enforcement must finally match the scale of the problem.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen: Let´s Talk about Cotton!

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, to be held on 25-27 March 2026 in Bremen’s parliament building on market square, once again sends a powerful signal for professional excellence and international dialogue. The focus is on the latest market trends and technical innovations throughout the entire value chain – from agriculture and quality assurance to processing and the circular economy. With its high-calibre speakers, the conference remains an indispensable forum for anyone involved in shaping the cotton industry scientifically, technically, or economically.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.