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Presents updates on the textile industry in Japan as of November 2003. Increase in offer prices of cotton yarn after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome; Adoption of a liquid ammonia processing equipment for cotton fabrics; Decrease in sales of men's wear.

The article focuses on the updates regarding textile industry in Japan including increase in apparel import, decrease in cotton yarn, and man-made fiber (MMF) production.

The article reports that Japanese imports of Indonesian cotton yarn continue to rise as a result of the beginning of the demand season and low import levels in 2009.

This article reports on the decline in Japanese import of cotton yarn in 2004 in line with lower textile and apparel production. Market shares of China, Pakistan and India improved, however to the detriment of exports from Indonesia and Thailand. Japan's imports of cotton yarns and threads were down more than 9 percent in volume terms in 2004 to 24,854 tons. Due to a nearly eight percent rise in average unit prices, imports were only down two percent in yen terms. The rise in the yen against the U.S. dollar probably limited the decline in cotton yarn imports in the past year. Pakistan remains the top supplier in volume terms with 26.3 percent of the market, before China and Indonesia. Shipments from Pakistan fell nearly eight percent, while imports from China and Indonesia were down six percent and 14 percent in volume terms, respectively. Shipments from Thailand were down 25 percent with its share of the import market falling to five percent in volume terms. Hong Kong's exports of cotton yarns to Japan also rose, but less significantly. The Japanese market clearly declined at the end of the year with total imports of cotton yarns falling nearly 18 percent in December from the same month of 2003.

This article reports on the decline in imports of cotton yarns and threads by Japan from January to August 2003. Imports rebounded this spring before slowing down during the summer. The imports of cotton yarns by Japan declined more than 5% in August in volume terms, up 1% in the first eight months of the year thanks to a rebound in shipments in May. This slowdown in imports is mainly due to a continued relocation of Japanese textile and apparel capacities to low-cost countries. Since replacing domestic yarn production, imports of cotton yarns did not sharply fall, as Japanese consumption apparently did. Japanese yarn makers such as Toyobo reported new difficulties in the past months. Japan's spinning capacity fell from 5 million to 1.98 million in March 2003, according to Japan Spinners' Association. Until now leading supplier of the Japanese market, Pakistan is constantly losing market shares to China and Indonesia. Imports from Pakistan were down 24% in volume and value terms in the January to August period. Still ranking first in volume terms, Pakistan is only Japan's fourth supplier in value terms. China's shipments to Japan rose 30% in the first eight months of the current year.

Reports on the decline in Japan's annual cotton yarn imports for 2005. Percentage of decline in the cotton yarn imports; Increase in Pakistan's cotton yarn imports; Observation on the launching of combed yarn equipment and compact-in-spinning equipment in Asia.

Kondo Cotton Spinning Co. Ltd. of Japan plans to introduce compact spinning systems at its joint venture in Shandong, China for spinning pure cotton yarn for pants. A number of Toyota compact spinning systems will be installed in July and August 2004, and all products will be exported to Japan, half of which will go to its weaving mill and the remainder to specific customers.

The article presents a forecast of Japanese cotton yarn production in 2007. The country's cotton yarn is expected to enter into an off-season after the end of the high demand season. Yarn moved slowly for both towels and nonwoven fabrics. In the case of woven fabric applications, the trend turned to man-made fiber. It is assumed that the accumulation of small lots for special yarns in place of regular yarns will bring about a problem in the aspect of profitability.

The article assesses the performance of yarn in the Japanese domestic market. Domestic cotton yarn market prices have not shown any change from 54,000 yen/bale since the end of September 2006. Domestic spot market prices of imported worsted yarn in September and October increased as a result of rising wool material prices. A sharp rise of the Eastern Market Indicator in October resulted to an increase in prices of 48-count two-ply yarn and 60-count two-ply yarn.

The article analyzes the state of the cotton yarn market in Japan as of February 2006. The cotton yarn market price has not shown any major change for the past month. The rising yen exchange is considered as a bearish factor but a major factor to sustain lower prices is a tightened supply-demand situation. Medium-count yarn prices have also recovered in the case of sharply rising knit yarn.

This article reports on the cotton yarn market in Japan for the period April -May 2005. In the middle of May, the domestic 20s cotton yarn market price dipped to 46,500 yen/bale, down 500 yen from 47,000 yen, making a reactionary fall in a month since April 11. This signifies a marked difference from last year when market prices reached 56,000 yen. Cotton yarn imports in April, as compiled by the Japan Spinners' Association and based on the trade statistics issued by the Japanese Ministry of Finance, fell to 31,357 bales, down 12.5% from the preceding year and down 12.6% from the year-ago level as well. It represents the second lowest in the past 25 years since August 1981 when cotton yarn imports recorded 26,444 bales. This figure indicates that the domestic demand has been thrown into confusion.

This article reports that the Japanese market for cotton woven fabrics continues uncertain conditions as in the past, as of March 2005. The greatest contributing factor is a slightly delayed start-up of spring/summer items resulting from an even more cautious attitude due to unseasonable weather on the part of apparel firms, along with the expansion of made-up imports from China. The same thing holds true with the cotton yarn market. On a volume basis, imports of made-ups in 2004 rose to 690,000 tons, up 5 percent from the preceding year; however, imports of cotton woven fabrics conversely dipped to 505.87 million square meters, down 10 percent. The predominant view, which still continues is that there is not a feeling that prices have ceased to fall and this demand trend will continue long in the future as well, according to importing trading firm sources. The scale of business used to be booked on a volume basis like tens of thousand meters, but the scale has been down to several thousand meters for a predominant portion of business in the past years. There are even an increasing number of cases of making urgent delivery arrangements almost at the same time of manufacturing and the continuing condition is that even anticipatory demand in the distributor sector is lacking.

This article reports on the decrease in market prices of cotton yarn in Japan in August 2004. Cotton prices have dropped sharply since May and even domestic yarn prices with small movements have also fallen under the influence of foreign yarn with a major share of materials. On July 28, domestic carded yarn prices dipped to 52,500 yen per bale, lower than 53,000 yen in March and recorded the lowest price since the start of 2004. On August 9, the prices declined further to 51,500 yen per bale. Even so, despite an off-season in July-September 2003, domestic cotton yarn prices have shown irregular moves which were not experienced in the past. On August 4, New York cotton futures closed lower than 45 cent per bale. Domestic cotton yarn prices are on a high price level in view of the fact that a low of 40,000 yen per bale was the price zone when cotton futures fell below 45 cents during the past several years. In April 2004, Osaka market prices were abolished and an indicator no longer exists even to a certain extent. Consequently, major trading firm sources consider that the market is under a considerable influence of relative prices. Certainly, even the volume of cotton yarn delivered to fellow traders in June 2004 showed an increase of 54 percent from the same month of the preceding year and also up 30 percent from the preceding month.

Reports on the decline in the market for domestically made cotton yarn in Japan as of September 2003. Factors contributing to the decline; Trend in yarn prices; Action taken by yarn spinners in response to the economic activity.