tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908268548909215092012-01-26T18:33:29.460-08:00Opinion about the global market for cotton, textiles and apparel.Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.comBlogger571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-65457905625962089332011-08-04T08:53:00.000-07:002011-08-04T09:20:22.898-07:00

As the exclusive licensee for Fibermax and Stoneville cotton in the finished garment business, Olah Inc. is fortunate to work with Bayer CropScience in promoting these varieties  to the textile and fashion industries around the world. In fact, thanks to this promotion, we have had the opportunity to interact with dozens of branded apparel and retailing firms regarding the importance of using

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-11005873390786825712011-05-09T13:04:00.000-07:002011-05-09T13:07:58.088-07:00

Sisyphus. The French Algerian writer Albert Camus popularized the fate of Sisyphus in his famous essay, "The Myth of Sisyphus." According to Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to forever push a rock up a hill only to have it roll back down time and again. The poor guy was locked in this perpetual struggle -- a metaphor for the absurdity of life, said Camus. So what can we learn from the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-24677839520983958952011-03-07T13:51:00.000-08:002011-03-09T21:50:05.333-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been fortunate to participate in several public events to discuss the recent run up in cotton prices, what it means for clothing companies, and what the prospects are for prices in the future. Most recently, I was delighted to speak at a webinar hosted by Seattle-based Sanmar, a leading supplier of wholesale apparel. The webinar was entitled "From Cotton To Textiles

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-13454010200812785272011-02-27T15:32:00.000-08:002011-02-27T15:36:11.123-08:00

Recently, cotton futures prices topped $2.00 per pound. A year or so ago, the big debate in the cotton world was whether cotton could reach the history-setting level of a $1.00 per pound. How things can change! There are a number of reasons for the surge in cotton prices. Simply stated, there is a shortage of the stuff. How did this shortage sneak up on us? A number of factors came together to

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-47857308406560532122011-02-02T08:24:00.000-08:002011-02-03T10:48:19.900-08:00

A new initiative was announced today by the largest producer of cotton seeds in the United States and a leading apparel design and sourcing house. The effort is focused on providing a new level of transparency for consumers and will revolutionize how cotton is marketed throughout the entire textile and apparel supply chain. Bayer CropScience and Olah Inc. have signed a unique licensing

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-91769523022857620212010-11-01T09:38:00.000-07:002010-11-01T09:38:50.890-07:00

Many people have emailed asking me to comment on the recent run-up in global cotton prices. To be sure, recent price gains have put quite a scare into the textile supply chain as everyone from cotton merchants to apparel brands have felt the effects of higher cotton prices and reduced margins. This squeeze, in turn, has left many wondering if these higher prices are here to stay or will ease

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-60284714518536625862010-09-07T09:33:00.000-07:002010-09-07T09:33:10.311-07:00

With mid-term elections just on the horizon, efforts to act on pending China currency legislation appear to have accelerated with an new plan to add a currency component to the recently announced "Make it in America" initiative. Needless to say, any successful effort to legislate punitive tariffs on US imports of Chinese textiles and apparel (due to perceived imbalances in the Dollar-Renminbi

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-52614945408094416342010-08-09T16:52:00.000-07:002010-08-09T16:56:10.087-07:00

Cotton industry professionals from all over the world will convene to share their knowledge and experience during the 69th Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), to be held Sept. 20-25, 2010, in Lubbock, Texas. FEATURED SESSION The Impacts of Social and Environmental Standards on Demand for Cotton and Textiles When it comes to awareness of the impact it has on

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-45594630761843037302010-08-09T01:03:00.000-07:002010-08-09T01:05:11.607-07:00

With considerable fanfare, the US textile industry applauded introduction of a new Customs bill in the US Senate. The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) heralded Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for their introduction of S.3741, the Textile Enforcement and Security Act of 2010, in the U.S. Senate last week. “It is pivotal that the rules and obligations

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-22026284316246099662010-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:002010-08-05T13:40:51.985-07:00

A coalition of textile groups and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) urged the Obama Administration to re-open the textile portions of the Korea FTA in order to avoid large scale job losses.  The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) and other groups pointed out that the hurried conclusion of the talks in 2007 led to critical errors that would hurt U.S. textile

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-4482445820936642162010-08-02T09:48:00.000-07:002010-08-03T13:21:53.207-07:00

Members of the US textile industry are lauding a new Commerce Department ruling confirming that the dyeing and finishing of textiles subject to trade benefits of the Dominican Republic Earned Import Allowance Program has to occur in the United States in order for the benefits to occur. Many in the trade see this Obama Administration action as being a pro-US jobs decision that will keep much of

