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The implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada, and Mexico created a barrier-free production and trade zone in North America. Surrounding the implementation of NAFTA, a great volume of public, political, and academic attention was given to the impact of the agreement on the aging U.S. textile industry with high labor costs. The major NAFTA provisions, the elimination of tariffs and quotas and rules of origin, were predicted to create and divert U.S. trade in textile goods and expand domestic textile production activities. Since its implementation, however, volatile macroeconomic and political environmental changes have severely interfered with the role of NAFTA. Over ten years have passed since the implementation of NAFTA. The objectives of this research are to investigate the pattern of the U.S. textile industry's production activities under NAFTA and to determine the impact of the agreement on the industry's production activities. This research consists of two parts. Part I is a qualitative analysis that investigates changes in the industry's trade and production activities under NAFTA based on the review of literature and trade and industry data. Part II of this research, a quantitative analysis, applies a normalized restricted translog profit model to the textile industry's production activities under the influence of NAFTA in order to identify the pattern of the industry's output supply and input demand and to determine the impact of NAFTA on the industry. The outcomes of these analyses are used to make an overall assessment of the impact of NAFTA on the U.S. textile industry and draw policy implications. The outcome of the qualitative analysis suggests NAFTA as an effective policy in expanding and regionalizing U.S. trades in textile goods and promoting domestic textile production activities in the early years of implementation. Since the late 1990s, however, macroeconomic and political changes have dominated over the role of NAFTA, partially undoing the changes in U.S. textile trade and production activities made in the early years of the agreement. The outcome of quantitative analysis identifies the significant, but negative effect, of NAFTA on the U.S. textile industry's profit performance in the early years of NAFTA, probably due to intensified import competition, fall of real output prices, and numerous mill closings. Overall, NAFTA is recognized as a short-term, transitional policy measure for the U.S. textile industry because of the limited importance of Mexico in U.S. textile trade, the short period of NAFTA implementation, and several dynamic environmental factors including exchange rate changes, U.S. signings of multiple regional trade agreements, and the emerging dominance of China in world textile trade under the phase-out of the Multi-fiber Arrangement that have changed international and domestic textile market competition. Ultimately, this study concludes that a trade policy is not likely to provide a long-term solution for the survival of U.S. textile industry. / Ph. D.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the possibilities for a garment producing country, with high supplier and buyer dependency, to implement a yarn-forward value chain. Design/methodology/approach - This study analyzes existing literature along with collected data conducted through a field study in Vietnam. Primary data was collected through interviews with actors within the Vietnamese garment industry. Findings - What has been concluded through this case research is that monetary investments, relationships, and education of employees are dimensions that seem to be foundational in building a yarn-forward value chain successfully. Research limitations/implications - This study is limited to a specific case, only focusing on Vietnam's textile industry, meaning that the identified factors needed for establishing a yarn- forward value chain may differ depending on each country's native capabilities and access to raw materials. Practical implication - The findings of this study may contribute to an increased understanding of the surrounding factors regarding the implementation of yarn-forward production in a garment producing country. Originality/value - This study contributes to a deeper insight in what factors that affects a country’s garment industry and how a more competitive position can be created on the global textile market by taking these factors into consideration.

Due to greater awareness of the need to conserve the world's resources - one direction is to promote products with less environmental impact during manufacturing processes. There are different perspectives to understand what is driving this development towards environmental production. On one hand, producers manage their production with less environmental impact either of an integrated environmental management of the company or because of regulatory requirements in steering manufacturing, especially under circumstances in Sweden. The development may also be because of responding to market demand for eco-labelled prod-ucts. My case studies have two approaches of qualitative research in order to answer the research questions: The first angle, makes a description of how a company has adapted to environmental production conditions, and examine the product development process and the choice of implementing product groups in its range. The second angle is from a customer perspective, exploring choices of specific products. The study begins with the producer Lud-vig Svensson AB and their brand Svensson Markspelle of their eco-labelled furniture fabrics and then followed by a comparison of the different kind of customers within the brand. The findings of the thesis revealed that, Ludvig Svensson has adjusted to a sustainable production since before the implementation of an eco-label. It also shows that there is a need for greater information about the company’s environmental work out to customers as eco-labels is limited in its message as a communication tool, regardless whether the eco-label is part of the ongoing environmental work or not. More customer-oriented information could make a difference as an eco-label is a simple message for complex conditions. There is also an op-portunity to increase knowledge. However, it is important to emphasize that although the organization Ecolabelling Sweden has a responsibility to raise awareness about eco-labels they certify for. Findings of the customer study showed that the choices that govern the public environment are complex. At many times other requirements such as washability, durability and flame resistance are put higher than the choice of an upholstery fabric. To be envi-ronmental friendly in product selection is not just about choosing a product with minor envi-ronmental impact, but high quality is such as great environmental choice. The study also showed that there are general aspects that are problematic to make environmentally con-scious choices and the obstacles of lack of knowledge in some areas come from several directions with regard to conditions in the public procurement. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Applied Textile Management

