From the Sector

Turkey's leading garment machinery manufacturers and representatives have collaborated with Teknik Fuarcılık for GarmentTech İstanbul Garment, Embroidery Machines Spare Parts and Sub Industry Exhibition to host the first GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition.

The GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition will be held at İstanbul Expo Center (IFM) between June 25-28, 2025 and brings together all the technologies used in garment and ready-to-wear production.

The ready-to-wear and garment sector is among the locomotive sectors of the Turkish economy with both employment and export income. With 22 thousand 640 exporters and 42 thousand 434 manufacturers, the sector is among the priority sectors in the country's employment with approximately 700 thousand people working in production. Together with the retail and ready-to-wear sectors, total employment exceeds 2 million.

On the other hand, ready-to-wear and garment sector is the 3rd largest exporter in Turkey. Turkey is the 5th country in the world that exports the most ready-to-wear and garment. In 2023, the sector reached 19.3 billion dollars in exports and has a share of 7.5% in general exports.

Teknik Fuarcılık, which has more than 30 years of experience in exhibition organization and has made the ITM International Textile Machinery Exhibition a world brand, has taken action to make the success achieved by the garment and ready-to-wear sector sustainable. GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition, which will be organized with the support of the members of the Garment Machinery Advisory Board and in cooperation with the Apparel Automation and Machinery Manufacturers Association (KOMİD), will host professional visitors and global buyers from all over the world.

The press conference of GarmentTech İstanbul Exhibition was attended by members of the Garment Machinery Advisory Board, Vice Chairman of Astaş Holding H. Kaya Aşçı, Astaş Juki Board Member and General Manager Turgay Aşçı, Chairman of the Board of Çatma Makine Yavuz Çatma, Chairman of the Board of Alba Makine Cengiz Albayrak, General Manager of Malkan Makine Alparslan Er, General Manager of Uğur Makine Temel Kamiloğlu, Tetaş Sales and Marketing Assistant General Manager Murat Eren, Malkan Makina Factory Manager Metin Kılıç and KOMID President Haluk Akın, TEMSAD President Adil Nalbant, KOMİD Members Serkon Makina Chairman İzzet Savaş, Robotech General Manager Hüseyin Çetin, Chairman of the Board of NewTech Machinery Nezir Yazıcı, LGM Foreign Trade Specialist Yiğit Sağdık Manav, Avtek Manager Oğuz Avcı and many sector representatives.

The announcement of a new effluent treatment plant (ETP) marks a milestone in Denim Expert's journey towards sustainability. This upcoming facility is a testament to the company's dedication to reducing its ecological footprint and safeguarding local ecosystems through advanced water management techniques.

The new Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) being developed by Denim Expert strives for 100% wastewater recycling. As the ETP rises from concept to reality, Denim Expert embarks on a transition towards its next horizon: aligning with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Wastewater Guidelines Version 2.0.

Denim Expert's proactive approach to sustainability has been recognized on a global scale. The company has been named 'New Champion' by the World Economic Forum and has partnered with organizations such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Jeans Redesign program. As one of the first factories to join the Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) and in the process of implementing the 3E program, Denim Expert is dedicated to achieving 100% water reuse and full reliance on solar energy, further solidifying its commitment to driving positive environmental change.

CARBIOS and Landbell Group, a global operator of more than 40 producer responsibility organizations (PROs) and a provider of closed-loop recycling solutions, announce the signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the sourcing, preparation and recycling of post-consumer PET waste using CARBIOS’ biorecycling technology at its first commercial plant in Longlaville from 2026.  

The partnership will leverage Landbell Group’s expertise and network in the sourcing of PET packaging and textile waste which will be prepared for biorecycling. Thanks to CARBIOS’ highly selective enzyme, less sorting and washing is required compared to current recycling technologies, offering future savings in energy and water use. From 2026, Landbell Group will supply CARBIOS with 15 kt/year of PET flakes, ensuring a steady supply chain for sustainable PET production. These flakes will serve as essential feedstock for CARBIOS’ production of food-grade PTA and MEG, further re-polymerized into PET.

Through the partnership with Landbell Group in Germany, the supply of multilayer trays through the CITEO tender in France  and the MoU with Indorama Ventures, CARBIOS will have sourced over 70% of its feedstock required for the 50kt/year capacity when its first commercial plant in Longlaville, France, will operate at full capacity. Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant’s location is strategic for nearby waste supplies.

