According to the China National Textile & Apparel Council, China has made an investment of 241.8 billion yuan in the textile industry, between January and November 2009. This is an increase of 7.9% over the same period last year.

EU's imports of Bangladeshi cotton T-shirts resisted the economic crisis in euro terms in the first half this year, due to a rise in prices. Bangladesh accounts for 50% of the French import market in volume terms, with significant exports to Germany and UK.

Turkish exports to the European Union were dramatically affected by the clothing recession over the first half this year. Shipments to Germany however resisted more than the sliding exports to the UK's market. Both countries continued attracting 50% of total sales to the European Union.

In Colombia the textile industry has fared much better than clothing. Although export growth has slowed, sales of textiles rose by 25.8% in the first half of 2009. But clothing exports plunged by 54.5%, having been dragged down by a slump in demand for Colombian garments in Ecuador, Mexico, the USA, and Venezuela.

Bangladesh has set 13% higher RGM export target of $17.6 billion for the current fiscal year to end June 2010. Readymade garments, which account for 80% of total exports, earned more than $11 billion in the last fiscal year. Earnings from knit textiles from July to June of the previous fiscal year 2008-09 rose 16.2 % to $6.4 billion while exports of woven garments rose 14.5% to $5.9 billion in the same year.

EU clothing imports from India resisted relatively well the economic recession and surging competition from China over the first half of 2009. This is mostly due to stronger sales to the UK's market where Indian exporters heavily slashed their prices. Shipments to Spain surged in both volume and value terms while exports were more stable to other major European markets.

In Mexico the textile industry continued to struggle as US importers shifted orders to China and other low cost Asian countries. In the first half of 2009 alone, Mexican textile and clothing exports declined by 17.5% after falling by 6.2% in 2008. Apparel manufacturers are being pressured by major retailers to replenish merchandise more quickly and speed up the product development cycle for new assortments.

EU's imports of cotton bed linen from China continued to rise very strongly over the first half this year in spite of  the economic recession. The Chinese share of the European market sharply increased during the 2006-09. UK absorbs the largest part of Chinese shipments.

Small suppliers of cotton denim trousers were further eliminated from the US market in the third quarter. China gained strong market share, while further reducing prices in the first year without quotas. Bangladesh and Vietnam resisted while other origins were suffering from a decline in both men's and women's markets.

Vietnam’s garments and textiles exports to Japan will be subject to zero rated import duties from October 1, 2009.  Statistics show that 80% of garments and textiles companies have managed to secure export contracts for the rest of this year, 40% of the contracts being signed with Japanese importers.

Russia will soon start using oil as raw material, which will later be converted into synthetic fibre for its textile industry. The first contract was signed at the Fourth Textile Industry Forum in Ivanovo. Russia imports most of its cotton and makes little synthetic fibre of its own at the moment.

Bangladesh in apparel exports is growing at good pace. Apparel exporters resisted the economic recession, especially knitwear producers benefiting from a duty-free access on EU's market. The shift to lower-priced clothing at European and US retail was another advantage for Bangladeshi exporters as Chinese prices sharply rose at the end of last year.

The Vermont Organic Fiber Company has launched a new line of soft, moisture-absorbing O-Wool mattress pads made with organic wool grown and certified to the US Department of Agriculture organic standard (NOP). O-Wool yarns and fabrics are made from certified organic Merino wool spun, knit, woven, and finished at facilities in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.