Four more associations of apparel manufacturers in Turkey, Indonesia and Morocco have joined the Sustainable Textile of the Asian Region (STAR) Network, a platform of readymade garment manufacturers in Asia, to drive better purchasing practices in the global textile and garment industry.
The four major industry associations, the Indonesian Textile Association (API), the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association (TCMA), the Istanbul Ready-Made Garments Exporters’ Association (IHKIB) and the Moroccan Association of Textile & Clothing Industries (AMITH) joined the initiative on ‘Manufacturers Payment and Delivery Terms’, according to a press release issued by the STAR Network on Wednesday.
The platform was formed in 2016 with the nine member associations in six Asian countries.
The associations are Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, China National Textile and Apparel Council, Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Towel Manufacturers Association of Pakistan and Vietnam Textile and Garment Association.
The initiative, started by the STAR Network, supported by GIZ FABRIC, the International Apparel Federation and the Better Buying Institute, presented their plans at the OECD Forum on due diligence in the garment and footwear sectors on February 3, the release said.
This marks a joint global effort led by manufacturers to establish a common position on payment and delivery conditions in the industry, it said.
The initiative on ‘Manufacturers Payment and Delivery Terms’, which was launched on January 12 , comes as the apparel and footwear industry works to better connect supply to demand, reduce waste, and improve profitability, recognising that buyers and suppliers must strengthen their relationships to both support pandemic recovery and prepare for future supply chain disruptions, the press release said.
‘Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there should be a complete reset of the buyer-supplier relationship; we should not revert back to the norm,’ STAR Network spokesperson Miran Ali said at the OECD Forum.
According to the press release, in collaboration with various global stakeholders, the STAR Network, GIZ FABRIC, IAF and Better Buying created the safe space for manufacturers to jointly draft a set of minimum expectations and outline recommendations and the best practices related to payment and delivery conditions.
‘This includes establishing certain red lines and core principles that they deem essential for fair legitimate business,’ the release said.
Marsha Dickson, president and co-founder of the Better Buying Institute, said that suppliers from around the world were coming together to offer solutions for strengthening global supply chains.
‘Suppliers often have the best ideas for how to overcome challenges and the impacts of brand and retailer purchasing practices on workers and the environment. It’s critical their voices be heard,’ she said.
Matthijs Crietee, secretary general of the IAF, said that in the end, improvements in purchasing practices were essential to driving industry-wide change.
Earlier, the Star Network announced that until March 2021, the platform would work in five working groups — defining the ‘red lines’, requests and recommendations on topics such as payment and delivery practices, planning and information exchange and third-party negotiations.