Through this partnership with CARBIOS, Landbell Group will ensure that the problematic PET fractions such as multilayered, colored and opaque trays from packaging waste and polyester textile waste are redirected towards recycling. In this way, Landbell Group strengthens its commitment to the development of recycling solutions to enable a circular economy.

In the fourth quarter of 2023 Italian textile machinery orders index, drawn up by the Economics Department of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, appears to be stationary compared to data recorded for the same period in 2022. In terms of absolute value, the index stood at 82.4 points (basis: 2015=100).

This is the result of an upswing in orders from foreign markets, counterbalanced by declining orders on the domestic front. While orders in Italy decreased at 18% rate, a 4% increase was observed abroad. The absolute value of the index on foreign markets amounted to 77.9 points, whereas it came in at 126.2 points domestically. Overall for the fourth quarter, the average order backlog yielded 3.7 months of assured production.

For the whole 2023 year, the index declined 25% overall compared to the 2022 average (absolute index of 82.4). On the home front however, the index dropped 24% (absolute index of 124.5), while slipping 25% abroad (absolute index of 78.4).
 
ACIMIT president Marco Salvadè commented: "The orders index for October – December 2023, as elaborated by our Economics Department, confirms an intake of orders that is still weak, with a negative trend in demand for machinery that is ongoing for the domestic market."

Nonetheless, the orders index abroad shows a slight increase. We estimate that the global geopolitical context is still a source of concern,” continued Salvadè, specifying that, “For the first nine months of 2023, Italian exports on major global markets (i.e. China, Turkey, India and the United States of America), confirm a widespread decline. However, some positive signs emerged in the fourth quarter of last year, as reflected by the latest orders index. For 2024 we expect a consolidation of this trend reversal."

Archroma introduced Super Systems+. These end-to-end systems combine fiber-specific processing solutions and intelligent effects to help textile and apparel brands, retailers and mills positively impact their economic and environmental sustainability.

Archroma’s Super Systems+ suite encompass wet processing solutions that deliver measurable environmental impact; durable colors and functional effects that add value and longevity to the end product; and technologies that eliminate harmful or regulated substances. It will allow brands and mills to achieve their desired level of sustainability through measurable resource savings and cleaner chemistries.

Products and technologies that are be used in Super Systems+ solutions include: AVITERA® SE for resource savings, an improved cost-to-performance ratio for cotton and its blends and chlorine fastness; DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK for shade and wash-down effects on black denim and an overall impact reduction of 57%*; aniline-free** DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 LIQ for authentic blue denim; ERIOPON® E3-SAVE all-in-one auxiliary for resource-intensive polyester dyeing that reduces processing time and conserves water and energy; and PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 LIQ for bio-based, PFAS-free, formaldehyde-free and crosslinker-free durable water repellence.

*As determined by Ecoterrae, a leading Spain-based sustainability consulting firm, through a Life Cycle Analysis (UNE-EN ISO 14044:2006) at the synthesis stage, using the ReCiPe 2016 Impact calculation methodology.
**Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods.

The fashion industry, which has strategic importance for the Turkish economy with its value-added production, employment, and exports, came together with representatives of global brands and Laison offices at the 'Green transformation' summit. At the meeting hosted by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association (IHKIB), the studies carried out in the process of adaptation to the Green Deal were put under the spotlight, and the expectations of the Turkish fashion industry from the stakeholders were also expressed.

The opening of the meeting, attended by representatives of relevant ministries and foreign representations, national and international fund providers, as well as brands and buying groups were brought together, was made by Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and IHKIB President Mustafa Gültepe. In his speech, Gültepe underlined Türkiye's importance in the global apparel industry, by realizing approximately 3.5 percent of world apparel exports. Gültepe continued as follows:

"As IHKIB, we aim to increase our current annual exports, which are around $20 billion, to $40 billion. The road to the goal goes through Europe and America because the European Union is our largest market in apparel. We export 60 percent of our total apparel exports to EU countries. When we add other European countries and the USA, the ratio approaches 75 percent. While working on alternatives for the $40 billion in exports, we need to focus more on the European and U.S. markets because, as the data shows, the path to $40 billion in apparel exports goes through Europe and the U.S. We already have long-standing collaborations with brands centered in Europe and America. With our knowledge, speed, production quality, design power, and geographical proximity to Europe, we distinguish ourselves from competitors. We took a very important step in the transformation process exactly one year ago. We shared our action plan, which is a road map for our fashion industry's compliance with the Green Deal, with the public on January 30, 2023."

