Picanol NV reports its OptiMax rapier weaving machine is both versatile and productive. The newest model in its range of rapier looms — available with reed widths ranging from 190 to 540 centimeters and driven by Picanol’s patented energy-efficient Sumo main motor with electronic settings — has been ergonomically designed to allow easy access.

The OptiMax features an optimized shed geometry that provides a smaller shed opening to minimize stress on warp ends. A Guided Gripper system that allows maximum speeds is interchangeable with a Free Flight system that maximizes versatility. Other features include: a weft presenter with interchangeable modules allowing up to 12-color insertion; electronic right-hand gripper opener system for improved weft insertion control; Quick Step filling presenter for low, consistent filling tension; electronic selvage system and electronic take-up and let-off; Quick Style Change system; and electronic shed crossing setting; among other features.

Picanol also offers the Picanol PC Suite of software applications including LoomGate for network communication between the PC and the weaving machine; Picanol Pattern Editor for designing on the PC and transfer to the machine; EasyStyle for selecting settings according to the style to be woven; and OptiStyle for interactive, improved problem solving.

ITMA 2007 provides students and employees of research institutes in the textile industry with the unique opportunity to obtain a better insight into the latest technical innovations and developments of textile machines. In addition, outstanding works of next-generation scientists and students will be honoured at ITMA in Munich.
Textile engineering is an innovative industry, which traditionally puts a great deal of importance on promoting the next generation. This aspect will also be a focal point of industry interest during ITMA 2007 in Munich, the “Place for Innovation”. For example, outstanding works of junior scientists and students will be awarded prizes by the national member associations of CEMATEX.

The official ceremony for presenting these awards will take place on 15 September in the Research & Education Area in Hall B2. CEMATEX President Edward Roberts as well as the presidents of the national textile machinery associations will present the awards to the prizewinners. They will then have the possibility to present their research results in brief presentations.

Moreover, there are also attractive offers for students to travel to and visit ITMA. Students receive a one day badge for ITMA 2007 at a discounted price of 19 euros. A permanent badge costs 29 euros. These badges are only available directly on the trade fair grounds in Munich.

In addition to these discounted badges, the official service partner of Messe München, Servicebroker ©, is offering special travel packages for students. For example, there is a round-trip train ticket valid from any train station in Germany to Munich or a complete package including round-trip ticket, overnight stay in a shared room in a hostel and two-course dinner in a popular Munich “Bräustuben”.

Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, The Woodlands, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA - June 26, 2007 – Basell, the global leader in polyolefins’ technology, production and marketing, and Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN), one of the world’s largest manufacturers and marketers of differentiated chemicals and pigments, announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which Basell will acquire Huntsman in a transaction valued at approximately $9.6 billion, including the assumption of debt.

Under the terms of the agreement, Basell will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Huntsman for $25.25 per share in cash.

The transaction was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Basell and Huntsman. Huntsman's Board of Directors approved the transaction agreement at the recommendation of a Transaction Committee comprised of Huntsman independent directors.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval in the U.S. and in Europe, as well as the approval of Huntsman shareholders. Entities controlled by MatlinPatterson and the Huntsman family, who collectively own 57% of Huntsman’s common stock, have agreed to approve the transaction. Closing is expected in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The combined company will have an extensive geographic footprint, with operations on all continents of the world, and will be well positioned in fast-growing markets such as China, India, Eastern Europe and Latin America. In 2006, Basell and Huntsman had combined revenues of more than $26 billion and employed approximately 20,900 people.

Volker Trautz, CEO of Basell, said: “Basell’s industry-leading polyolefins businesses and Huntsman’s businesses will benefit from the expertise both companies have demonstrated in technology, innovation and customer service. Together we will be able to achieve even more.”

Commenting on the announcement, Len Blavatnik, Chairman and founder of U.S.-based Access Industries, owner of Basell, said: “This transaction enhances our position as a global industrial group with long-term strategic assets in the chemicals industry.”

Mr. Blavatnik added: “Basell’s management team has done an excellent job in growing and enhancing the company over the last two years, putting it in a position to make this acquisition. We look forward to further growth and profitability in this industry.”

