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#Europe

EU-New Zealand trade agreement enters into force, opening new opportunities for EU exporters

EU businesses, producers and farmers are now able to take advantage of a host of new export opportunities with the entry into force of the EU-New Zealand trade agreement today. The deal is expected to cut €140 million a year in duties for EU companies.

Thanks to this deal, EU-New Zealand trade is expected to grow by up to 30% within a decade, with EU exports potentially growing by up to €4.5 billion annually. EU investment into New Zealand has the potential to grow by up to 80%. This landmark agreement also includes unprecedented sustainability commitments, including respect of the Paris Climate Agreement and core labour rights.

EU farmers will benefit from the elimination of tariffs on key EU exports such as pig meat, wine and sparkling wine, chocolate, sugar confectionary and biscuits. Moreover, the agreement protects the full list of EU wines and spirits (close to 2,000 names), such as Prosecco and Champagne, as well as 163 of the most renowned traditional EU products (Geographical Indications), such as Feta cheese, Istarski pršut ham and Lübecker Marzipan. Meanwhile, sensitive EU agricultural products such as beef, sheepmeat and dairy products are protected with carefully designed tariff rate quotas.

EU business can now take advantage of benefits such as:

  • Zero tariffs on EU exports to New Zealand.
  • A more open New Zealand services market in key sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, maritime transport and delivery services.
  • Non-discriminatory treatment of EU investors in New Zealand.
  • Improved access for EU companies to New Zealand government procurement contracts for goods, services, works and works concessions.
  • A dedicated chapter to help small business exports.
  • Significantly reduced compliance requirements and procedures.

Practical information to help EU exporters take advantage of these new opportunities can be found on the Commission's Access2Markets page:

https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/content/eu-new-zealand-free-trade-agreement





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#Techtextil 2026

SAHM Winding Solutions and Vandewiele Automation present integrated automation solution for winding processes

For the first time at the Techtextil trade fair in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (21 - 26 April), SAHM Winding Solutions (Hallo 12.0. / Booth 95) and Vandewiele Automation will be showcasing their combined automation expertise for industrial winding processes. Under the motto “Combining Automation. Maximizing Flow”, the two companies will demonstrate how automated package handling and robot-assisted yarn knotting can be integrated into a continuous production flow.

#Recycled Fibers

UNIFI celebrates recycled and circular Innovation with ninth annual REPREVE® Champions of Sustainability Awards

Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the winners of its ninth annual REPREVE Champions of Sustainability Awards, recognizing brands and mills that are advancing circularity and responsible manufacturing across the global textile industry.

#Man-Made Fibers

Teijin Frontier announces new Stretch Polyester yarn offering exceptional compatibility with high-performance Polyester materials

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. announced today that it has developed a new stretch polyester yarn that offers new opportunities to create comfortable, all- polyester fabrics for sports and outdoor wear. The new polyester yarn demonstrates exceptional compatibility with high-performance polyester materials. Further, Teijin Frontier’s proprietary polymer design and spinning technology impart excellent elasticity to the new yarn. In turn, this yarn adds stretchability and recovery to the advanced functionality and excellent texture of high-performance polyester materials.

#Man-Made Fibers

Lenzing commissions 14 MW power‑to‑heat facility, strengthening grid stability and heat management

The Lenzing Group has successfully commissioned a new power‑to‑heat (P2H) facility with an electrical capacity of 14 megawatts. The installation converts renewable electricity directly into process heat, is fully integrated into the existing heat network at the industrial site, and represents a key building block for a fossil‑free heat supply. As project partner, VERBUND was responsible for the energy‑market integration and will operate the facility for balancing energy marketing, enabling it to respond flexibly to short‑term fluctuations in the power grid.

More News on Europe

#Europe

EU and Australia strengthen relations with Security and Defence Partnership and Trade Agreement

The EU and Australia have today announced the adoption of a groundbreaking Security and Defence Partnership. They have also concluded negotiations for an ambitious and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world's largest funding programme for research and innovation. With these steps, the EU and Australia are delivering mutually beneficial outcomes and further reinforcing their already close relations in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

#Europe

Commission presents proposal for EU Inc. - unlocking the full potential of the Single Market for Europe's entrepreneurs

Today, the European Commission presented its proposal for EU Inc., a new single set of corporate rules, building the cornerstone and starting point for the EU's 28th regime. EU Inc. is an optional, digital-by-default European corporate framework. It will make it easier for businesses to start, operate and grow across the EU – incentivising them to stay in Europe, and encourage those who once looked elsewhere to return.

#Associations

European Business Coalition welcomes provisional application of EU–Mercosur Agreement and calls for Swift and full implementation

With the European Commission’s decision to provisionally apply the EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement, a process spanning more than 25 years now moves decisively into its implementation phase.

#Europe

Antwerp Declaration community urges EU leaders to deliver emergency measures as Europe’s competitiveness crisis deepens

EURATEX, representing the European textile and fashion industry, joins the Antwerp Declaration Community’s call on EU Heads of State and Government to adopt emergency measures that restore industrial competitiveness and deliver tangible results for Europe’s manufacturing base in 2026.

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#Raw Materials

Kraig Biocraft reaches next step in production growth

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (“the Company”, “Kraig Labs”, or “Kraig’s”), a world leader in spider silk technology*, today announced that it has produced more than 1.3 metric tons of recombinant spider silk cocoons in a single month. This is a new world record and shatters the Company’s previous production record by a factor of five. Today marks a pivotal step forward in the transition of spider silk from laboratory innovation to an industrial-scale material platform.

#Techtextil 2026

ASGLAWO group with new products at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt

The ASGLAWO group, with its two companies ASGLAWO technnofibre GmbH and Form- und Technik engineering GmbH, is pleased to present its latest developments in the field of technical textiles and nonwovens at the leading international trade fair Techtextil 2026. The fair, taking place from April 21 to 24, 2026, is the international meeting place for innovations in the textile industry.

#Research & Development

Hohenstein publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

The testing and research service provider Hohenstein has published its latest sustainability report, outlining key progress and strategic initiatives. The report focuses on ambitious CO₂ reduction targets, the company’s new mission statement and the systematic expansion of sustainable services for customers worldwide.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Solving the Feedstock Gap: Unlocking Post-consumer Feedstocks for Textile-to-Textile Recycling in Europe

Fashion for Good launches Project FAE (Feedstock Activation Europe) to develop the sorting and pre-processing infrastructure needed to channel non-rewearable post-consumer textiles into textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling at scale. The project is a practical response to one of the most pressing problems in textile circularity: making post-consumer waste a viable, commercially competitive raw material for recyclers.

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