The focus for this study is the illumination of the function of loom weights and their purpose within the warp-weighted loom. This study deals with Iron Age loom weights excavated at Birka, within the area known as the Garrison. This category of objects was originally classified as being fragments of bellow shields, an interpretation seemingly more corresponding with the site’s traditional interpretation. In order to give a fuller depiction of the textile production as a whole, spindle whorls found within the same defined area have also been included in this study. The main goal for the analyses of these two groups of fragmented finds has been to establish and re-create the functioning variables of these objects, that is, foremost their original shape and weight. Furthermore the objective has been to enhance the understanding of the functional parameters of the textile production in this area. This is partly achieved with the aid of comparing data regarding textile implements found in other areas of Birka. The results can confirm that the area held a capacity to manufacture a variety of different textiles, including very fine threads and weaves.

Les textiles sont des biens de première nécessité et des objets de valeur en Mésopotamie, au Ier millénaire av J.-C. L'objet de cette étude est de comprendre comment les matières premières étaient produites, quelles étaient les techniques de fabrication des textiles et leurs diverses utilisations dans la société. Les matières premières étaient en partie produites sur place, et en partie importées. La laine, fibre textile principale, provenait de troupeaux appartenant en majorité aux institutions (temples et palais). Elles la redistribuaient dans toute la société par le paiement de salaires, la vente ou l'échange. Diverses personnes étaient en charge de la fabrication des textiles : artisans professionnels travaillant pour les temples ou pour une clientèle urbaine, femmes travaillant à domicile pour le profit d'une autorité supérieure ou de leur propre famille. Les nombreuses étapes de la chaîne opératoire de fabrication des textiles révèlent une spécialisation des artisans plus importante qu'aux époques précédentes. l'étude terminologique des termes akkadiens de textiles permet de mieux saisir la diversité de leurs usages. Les vêtements sont des marqueurs essentiels de l'identité. enfin, les textiles ont une valeur économique. Ils circulent dans la société, à travers des échanges sociaux et commerciaux. Leur étude révèle des traits fondamentaux de la société babylonienne au Ier millénaire av. J.-C. : l'ouverture de l'économie aux échanges extérieurs, une production artisanale plutôt décentralisée entre les mains d'acteurs individuels que totalement contrôlée par les institutions, et des conventions sociales fortes visibles à travers l'habillement. / The textiles belonged to the basic necessities and were also valuable properties in Mesopotamia, during the Ist millenium BS. The purpose of this study is to undersand how the textile fibres were produced, what were the technics of manufacturing of these objects and their various uses in the Babylonian society. The raw materials were partly produced locally and partly imported through long distance trade. The wool, the main textile raw material, came from sheep herds belonging in majority to the institutions (temples and palaces). These institutions were redistributing the wool in the society by the payment of salaries to workers, by sales or exchanges. A lot of people were involved in textile production : professional craftsmen working for the temples or for the urban customers, women working at home for the profit of an institution or for their own family. The "chaîne opératoire" of textile manufacturing was following several steps, and reveals a specialisation of the craftsmen more important than before. The study of the textile terminology in Akkadian shows the diversity of the uses of these objects in the Babylonian society. Clothes were markers of identity. Lastly, the textiles had an economic value. They circulated inside the society through social exchanges and economic transactions. The study of the textiles reveals some fundamental aspects of Babylonia's history during the Ist millenium BC, for instance the openness of its economy to external trade, a craft production decentralised into the hands of individuals and not controlled exclusively by the institutions, and strong social conventions expressed by the apparel.

There is a good deal of data to suggest that the corregimiento of Conchucos was a significant textile production center. The systematization of this data has allowed us to map out the geography of the textile economy in the area, highlighting those zones where the work was carried out. On the other hand, although the lack of series for the textile production of Conchucos precludes a study of this sector that is comparable with that of Huamanga or Cusco, the available demographic information for the corregimiento allows the long-term evolution of its textile economy to be traced through to the eventual division into provinces during the Republican era. This analysis allows the ethnic and gender distribution of work in the textile sector to be discerned, while elucidating some of the elements of economic change that affected this territory. / Existe una gran cantidad de datos que sugieren que el corregimiento de Conchucos tuvo una significativa producción textil. La sistematización de esa información nos ha permitido trazar una geografía de la economía textil de ese territorio que destaca las zonas donde se desarrollaron los obrajes. Por otra parte, aunque la carencia de series para la producción textil de Conchucos no permite realizar un estudio de ese sector equiparable a los realizados para Huamanga o el Cusco, la información demográfica existente para aquella circunscripción, permite trazar un panorama de la evolución a largo plazo de su economía textil hasta su escisión en provincias ya en la época republicana. A través de ese análisis se puede percibir la distribución étnica y sexual del trabajo en el sector textil, y esclarecer algunos elementos de cambio económico que afectaron a ese territorio.