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-70679418745802815012010-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:002010-07-22T09:27:40.305-07:00

I wanted to share one of my firm's daily reports on the cotton and textile markets in Pakistan and India. The following report was prepared by Saira Farrukh, our Subcontinent Analyst. For those of you doing business in the Subcontinent, I feel our daily reporting not only provides complete coverage of industry news and market developments, but instills the insight necessary to fully understand

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-23192842248283645202010-07-09T09:06:00.000-07:002010-07-09T12:08:24.499-07:00

As anyone in the textile business knows, China is the preeminent producer and exporter of fabrics and made-up apparel products in the world today. But Chinese textile export performance has been assisted by a controversial foreign exchange policy that fixed the Renminbi (RMB) to the US Dollar for a number of years -- a practice criticized by some who claim that the policy artificially lowered the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-45283674829525328172010-07-06T08:53:00.000-07:002010-07-06T08:53:33.154-07:00

As another example of some of the analysis provided on our Globecot News website, following is our weekly cotton recap written by Gary Raines, our Chief Economist. I encourage you to visit Gary's Blog, "Dirt-to-Shirt". July 6, 2010 Cotton retreated further on the week, with nearby prices closing lower four of the last five trading days, finishing the week at 77.83 cents per pound, its lowest

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-10498496890572904332010-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:002010-07-01T13:52:03.983-07:00

For those of you following the global cotton markets, I wanted to share the most recent "Globecot on the Market." Written by Andy Ryan, our head cotton trader, "Globecot on the Market" is updated every business day and is available with a subscription to our news service, Globecot News Network. Feel free to contact Andy Ryan by email if you would like to learn more about his analysis of the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-56421503939758505592010-06-28T10:46:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:00:52.521-07:00

I had the great pleasure of attending the General Assembly of Euratex in Brussels earlier this month, along with 160 textile leaders from throughout Europe.  The theme for this annual meeting was “Sustainability in the European Apparel and Textile Industry”. Not surprisingly, sustainable production was all the buzz at the meeting -- even more so than organic, which surprised me considering how “

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-22742373378911741712010-05-22T06:12:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:01:10.572-07:00

I don’t usually talk about my travels much on Facebook or this Blog, but I thought I would make an exception this time. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world, and I’ve seen some truly strange -- and wonderful -- stuff. From the wonderful stuff category, I wanted to share with you my visit to Raisen, India this week. Raisen is about 90 minutes by car (mostly on dirt roads) from Bhopal (yes,

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-49828224036678963292010-04-22T09:19:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:02:02.090-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I read an interesting commentary by Michael Grunwald in Time Magazine entitled, “Why the U.S. Is Also Giving Brazilians Farm Subsidies.” If you are into cotton, textiles or international trade, I encourage you to read his column. In reading his piece, I was particularly struck by his opening questions: “What could be more outrageous than the hefty subsidies the U.S.

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-58819822046883277112010-04-20T13:16:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:02:19.660-07:00

I wanted to report on a conference and share some photos from an important seminar my firm, FCStone Fibers & Textiles, helped to organize on behalf of Bayer CropScience and Certified Fibermax Cotton in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, last month. The event was co-sponsored with the Vietnam Spinning Association and the cotton merchant, CropMark Direct. The focus of the conference was the importance of

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-12384891939072612642010-03-07T13:41:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:02:35.465-07:00

SINGAPORE, March 5, 2010 -- At the second and final day of the Singapore 2010 International Cotton Conference, a professional cadre of speakers addressed difficult problems facing the industry, ranging from the marketing and packaging of cotton to risk management, and to the effects rapidly growing Asian economies will have on global consumption. Illuminating presentations were made on the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-47481279337584317442010-03-04T02:25:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:02:56.114-07:00

SINGAPORE, March 4, 2010 -- At the first day of the Singapore 2010 International Cotton Conference, a gathering of the world’s leading cotton merchants and spinners, industry leaders outlined many of the problems currently plaguing the business, but offered relatively little advice to how the industry will solve those problems going forward instead opting for a wait-and-see approach to the market

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-24567314530348478662010-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:38:20.634-07:00

Is the cotton industry standing in tall cotton? With recent prices soaring to levels not seen in more than two years, it would appear so. But despite all the market talk about cotton’s recent price run, there’s more to the story: The cotton business is changing because the types of products it produces is changing. After years of successful promotion and increasing market share, the highest

