Fabric News for the 1st Week of December 2024

1. Chemical fiber prices

2. On December 2, 2024, the US Department of Commerce issued a notice initiating the first anti-dumping and countervailing sunset review investigation into polyester textured yarn imported from China and India. At the same time, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has initiated the first anti-dumping and countervailing sunset review industry injury investigation on polyester processing yarn imported from China and India, examining whether the substantial damage caused by the import of the involved products to the domestic industry in the United States will continue or occur again within a reasonable foreseeable period if the current anti-dumping and countervailing measures are lifted. Stakeholders shall register their responses with the US Department of Commerce within 10 days from the date of this announcement. Stakeholders should submit their responses to the US International Trade Commission by January 2, 2025, and provide comments on the adequacy of their responses to the case no later than February 12, 2025.

3. Egypt actively expands the planting area of mulberry trees and is committed to localizing the silk industry.

4. On November 21, 2024, the "Entering Ethiopia -2024 Global Flax Textile Forum" was successfully held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, hosted by the Ethiopian Investment Commission, co organized by the China Linen Textile Industry Association (CBLFTA) and The Alliance for European Flax Linen&Hemp, and undertaken by Kingdom Holdings. This forum brings together over 180 representatives from around the world to exchange ideas, share experiences, explore innovative ideas, and promote the sustainable development of the flax industry, enhancing the competitiveness of flax products in the market.

5. Cambodia's' National Textile Industry Park 'lays foundation, covering an area of over 500 hectares.

6. The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) will be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024. Before the conference, the International Leather Committee organized leather industry associations from more than 20 countries and regions to jointly release a "Leather Declaration", which was actively responded to by the China Leather Association. This declaration aims to remind delegates to recognize the durability of leather products and their positive role in reducing consumption and the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

The full text of the new Leather Declaration is as follows:

Consumption is one of the key factors leading to anthropogenic climate change. Consumers are driven to want more, buy more, and ultimately discard more and more products, many of which are of poor quality, have a short lifespan, and are designed to be discarded and replaced rather than repaired or reused. There is no better example to illustrate this point than the fast fashion industry, which claims to use 350 million barrels of oil annually and produces 282 billion kilograms of greenhouse gases from the production of polyester fibers alone. Approximately 10 billion pieces of clothing are produced annually, of which as many as 4.5 billion have never been worn. Most of the clothes that have been worn are discarded after being worn 7-10 times, resulting in 92 million tons of waste being landfilled every year. According to Textile Exchange, this situation is expected to worsen as the consumption of polyester fibers increases from 63 million tons in 2022 to 71 million tons in 2023. The fashion industry accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and despite the launch of the Fashion Charter in 2018 aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2050, emissions remain high and unsustainable.

The fashion industry is not the only sector that has been severely impacted by overconsumption and its environmental impacts, including climate change. Therefore, governments around the world are developing regulations aimed at reducing the impact of our daily product purchases, promoting improvements in sustainable design, circular economy, and expanding producer responsibility. The digital product passport required in the draft of the EU's Sustainable Product Eco Design Regulation will enable consumers to have a deeper understanding of the impact of product production, as well as the expected service life, maintainability, and disposal options of the product, in order to make better and more sustainable purchasing decisions. Due to the inherent durability and repairability potential of leather products, consumers are able to retain these products for a long time, which will give them the opportunity to purchase higher quality products and, more importantly, reduce their purchase volume.

Leather is an ideal material for achieving these goals. Leather is a multifunctional and durable material made from meat by-products, which can be used to create durable, repairable, and highly recyclable products. Owners will cherish their leather products, repair them, and even pass them on to the next owner. Products made from leather with a long service life can undoubtedly play a positive role in reducing the climate impact of the fashion industry and other fields. In fact, research has shown that if the number of times clothing is worn increases by 50%, the impact of natural fiber clothing on climate change will decrease, as it avoids the emissions generated by manufacturing new synthetic clothing.

However, leather faces enormous challenges, not only from absurd rhetoric from certain groups that undermine brand and consumer confidence, but also from well intentioned but misleading regulation. Although there is no evidence to suggest that leather is a driving force behind deforestation, leather is listed as a derivative product in Annex 1 of the EU Zero Deforestation Act. In fact, the analysis by the Santa Anna Institute of Advanced Studies shows that the demand for leather has no direct impact on the number of livestock raised and slaughtered, and therefore will not drive deforestation. In addition, the study also found that the impact of the EU Zero Deforestation Act on the leather industry may be devastating and ineffective in reducing deforestation. However, this regulation may result in millions of leather pieces being discarded in landfills for decay and generating greenhouse gas emissions.

Similarly, raising consumers' awareness of the expected lifespan of products is commendable, but the key is that the measures taken must be evidence-based and practical. The proposals in the draft EU Environmental Classification Rules for Clothing and Footwear Products may form the basis for a digital product passport under the Product Environmental Footprint Reporting Guidelines, but these proposals do not represent the true service life of leather products. If consumers do not understand the true situation of leather, they may simply choose cheaper and shorter lasting synthetic products, thereby driving the consumption of fossil fuels and the generation of waste.

We have noticed that the Action Framework proposed by the Bureau of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference calls for "inclusive processes leading to inclusive outcomes". We wholeheartedly support this call. The leather industry has been constantly striving to achieve higher sustainability and recyclability, but our efforts will be undermined if regulatory agencies and brands do not consider the true impact and benefits of natural materials such as leather. We earnestly request that the voice of the leather industry be heard when formulating policies and regulations necessary to address anthropogenic climate change.

Therefore, we call on the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference to support the following call:

1. Recognize the recyclability and efficient response to climate change of leather, as well as its positive role in reducing the impact of consumer goods on the climate. Especially, it is necessary to conduct a thorough and appropriate impact assessment of leather as a driving factor for deforestation, and develop reliable standards for measuring the service life of materials and products, as well as their impact on consumption.
2. Support a life cycle assessment method that accurately reflects the environmental impact of all materials, including their service life and the consequences of use and substitution.
3. To achieve the goals of reducing consumption, improving recyclability, and reducing waste, promote "slow fashion", durable products, and items that are reusable, repairable, refurbishable, and long-lasting.
4. Where feasible, encourage the use of natural materials such as leather and reduce excessive reliance on fossil fuel based materials.