China's Largest Mills Attend Debut of International Textile Conference

By Jim.Robinson|June 5, 2013

The first-ever China International Cotton Textile Conference was held June 3-4 in Nanjing, drawing more than 350 attendees, including representatives of some of China’s largest textile mills. Hosted by the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), the two-day event covered topics ranging from the futures market for raw materials, to trends in cotton yarn imports, to some of the Better Cotton Initiative’s projects in China.

Throughout the sessions, several themes were reinforced by speakers from throughout the textile supply chain:

The need to continue modernizing textile factories (not only newer and more efficient machinery and equipment, but also more innovation in processes and management techniques)
Energy conservation, reductions in waste and pollutants, and increased automation, and
The importance of encouraging companies that currently serve only the domestic market to expand their reach to the global marketplace.

But perhaps the most-discussed topic was the need for China to develop global brands. As labor costs continue to rise, China will need to focus less on low-cost production and more on activities that provide higher value.

“China needs to be more than the world’s workshop,” said Zhu Hongren, spokesman and chief engineer for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

It was an auspicious beginning for a first-year event, with representatives in attendance from some of the largest and most important spinning and textile companies in China, including Weiqiao Pioneering Group, Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn Co. and Texhong Textile Group.
For more information about the China International Cotton Textile Conference, be sure to watch for Cotton International’s China eNews, which will debut on Thursday, June 13. All current eNews subscribers will receive this monthly update on trends and developments in the most important and influential market in the cotton universe.