Textile companies are facing a grand challenge towards achieving circularity in their business models. With a growing demand by customers for more sustainable textile products and the increased worldwide attention on how much the textile industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollutions, this challenge needs to be addressed.    Therefor the purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the state-of-art regarding recycling options and possibilities for textile industry. Recycling options both refers to how recycling is performed of textiles and how recycled materials are used. Following the aim is also to investigate if the industry’s demands on recycling options and recycled materials are aligned with what can be found from scientifically sources. Further, the study aims to explore re-cycled textile materials, and how (or if) these materials are competitive on the market.   The research questions where: [1] What criteria is important for companies when considering using recycled textile materials?   [2] What technologies are used for re-cycling of textiles today? a.     Are the textile materials that are used today supported by these recycling technologies? This thesis has used a qualitative approach through data collection. Data was collected through interviews and literature review. The interviews were conducted online, with representatives from different textile companies. The structure of the interviews was semi-structed. The literature review was performed based on the research question.   The main requirement companies had on recycled materials were related to quality and cost. The materials were expected to have the same standard as virgin materials. Two recycling technologies was identified, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling.    Limitations in this master thesis is towards recycling technologies and requirements/criteria on recycled materials set by companies. The study takes a comprehensive approach and conclusions that needs to be further investigated. / CircuTex

Det ligger i tiden att vara miljömedveten. För ett flertal företag är det idag viktigt att ha ettfungerande miljöarbete. Som blivande textilingenjörer har vi lärt oss vikten av att arbeta medmiljö och miljöfrågor i alla delar av den textila värdekedjan. Detta arbete fokuserar på miljö ioch med miljöledningssystem, textila produkter och textil produktion med syfte att skapa enmer ekologiskt hållbar framtid.För att kunna implementera ett väl fungerande miljöledningssystem har vi insett vikten av attett företag inför struktur i sitt arbetssätt. Detta genom att fördela ansvar, befogenheter ochresurser. Struktur medför att arbete effektiviseras då alla medarbetare har samma visioner ochjobbar mot samma mål.I arbetet presenteras en kartläggning av ett företags miljöpåverkan, där deras betydandemiljöaspekter framhävs. Miljömål och andra förbättrande åtgärder har tagits fram som förslagpå hur företaget kan arbeta för att minska sin miljöpåverkan i framtiden.Examensarbetet är skrivet som en del av en kandidatexamen i textilteknologi på uppdrag avföretaget Vinga of Sweden AB. Företag är beläget i Borås med produktion runt om i världen.Deras sortiment består av presentartiklar i form av funktionella produkter för hemmet. Vingaof Sweden handlar med profilföretag, vilka är en mellanhandel för dem ut till slutkund.Vinga of Sweden ska certifiera sig enligt ISO-standard för kvalitets- och miljöledning underår 2010. En del av syftet med detta examensarbete är att förbereda företaget för ISOcertifieringför miljöledning enligt standard 14001:2004. / <p>It is time to be environmentally conscious. For many companies today, it is important to have effective environmental work. As future textile engineers, we have learned the importance of working with the environment and environmental issues in all parts of the textile value chain. This work focuses on the environment in terms of environmental management, textile products and production to create a more ecologically sustainable future.To implement a proper management system, we realized the importance of a company to structure their approach. This is done by allocating responsibility, authority and resources. Structure leads to more efficient work by which all employees have the same vision andworking towards the same goals.The work presents the identification of a company's environmental impact which their significant environmental aspects is emphasized. Environmental and other improvement measures have been developed with suggestions on how the company can work to reducetheir environmental impact in the future.The thesis is written as part of a bachelor degree in textile technology on behalf of the company Vinga of Sweden AB. The company is located in Borås, with production all around the world. Their product range consists of gifts in the form of functional products for thehome. Vinga of Swedens costumers are profile companies, which is the trade for them out to retail.Vinga of Sweden is going to be certified for the ISO standard for quality and environmental management during 2010. Part of the purpose of this study is to prepare the company for ISO certification for environmental management according to the standard 14001:2004.</p><p>Program: Textilingenjörsutbildningen</p>