Jon M. Huntsman, founder and Chairman of Huntsman Corporation, said: “This transaction opens a new chapter in the proud history of Huntsman and for the thousands of people who work in our facilities around the world. I am confident Basell is the right owner for the company going forward. The proceeds of this transaction will allow our family to focus more effectively on the elimination of human suffering and on finding cures for cancer.”

Peter R. Huntsman, President and CEO of Huntsman, said: “This transaction represents outstanding value for Huntsman’s shareholders. The merger of Basell and Huntsman creates one of the largest chemical companies in the world. I am confident that this combination will allow us to even more effectively pursue our underlying business strategies and continue to provide rewarding opportunities for our associates.”

About Basell
Basell is the global leader in polyolefins technology, production and marketing. It is the largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products; a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and the industry leader in licensing polypropylene and polyethylene processes, including providing technical services for its proprietary technologies. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities in 19 countries and sells products in more than 120 countries. Basell is privately owned by Access Industries. (www.basell.com)
 

BEIJING: China and Pakistan will reduce tariffs on each other's imports from July 1, in line with their Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a senior Chinese trade official has said.

Beginning July 1, the two countries will carry out the tariff reduction in two phases, Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Xinpei said.

In the first five years, the two sides will cut tariffs on up to 85 per cent of imports in five categories.

In the following five years, China will eliminate or cut tariffs on Pakistan-originated products, ranging from farm products to textile and electronic goods, while Pakistan will remove or cut tariffs on Chinese food, electronics and machinery.

After the reduction, China's average tariff on imports from Pakistan will be lowered to eight per cent, 0.67 percentage point lower than the tariff rate for most-favoured nations.

Beijing and Islamabad, the 'all-weather' friends, will review the implementation of the first phase in a bid to finalise the time-table for tariff reduction in the FTA's second phase, which was described as an "open agreement".

"We aim to adopt zero tariffs on up to 90 per cent of imports, in terms of categories and trade volume, from each other in a short period," the state-run 'China Daily' quoted an unnamed Commerce Ministry official as saying.

The Sino-Pakistani FTA agreement signed last November is China's third, following FTAs with Chile and the ASEAN.

"Chinese enterprises will largely benefit from the FTA as market access will be increased and trade and investment environment improved," the official said.

The agreement provides opportunities for Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan, he added.

Global production of chemical fibres increased by three percent in 2006 to approximately 43 million tons compared to the previous year. Polyester fibres were the most important segment with 27.7 million tons (an increase of eight percent). More than 70 percent of chemical fibres in the world are produced in Asia in the meantime, with China as largest manufacturing country. The leading international manufacturers of man-made fibre machines for staple fibres and filament yarns will be represented at ITMA 2007 in Munich (13 to 20 September). More than 100 exhibitors from this segment will exhibit their latest machines and components in Halls A3 to A6.
While investments are being made in highly productive, large fibre plants in Asia, system modernisations and the manufacture of special machines, especially for technical textiles, dominate in Western Europe. Consequently, components such as spinnerets and filters for achieving increased productivity and product quality as well as more flexible production are primary for European trade fair visitors. Automation and increased process control are the basis for this.

The development of new fibres for use in technical areas requires modified manufacturing and processing systems (e.g., for carbon fibres). New market opportunities are also being created with nanofibres. The fibres required for medical textiles are often still in the development stage; German textile research institutes installed the first pilot systems in 2006. Visitors from the whole world can also obtain information in Munich about the latest technologies and processes in this area of use in September.

The markets have moved to Asia in texturing, so that more than 90 percent of the investments for texturised polyester yarn are made in China and India in the meantime. On the other hand, the USA and Western Europe as well as Turkey remain the dominant producers for BCF carpet yarns. A total of 25 manufacturers of texturing, bulking and crimping machinery will present their latest developments at ITMA in Munich.

Energy savings in fibre production and raw material recycling will also be especially interesting topics in Munich due to high polymer costs.

The global restructuring of the fibre industry requires a lot of rethinking about fibre production with respect to costs, production and sales markets. The most modern technologies, machines and components are required for this. ITMA 2007 is presenting the leading international manufacturers in this segment.
 

