Page 13 - April-May-2017

Cotton exports of US

predicted to grow by

53% in 2016-17

For the year 2016-17 the US exports of cotton are expected to rise by less than 4 per cent and with
forecast at about 14.0 million bales which is about stable import forecasts for major US markets, US
53% more than the previous session. The statement market share will have to expand significantly in
is given by the US department of agriculture (USDA). many countries for the forecast to be obtained.”
On the whole, the US share of world trade is
expected to reach at about 39%, which is an up from At the same time the share of US in Chinese imports
26 per cent last season, which would be the highest has also rebounded remarkably from 11 per cent last
level in 6 years, the April 2017 report on year (the lowest in over 2 decades) to 35%. “For
cotton said. 2016-17, global cotton use is raised only marginally,
and production is raised, resulting in global ending
According to the official reports published by the stocks up slightly. Global trade is up marginally, while
World Markets and Trade’ released by Foreign US exports are raised by 800,000 bales, reducing US
Agricultural Service of the USDA, “With global trade ending stocks.

SAR 4.9 billion approved

for textiles in South Africa

To help boost the clothing and textile sector in South this was an indication that the clothing sector was a
Africa via Production Incentives Program within the significant labor-absorbing sector and that
Clothing and Textiles Competitiveness Program government needed to create more opportunities to
(CTCP), the Department of Trade and Industry has keep it viable.
approved R4.9 billion in incentives with above 3.1
billion SAR disbursed in the last financial year to Rebates in textile and clothing is also a burning issue
create and save jobs in the sector. The information and a part of government plan is still to grip the
is given by Rob Davies, the Trade and imports and the raise of tariff to it’s extreme, the way
Industry Minister. they did in the beginning when they were revamping
the entire industry. It was also said that an entirely
A number of companies in the textile sector qualified new value chain must be involved in moving the
and drew from both programs and were able to save sector ahead. While on the other hand he stressed
81252 jobs, while an additional 9672 jobs were that the localization is a must economic aspect for
created. Addressing delegates at the National every sector. However, everything should be done to
Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing protect the industry and should be planned in a way
Industry-hosted Clothing Manufacturing Industry that it supports the interest of the development of
Sector summit, in Durban, this week, he noted that industry and the enhance the local supplier base.