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-22118705864471391522010-02-19T20:34:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:38:30.807-07:00

Assemble the pieces of the global puzzle. Globecot Data Services gives you the information you need to plan for your company’s future and is the perfect addition to the Globecot News Network -- your single source for the latest fiber, textile and apparel information available online, every day, all in one convenient location. Continuously updated with statistics from more than 50 countries

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-70432086249794021532010-02-03T15:27:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:38:42.659-07:00

My division of FCStone has teamed up with the foreign exchange group of our parent company, International Assets Holding Group (INTL), to provide a new service aimed at helping textile companies to make and receive international payments safely, securely and reliably. As we all know so well in the textile industry, doing business today means doing business globally; across time zones, across

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-58855185180176396022010-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:002010-08-22T12:33:32.801-07:00

There’s been reporting in the media recently that some retailers in Europe have allegedly mislabeled clothing stating they contain organic cotton when in actuality the garments contained conventional or genetically modified cotton. Interestingly, some reports have termed this a “fraud” and that retailers were complicit in their mislabeling of the fiber content of some of their garments. I do not

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-25033508466357728232009-12-23T21:52:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:43:57.350-07:00

To borrow from Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, but it was also the age of foolishness. This really sums up my feelings about the past few years. The economic crash of 2008, which was preceded by the boom years of 2005-2007, not only rattled the confidence of many but also laid bare for all to see that the previous boom was really more of a

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-3419793239230379192009-12-13T09:49:00.000-08:002010-07-01T10:39:31.651-07:00

There’s been a lot of hand wringing over the sad state of affairs in exports of U.S. cotton. Exports in 2008 really sagged and in 2009 exports have struggled. Of course, such declines are a direct result of the global recession as textile mills have slashed consumption of cotton and other fibers resulting from weak sales of yarns, fabrics and made-up apparel products. But something else has

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-45032549564727523152009-10-04T11:24:00.001-07:002010-07-01T10:39:54.296-07:00

I am pleased to announce that FCStone Fibers & Textiles has conducted a multi-client study entitled, "The Future of High Quality and Branded Cotton." With particular focus on China, India, the U.S. and Egypt, this study probes into the possibility that global production of the highest quality of cotton -- extra-long staple (or ELS) -- is declining due to the expansion of long staple (or LS)

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-15957303522183050862009-09-07T10:21:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:40:08.245-07:00

A lot of people ask me about the importance of organic cotton in the global market. Although I am sympathetic to the goals of being as green as possible in the production of crops or manufactured goods, there are considerable limitations to how green some products can become. This is particularly true in the case of cotton, as the definition of organic versus traditional cotton varies from region

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-50299736347450614482009-09-03T23:22:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:40:20.867-07:00

Enormous forces of change have buffeted the global textile industry over the past few years. Traditional textile manufacturing industries in the U.S. and Europe have wilted in the face of increase competition from Asia. Further, the emergence of China as a key exporter of textiles and apparel has overshadowed almost every aspect of the global trade situation. However, the rise of Asia as the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-88176771246245285892009-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:40:33.703-07:00

I originally published the following article back in 2003, but I wanted to resurrect it here to make a point that not much has really changed in WTO circles since the initial collapse of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations all those years ago. With the collapse of the Doha Round, free traders claim it’s the end of global trading system; developing countries feel they’ve been

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-45883328936112366562009-08-16T19:02:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:40:45.679-07:00

The topic of care labels come up quite a bit in the textile and clothing business, so I thought I would share a post just published by our friends at the National Textile Association, a terrific association based in Boston. They also have an excellent blog that I recommend. The following provides a list of answers by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to frequently asked questions about care

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-46947314562360885092009-08-07T13:15:00.003-07:002010-07-01T10:41:08.208-07:00

The following is a detailed status report concerning the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). I thank our friends at the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC) for this analysis. This legislation would institute a cap-and-trade policy for the specific purpose of reducing greenhouse gas pollution by the United States. The Obama administration has made a it a top priority

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-44112870510713144712009-07-30T23:48:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:41:20.118-07:00

Say you're a farmer and you grow cotton. What’s most important to you? Sure, you want to make money and, sure, you want to provide for your family – you understand that. But what are you doing to understand your customers? You may say it doesn’t matter, I can always ship into the loan, my coop will handle it, my local pool worries about customers. Do you care about the market? What makes up your

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-75434849959595422072009-07-18T11:18:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:41:32.217-07:00

