India is the second-largest cotton producer worldwide. According to International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) projections for the current season, India will produce 5.1 million metric tons (mt), an increase of 3.5% compared with the previous season. Indian cotton consumption is estimated for the first time to reach 4.15 million mt, exceeding the previous season by 7.4%. In 2007-08, with a 1.53 million mt total, export volume was three times the volume in 2008/09 of 0.52 million mt.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Chinese cotton consumption is expected to jump by 1.5 million bales in the 2010-2011 seasons to 49 million bales. The USDA forecasts that China will import 2.18 million tonnes of cotton this year, up from 1.52 million tonnes last year. Next year, imports are expected to rise to 2.5 million tonnes to meet demand from its textile industry.

According to VITAS, Vietnam as leading textile and garment exporter recorded the highest export growth among the country's 10 staples. Textile and garment exports fetched around US$3.8 billion in the first five months of the year, a year-on-year increase of more than 17%. This year's export figure is expected to reach $10.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15%. The sector is focusing on Asian markets due to the pricing advantage when compared with other countries.

Despite the global slowdown, share of India’s textile exports in total exports increased to 12.05% from 10.82% in 2008-09. In a ‘Look East Policy’, new markets have been tapped to promote exports, besides consolidating existing markets like EU and US.

The Iranian Industry Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian said that restoring the existing textile factories and establishing new ones were among the top priorities of the ministry’s development program. He said that all projects that were 40% complete would be completed in two years using this credit line

China's overall textile and garment exports show a steady rise in 2010, due to stabilized demand in American and European markets. U.S. Customs data revealed that U.S. textile and apparel imports from China realized a large increase of 21.54% in quantity from January to May.

The Indian government would accelerate the process of decentralization of existing textiles clusters by way of promoting clusters infrastructure in rural hinter land to take advantage of available man-power, to decongest the existing clusters to avail the newly created rural infrastructure; harness higher rural purchasing power and to reduce the cost of production, said Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran.

The government of India which had imposed a ban on cotton exports, last month, along with levying an export duty on shipments of the same has now lifted the ban under pressure from farmer lobbyists. A notification released by the Commerce Ministry states that, ban on cotton exports on almost all varieties of raw cotton and cotton waste has been lifted.

The Argentine Industry and Tourism Ministry announced new anti-dumping duties on polyester yarns imported from China and Indonesia. It said the anti-dumping duties of 14.20% are to be levied on imports from China, while those for Indonesian products are set at 7.52%, reported China's Xinhua news agency.

According European Parliament country of origin' labels on clothes should become compulsory for selling them in Europe, so that people are not misled by labels suggesting they were made in the European Union (EU). 'Made in' labels are currently voluntary in the EU, but in practice their use depends on national laws. In comparison, country of origin labelling is strictly required in the US, Canada and Japan.

According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), domestic textile companies have the capacity to supply between 30%-50% of the country's demand for shirts, jeans and other basic textile products. Production of vests, jackets and other high-quality clothes is primarily dependent on imported materials.

To manufacture garment labels, tags and packages, Yokohama Labels and Printing (BD) Company Limited, a Japanese firm, will be investing $5.47 million to establish an accessories production unit at the Adamjee Export Processing Zone, Bangladesh. The establishment of this new unit will generate employment for 552 individuals of the country.

A leading Turkish company, Otra Anatolia, intends to launch a garment factory in Bahrain. This plan was revealed after the Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Hassan Fakhro received the investors. He underlined the policy of the country that welcomes regional and international investments.

The recent surge in Naxal violence in the eastern states is becoming a big worry for Surat (India), the manufacturing hub of synthetic sarees and dress materials. The spike in violence has adversely affected demand for Surat textiles in these states. Textile industry experts say demand for sarees and dress material in Naxal-hit states such as Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar has fallen steeply because of the rise in leftwing violence.

International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) estimates global cotton production in the coming season to increase 13% in reaction to surging prices triggered by the demand. Its projection for the world cotton crop from August 10 through July 11 this year is expected to climb to 19.4 million tonnes from 19 million tonnes in the previous season with a continued uptrend in cotton consumption.