KARACHI: The value-added textile sector is unlikely to achieve its export target for the current financial year as exports of major components of this sector have been falling due to tough competition from regional competitors, so far during this fiscal.

Ranked in billion-dollar terms when the sector registered unprecedented growth in the last financial year, the value-added sector with the exception of knitwear products is in turbulent waters right from the beginning of the current fiscal year.

“The dismal performance of these billion-dollar export commodities in this fiscal puts a serious question mark on what has gone wrong that has resulted in a sudden decline in exports right after the start of the current financial year,” exporters said.

Bedwear and cotton cloth, which crossed $2 billion export mark in the last fiscal year appear unable to match this figure by the end of the current financial year due to their dismal performance.

However, knitwear products managed to increase its exports, as there was almost 13 percent growth in knitwear exports during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year.

According to exporters, export of bedwear totaled $1.784 billion in July-May period of 2006-07, depicting a negative growth of 3.10 percent when compared to $1.841 billion in the corresponding period last year. The whole-year export proceeds of bedwear were $2.038 billion.

“The export target of $2.30 billion set for the whole year is impossible to achieve and the export figure would be around $1.90 billion by the end of current year,” says Shabir Ahmed, Chairman Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA).

Likewise, the export of cotton cloth stood at $1.845 billion in the first eleven months of fiscal year 2006-07, registering a negative growth of 4.10 percent over $1.924 billion in the corresponding period of previous year, whereas it fetched $2.037 billion during the year 2005-06.

Shabir Ahmed said that they have been pointing out since the start of the fiscal year that because of stiff competition from regional competitors particularly Bangladesh, bedwear exports have been facing a hard time in the big European Union (EU) market.

Country’s bedwear exports to EU have to undergo 16 percent import tariff (including 10 percent custom duty and 5.8 percent anti-dumping duty) whereas these products from Bangladesh have zero rated access to the EU market.

“The difference in the import tariff for bedwear products between Pakistan and Bangladesh renders our exports uncompetitive in the EU market,” bedwear exporters lamented.

If the government really wants to boost the exports of value-added sector to fetch a better price for textile products, it should come up with more incentives to provide a level-playing field to this sector, other wise the country would export only raw materials or semi-finished goods, exporters cautioned.

They demanded that government should increase the Research and Development (R&D) support from five to nine percent for bedwear products as well as reduce the withholding tax from 1 percent to 0.25 percent should also made.

Another discrepancy, they pointed out, is that withholding tax on yarn exports is one percent on $2 per kg whereas bedwear exporters pay withholding tax of one percent on $6 per kg.

China, the world's biggest producer and consumer of cotton, may reduce imports by 32 percent this year, pressuring international prices, as a record domestic crop boosts supplies. Imports may fall to 2.8 million metric tons in the marketing year through August, as output is forecast to rise 25 percent to 7.1 million tons, Shi Jianwei, vice chairman of the China Cotton Association, said today in an interview at a conference in Urumqi, capital of northwestern Xinjiang Province.

"About 400,000 tons a month for the next few months will be the upper limit," Ray Butler, managing director at UK-based researcher Cotlook Ltd, told Bloomberg at the conference. China, which buys cotton mostly from the US, imported 1.5 million tons in the nine months ended May 31, according to customs data. Imports from June to August would need to be 1.3 million tons to reach Shi's forecast for the year.

The final Chinese output figure for the year through August may reach 7.5 million tons, much higher than the 6.7 million tons reported by the National Bureau of Statistics, Shi said. For the following year, it could drop to 6.1 million tons, as the weather may not be so good, while demand may remain the same as this year because growth of China's textile production is slowing, he said. "There is no sign" that current domestic cotton demand is outstripping supply, he added.

According to National Bureau of Statistics of China, the value-added of the industrial enterprises above designated size (all state-owned enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises with an annual income over 5 million yuan) increase of 18.1 percent in May year-on-year. The sales ratio of industrial products was 98 percent, up by 0.1 percentage point over the same month of last year. The export delivery value of industrial products reached 576 billion yuan, rose by 19.9 percent.