The Obama administration announced this week that it would not support a bailout of the CIT Group, a leading factor (inventory financier) to the textile industry. As was echoed by literally dozens of textile and apparel associations in a joint letter sent yesterday to US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, a CIT Group bankruptcy would have a serious impact on the domestic textile and apparel

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-40657793547785196832009-07-07T21:12:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:42:00.025-07:00

With all of the challenges facing today’s cotton growers, none is more pressing than figuring out a way to receive a premium price for cotton produced. By this, I mean a real premium value, not some inflation-spiked price. To better understand the importance of building true value for today’s grower, I’d like to suggest that all current industry initiatives to market conventional cotton to the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-12627467815294386102009-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:42:12.450-07:00

History may or may not find 2008 marked the end of a period of extravagance, but for sure history will show that it was a year of volatility. Whether we consider the meltdown in the global financial system or developments on the political front, 2008 was truly a year for the record books in terms of terrific highs and terrifying lows. On the one hand, we enjoyed the competition and pageantry of

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-29740035639375679072009-06-27T17:03:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:42:23.126-07:00

Overcapacity—a result of the boom years of the 1990’s—now has a strangle hold on growth in the first decade of the New Millennium. Textile producers throughout the world had enjoyed unprecedented profits, only to see that turn into unprecedented amounts of red ink. What happened? Where did all the business go? And why are entire industries shutting down in countries that just a few years ago

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-91311019998386168602009-06-17T06:13:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:42:31.476-07:00

I am pleased to announce that FCStone Fibers & Textiles will conduct a multi-client study entitled, "The Future of High Quality and Branded Cotton." With particular focus on China, India, the U.S. and Egypt, this study will probe into the possibility that global production of the highest quality of cotton -- extra-long staple (or ELS) -- is declining due to the expansion of long staple (or LS)

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-85519295812179924522009-06-15T09:13:00.000-07:002009-06-15T09:22:50.362-07:00

A significant problem has emerged with U.S. government efforts to implement the "Buy America" provision of this year's stimulus bill directly affecting procurement of domestically made apparel and textiles. As originally provided under terms of the so-called Kissell Amendment, Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) purchases of apparel and uniforms were supposed to be only from domestic

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-1229859442510425582009-06-02T19:29:00.000-07:002009-06-02T19:38:45.408-07:00

Our friends at the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) have just published their 2008 survey of textile machinery investment. Needless to say, with the global textile business in the doldrums (along with the rest of the world’s economy), investment in new machinery has hit some new lows. In fact, global investment in new textile machinery is down by more than one-third since

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-76852588448795666062009-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:002009-05-29T09:08:19.420-07:00

I wanted to announce that we have undertaken an extensive multi-client study of the global supply and demand situation for polyester fiber and cotton. The study will be completed in June.Recognizing that basic market statistics are widely available, my firm, FCStone Fibers & Textiles, has built on those data to establish a realistic forecast for future consumption and production. Because of our

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-82891193400332302822009-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:002009-05-27T13:44:13.923-07:00

Our friends at the National Textile Association originally reported on new legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Diane Feinstein [D-CA] and Kit Bond [R-MO] called the Tariff Relief Assistance for Developing Economies Act of 2009 or the "TRADE Act of 2009" to give duty-free access to apparel assembled in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and eleven other countries, that are exported

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-79100483095841580852009-05-21T19:54:00.000-07:002009-05-24T10:48:39.259-07:00

For all of you history buffs out there, the following report traces the evolution of U.S. cotton support programs from their inception in the 1930’s to the current debate about the need for another round of program reforms. This report was originally published in a study we (Globecot, Inc.) issued several years ago on the history and future of the U.S. Farm Program. I think this report helps to

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-74646655150234224642009-05-17T09:23:00.000-07:002009-05-24T10:49:54.483-07:00

As a follow up to my recent blog about the success of Fibermax-type cotton in the global markets, I'd like to offer the following update covering first quarter 2009 export results:While overall exports of U.S. cotton are down sharply, exports of Fibermax-type cotton (that is, cotton with a staple length greater than 1-1/8” that’s not Pima) has taken over as a driving force behind U.S. exports of

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-29016496569559416542009-04-23T19:27:00.000-07:002009-05-24T10:49:23.910-07:00