After Mustafa Gültepe's opening speech, Euratex Director General Dirk Vantyghem, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Trade Bahar Güçlü, and Deputy Secretary General of ITKIB Özlem Güneş made presentations regarding the ongoing efforts in the Green Deal process.

Dirk Vantyghem discussed the sustainability strategy of the textile and apparel industry and the expectations from the EU administration, while Bahar Güçlü provided information about the reflections of legal regulations related to the Green Deal on Türkiye.

Deputy Secretary General of ITKIB Özlem Güneş emphasized the significant opportunity that the Green Deal represents for the Turkish apparel industry, providing comprehensive insights into the efforts conducted by IHKIB regarding the Green Deal adaptation process.

Refashion, a textile industry’s eco-organisation, has renewed its authority approval until 2028. 6 years during which it will continue to transform the industry in keeping with the objectives set by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Ministry of the Economy, including the objective to collect 60% of CHF (clothing, household linen and footwear textiles) placed on the market by 2028. This new period is reflected in an ambitious road map and significantly increased investment. Nearly 1.2 billion euros, financed by the marketers, will be spent on transforming the industry during this new period of authority approval.

Determined to achieve the objectives set out in the ambitious specifications set down by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Berangère Couillard, Refashion has worked on a road map with all of its stakeholders involved in the transformation that is underway. Maud Hardy, nominated as the eco-organisation’s CEO in January 2022, started a collaborative working method that will continue throughout this new period to support areas that are key in this transformation. In the next few months, projects will begin and will visibly highlight the progress made in the three phases of a product’s life cycle: production consumption, regeneration.

Production

• Recognising eco-design initiatives through the eco-modulation of the fees paid by marketers (durability, environmental information labelling, integration of recycled materials). For marketers, these initiatives should represent the scheme’s cornerstone. The aim is to involve all stakeholders in reducing the environmental impact of products.

Consumption

• As from 2023, Refashion will spend 5 million euros minimum per year in awareness-raising activities and on information to the general public by supporting an array of local authority initiatives.
• The launch of a repair fund in 2023, in particular to prolong the usage of textiles and footwear products. More than 150 million euros will be invested between 2023 and 2028 to change the habits of the French population to increase repairs by 35% (guideline target by the ADEME 2019).

Regeneration

• Accelerating clothing, household linen and footwear collection, in particular thanks to an operational mix in the sector. Funding traditional sorting operators will remain central, but Refashion will also develop an additional operational system in order to achieve the collection target of 60% of products placed onto the market (versus 34% in 2021).
• 5% of fees paid to Refashion will go towards the redeployment/reuse funds to provide support for reuse within the remit of stakeholders in the Social and Solidarity Economy. In addition to this funding, additional funding arrangements open to all stakeholders will be established. The total budget throughout the authority approval period represents 135 million euros.
• 5% of fees, i.e., 58 million euros in 6 years, will be spent on R&D to help achieve these milestones in order to industrialise the recycling of used CHF: recyclability that is considered during the design stage; automated sorting and recycling.

ITMF (International Textile Manufacturer Federation) has published its International Textile Industry Statistics (ITIS) on productive capacity and raw materials consumption in the short-staple organized (spinning mill-) sector in virtually all textile-producing countries in the world.

The global number of installed short-staple spindles has grown from 225 million units in 2021 to 227 million units in 2022. The number of installed open-end rotors increased from 8.3 million in 2021 to 9.5 million in 2022. This constitutes the strongest growth ever recorded in this market with investment disproportionally targeting Asia. The number of installed air-jet spindles continued to increase in all regions in 2022.

The substitution between shuttle and shuttle-less looms continued in 2022. The number of installed shuttle-less looms increased from 1.72 million in 2021 to 1.85 in 2022 while installed shuttle looms reached 952 thousand. Total raw material consumption in the short-staple organized sector slightly decreased from 45,6 million tons in 2021 to 44,26 million tons in 2022. Consumption of raw cotton and synthetic short-staple fibers decreased by -2.5% and -0.7%, respectively. Consumption of cellulosic short-staple fibers increased by 2.5%.

2024 is a turning point for the European textiles and clothing industry: From 6 to 9 June 2024, European citizens will vote for a new European Parliament and, based on the results, a new European Commission will be formed. In view of this important election, EURATEX publishes a Manifesto, presenting 15 requests which will help to ensure a competitive European textiles and clothing industry.

