Supply Chain news and archive

Strait of Hormuz blockage, an “unprecedented freeze” on global maritime trade

Paris (France) - The blockage of the Strait of Hormuz constitutes an “unprecedented freeze” on global maritime trade, affecting everything from cosmetics and food products to pharmaceuticals, cars and precious marbles. While it primarily impacts petroleum products, it also threatens many other industrial sectors. Importance of the Strait of...

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European fashion stocks decline amidst Middle East conflict

Madrid – Major European fashion companies are holding their breath, waiting to see how markets and their shares will evolve following the outbreak of the new military conflict between the US and Israel against Iran. The war has unleashed instability in the Persian Gulf region. This has been fraught with uncertainty since last Saturday, which...

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Value chains in jeopardy over Iran: Maersk diverts its vessels to the Cape of Good Hope

Madrid – Tensions are returning to global value chains following the military conflict that erupted this Saturday, February 28, in the Middle East. This follows coordinated attacks against Iran by the Israeli and US armies. The ayatollahs' regime has already responded to these hostilities, announcing an unpredictable escalation of the conflict....

Fairs|Report

Texworld: How Chinese manufacturers are adding value through textile innovation and CSR

Chinese manufacturers at the Texworld Apparel Sourcing trade show, held from February 2 to 4, 2026, are no longer positioning themselves solely as high-volume suppliers. Instead, they are key players capable of integrating Western demands for technological innovation and CSR. Oracle, Huaren Linen and Healcell are prime examples of this shift....

Fashion

Starting from scratch, textile hemp follows in linen's footsteps

Villepinte (France) - From suits and jeans to flip-flops, hemp, a natural fibre used in textiles for centuries before falling into disuse, is making a comeback. Its advocates hope it will follow the same path in fashion as linen. At the Première Vision trade fair in Villepinte, near Paris, the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (ALCE) stand...

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Fashion brands reaffirm support for Pakistan Accord for factory safety

Consultations between over 100 brands, retailers and trade union representatives have led to an extension of the Pakistan Accord, a country-specific agreement within the International Accord. With the new signature, the fashion companies confirm their joint commitment to improved labour and safety standards in the Pakistani supply chain. The...

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Fashion |Interview

How a furrier blends tradition and reinvention

When discussing fashion, the first thing that comes to mind is often the image of a finished product. This could be a dress, a catwalk, or perhaps a shop window. Fashion, however, begins much earlier. The creation of that product involves a process that passes through a creative's imagination, the crafting of the piece and, crucially, the...

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South Asian textiles: End of a competitive advantage? A critical review of the French Treasury's quarterly letter

The quarterly letter published by the French Treasury offers a detailed diagnosis. The textile and apparel industry remains the industrial and social core of the economies of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. As a pillar of exports, a mass employer and a key driver of female employment, the sector has long relied on a simple competitive...

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Alibaba to transform B2B sourcing with agentic AI

E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the integration of agentic AI capabilities into the user journey of its business-to-business (B2B) marketplace. Launched under the 'AI mode' feature, this technological innovation aims to transform the processes by which professionals discover, evaluate and interact with suppliers. Even more impressive than...

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The Lycra Company opens second production facility in China

US fibre manufacturer The Lycra Company opened its largest spandex factory in the world in the Chinese city of Yinchuan on Friday. “This milestone underscores the company's continued investment in the Chinese market and highlights its strong commitment to building localised supply and distribution networks, as well as promoting advancements in...

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Retail

Textiles: Why Korean giant Sae-A is betting on nearshoring in El Salvador and the US

By bringing its production closer to the US market, the group is focusing on responsiveness and logistical control, while reducing its dependence on Asian supply chains. The move is indicative of a broader shift. The global textile industry is refocusing on proximity and industrial resilience. Global player consolidating its regional base...

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Following meeting with Trump: Xi warns of disrupted supply chains

Following a meeting with US president Donald Trump, China's head of state and party, Xi Jinping, has warned of a breakdown in supply chains. To drive economic growth, the stability of industrial and supply chains must be guaranteed, Xi said at the summit of heads of state and government of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in...