In terms of main sectors, the growth rate of textile industry increased 17.3 percent, that of raw chemical materials industry and chemical products industry, non-metal mineral products industry, smelting and pressing of ferrous metals industry expanded 20.7, 24.7 and 23.5 percent respectively; that of general purpose machinery, transportation equipment manufacturing industry, electrical machinery and equipment jumped by 20.6, 27.1 and 23.5 percent respectively; that of manufacture of communication equipment, computers and other electric equipment increased 13.4 percent; and that of production and supply of electric power and heat power expanded 15.9 percent. From January to May, the accumulated value-added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased 18.1 percent over the same period of the previous year.

Welcome to visit China International Trade Fair for Home Textiles and Accessories 2007, the 2nd biggest home textiles trade events in the world, one of the most popular home textiles trade events in Asia. The show runs 29-31 August 2007 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in China with 88,000 sqm of space. In the show you could meet over 700 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions, including home textile manufacturers and designers, will display: bed , bath ,table and kitchen linens ; wall and window decoreations; upholstery fabric and carpets; interior design and textile handicrafts;home textile related products and services ; and home textile design.

The numbers of Overseas participants in 2007 doubled than last year , 110 famous home textile companies from Italy, Japan, Germany, Turkey, UK, USA are paying more attentions to Chinese market , theirs' participation would not only bring the high quality products also bring the new challenge into Chinese domestic market . Exhibitors with products of bed and toweling developed a lot in 2007, large number of domestic famous brand home textiles companies will be on the fair, such as Ningbo Veken Group, Tianxiang Down, LUOLAI, YAFANGTING, FUANA, TANGHUANG, MENGLAN, YUNLONG, YIDA etc .

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will feature two special activities this year , the 2007 China International Home Textiles Design Competition and Seminar" China International Home textiles Trend Forum". Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles 2007, the place to find what you are looking for! The Show is a major draw for international exhibitors seeking international buyers , it also provides an opportunity to meet high-quality Chinese buyers , today home textiles are taking an important position in Chinese homes and hotels, many exhibitors are looking to Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles to take advantage of that trend.
 

The prices of intermediates such as texturised yarns, chemicals and petrochemicals-polymers are set to fall due to the stronger rupee. With fall in import costs due to the strong rupee, leading Indian producers are expecting the spinners to reduce the prices of POY partially oriented yarns by Rs. 2-3 a kg from May. Leading Indian producers such as Reliance Industries keep their product prices competitive to the landed cost of imported material. With the export of cotton becoming costlier due to the strong rupee, the prices of cotton yarns have been affected. All types of cotton yarn have fallen by Rs 3-4 a kg in the last one month.

The prices of chemicals are also coming down. THF-tetra hydro furan has come down from Rs 155 a kg a month back to Rs 147 a kg. Acetone nytryl has declined from Rs 103 to Rs 97 and caustic flex from Rs 1250 per five kg to Rs 1175. DM-SO-di-methyl sulpho oxide is quoted at Rs 65 and acetone at Rs 46 tanker load. The market is rife with rumours that in the next few days, anti dumping duty will be announced on acetone imports.

sYarn and denim makers could suffer due to overcapacity but home textile maker expects strong net profit growth in January-March quarter gaining from expansion and increased western outsourcing. Any impact of a firmer rupee on export incomes, though a concern, would be felt only in the April-June quarter, as most textile exporters had hedged their foreign exchange exposure, sources said. Alok Industries Ltd. and Welspun India Ltd. could gain from a sharp increase in higher margin bed-linen sales. Angel Broking told that Home textiles firms is going to pack and will continue to do.

Players with the ability to move up the chain, such as fabrics and furnishing will be able to withstand margin pressures and improve it. The reports showed that more modest would be the fortunes of denim and yarn makers such as Vardhaman Textiles Ltd. and Arvind Mills Ltd. that could post a drop of anywhere between 29 percent and 87 percent in net profits. Bombay Rayon Fashions might emerge the sector's best performer with its net profit expected to be four times the level a year ago, fueled by the firm's migration to garments from fabrics, sources said.