The textile and apparel industry is making a substantial contribution to European wealth, jobs and growth. Europe counts 192,000 companies employing 1.3 million workers with a turnover of €167 billion and over €67 billion of exports. Entrepreneurship should be recognised as the foundation for a competitive textile industry, offering high quality and sustainable products, based on innovation, creativity and design. European policy makers should recognise such role to textiles and apparel companies and have an open dialogue to create better framework conditions to operate in the internal and global markets.

To realise that vision, the industry and policy makers need to work together on a mix of policy measures and initiatives, which are coherent and offer a transparent and predictable framework for our companies, and make them more resilient and competitive.

These policies should focus around four points:

Develop and implement a “smart” EU industrial policy
Europe should create policies which enhance competitiveness, instead of creating administrative burdens. To EURATEX, each new piece of legislation should undergo a “competitiveness test” to critically look at the impact of the new rules. Europe should also create a favourable environment to promote education and jobs in the industry. The EU textile industry currently employees 1,3 million people, 30% of which is above 50 years old. A critical bottleneck for the textile industry is to attract (young) people and make sure these people have the right set of skills, to operate in a changing textile ecosystem. EURATEX also asks the EU to invest in innovation and digitalisation as they are key to the European competitive advantage. Not only, as the last years have proved, Europe should provide companies with access to sustainable energy at lower prices.

No sustainability without competitiveness
The EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles is pushing our sector towards new business models with a lower environmental footprint. To realise that ambition, no less than 16 regulatory proposals are on the table, each of them with a different timetable, managed by different departments of the European Commission. EURATEX is committed to sustainability, but asks for economic realism. This set of new regulations needs to be coherent, enforceable, feasible and applicable for SMEs, and not push textile companies out of the market. Moreover, some member states are moving forward faster and some legislations will be decided at national level, creating fragmentation of the market. Such scenarios will hamper Europe and its possibilities to grow.

Ensure free and fair trade
With $224 billion in sold merchandise, Europe is the second major world exporters of textiles and clothes after China ($321 billion). It is therefore important that the global market should be open, free and fair for our industry to continue to thrive. Besides the support to FTAs in general, EURATEX wants to emphasise that all trade agreements should offer effective market access for EU companies and a level playing field in these markets. A free and open market should go hand in hand also with protection against free riders. The EU must always consider enforcement and enforceability when making new laws; it should also take action together with the member states for a better coordination with harmonised criteria for action among Customs Authorities.

Incentivise the Demand for sustainable textiles
Sustainable textile products typically come at a premium price, making it difficult for many consumers and buyers to purchase such products. Many surveys across Europe confirm that around 50% of interviewees do not purchase sustainable fashion products and the main reason is price. EURATEX believes that, to create a demand and help consumers to buy a (genuine) sustainable textile product, there should be standard requirements and fiscal incentives. Public authorities should also implement green public procurements, by increasing the importance of sustainability criteria in their evaluation grids.

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) released the 2023 edition of The GFA Monitor — a report to guide fashion leaders towards a net-positive fashion industry. The second GFA Monitor has been updated to include the latest guidance and insights from over 25 industry organisations in one cohesive publication. For the first time, the report includes new data insights from the Fashion Industry Target Consultation - drawn from over 900 industry participants in 90 countries.

The GFA Monitor is an extensive resource that presents expert insights on the status of the industry, clear actions to take, and proven best practices. In a time of poly crisis when the implementation of sustainable practices is challenged, GFA is supporting the industry by consolidating an abundance of available solutions that can be applied today.  

The tool is grounded by the sustainability framework laid out in the Fashion CEO Agenda, featuring in-depth guidance according to the five sustainability priorities: Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Circular Systems, Resource Stewardship, and Smart Materials Choices. Embracing additional expert knowledge from other industry organisations, each priority includes insights from GFA’s Impact Partners: Fair Labor Association, Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Apparel Impact Institute, and Textile Exchange, respectively.

The 2023 publication presents new findings from the Fashion Industry Target Consultation (FITC), launched by GFA and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in November 2022, which invited stakeholders from across the global value chain to share their thoughts on the performance indicators and milestones that the industry must strive to meet. The FITC indicates a very positive sentiment from participants, but action and positive impact from that action is yet to be measured. Overall, the data reveals that the majority of the 900 participants supported industry alignment on the 27 action areas proposed in the consultation and remarked that they are actively engaging with the industry to drive progress in the respective areas. The report further illuminates the level of industry ambitions per priority and the areas where more aligned action areas are needed.