With the expiration of the bilateral textile quota agreement between the U.S. and China at the end of last year, there's renewed talk in Washington of initiating safeguard quota actions to control imports and various sensitive product categories. Although it is certainly true that Chinese exports of certain products have indeed increased since the expiration of the quota agreement, I think the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-91173922527219971212009-04-18T13:06:00.000-07:002009-04-19T15:57:31.898-07:00

There's been a lot of fretting in global textile circles in recent months about a seemingly endless string of plant closures and consolidations through the entire supply chain. No country it seems is immune to this ongoing reduction of capacity worldwide, as the global recession lays waste to hundreds (if not thousands) of textile companies around the globe.I've always been of the opinion, though

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-3017309260946983172009-04-12T18:02:00.000-07:002009-04-12T18:33:33.519-07:00

Five or six years ago, we conducted an extensive study of the global market for denim and clothing made with denim. It was an interesting project in that we not only compiled market statistics from around the world, but also surveyed a large number of retailers and textile mills to determine their attitudes at the time about denim as a fashion item and what they thought the future was going to

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-87629248460985813772009-04-05T20:52:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:40:54.811-07:00

Last year, I wrote a paper on the general condition of the U.S. textile and apparel industries. Following are some excerpts from that paper. To download the entire paper, please click HERE. The U.S. textile and apparel industries have undergone significant structural changes over the past two decades resulting in a sharp decline in domestic production, overall loss of industry profitability and a

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-61506653729605917892009-03-23T09:36:00.000-07:002009-04-19T20:09:18.671-07:00

There’s been a lot of hand wringing recently over the sad state of affairs in exports of U.S. cotton. Exports in 2008 really sagged and during the first month of 2009 have really plunged. Of course, such declines are a direct result of the global recession as textile mills have slashed consumption of cotton and other fibers resulting from weak sales of yarns, fabrics and made-up apparel

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-17088155027464552992009-03-21T08:48:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:42:31.958-07:00

Note: I published this on our news service back in 2006, but I think the analysis and forecast still hold up. To access the actual statistical forecasts and market projections, go to Globecot News Network.----------------With the recent signing of the U.S.-China bilateral textile quota agreement, many market observers are now hard-pressed in trying to understand the implications of that agreement

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-63617931431635703252009-03-20T16:24:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:43:05.971-07:00

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced this week it had ruled that China had violated various intellectual property rights (IPR) provisions of the WTO and that China had 30 days to announce its plans to bring it IPR regulations into compliance with WTO requirements. Various textile interests in the U.S. and elsewhere were closely following this matter as a number of firms had complained

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-68707397572258944362009-03-18T17:20:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:43:33.047-07:00

There has been a rash of stories in the media recently suggesting the age of globalization may have come to an abrupt end as a result of the global recession. There’s certainly plenty of evidence to support such reporting. Whereas free trade has been a key mantra of globalization, trade liberalization deals may have been easier to come by when the global market was expanding, for it now appears

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-45831129295174526992009-03-18T07:50:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:44:01.217-07:00

As was recently pointed out by our good friends at the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), U.S. imports of apparel from China soared in January after bilateral quotas on these products ended on January 1st.Because of this, NCTO, along with several other U.S. organizations have requested that the Obama Administration begin to monitor these imports in order to assess possible

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-29020047018732343902009-03-15T13:50:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:44:47.277-07:00

The Market vs. Government Policy:Measuring the Impact of the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill on Future U.S. AcreagePresentation made at the 2006 FiberMax Cotton Quality Summit, Singapore. Transcribed by our friends at Cotton Bangladesh. US Farm BillA multi-client study was conducted by Globecot earlier this year. The goals of the study were to estimate the future cotton acreage in the US under various

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-32368552598083105952009-03-15T13:44:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:45:14.776-07:00

The Market vs. Government Policy:Measuring the Impact of the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill on Future U.S. AcreagePresentation made at the 2006 FiberMax Cotton Quality Summit, Singapore. Transcribed by our friends at Cotton Bangladesh. The topic to be discussed in this presentation is the U.S. Farm Bill in the context of global consumption of textiles. This type of government policy is directly affected by

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-890826854890921509.post-15291681433963386692009-03-04T19:20:00.000-08:002009-04-19T19:46:54.088-07:00

With China’s ascension to the World Trade Organization (WTO) long completed, global investment in China’s textile industry has accelerated and has positioned the country to be the world’s preeminent producer of yarns and fabrics for the remainder of this decade, if not beyond.There has been a lot made in industry circles in recent years over China’s huge gains in exports since ascension to the

Robert Antoshakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03851836251316568708noreply@blogger.com0