#Associations

2020-11-12

Mr. Ruizhe Sun (China) was elected as new ITMF President

On October 22nd, 2020 during the Hybrid ITMF Annual Conference 2020 of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), the Committee of Management of the Federation elected the members of the Board for the term 2020-2022.

Mr. Ruizhe Sun, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), was unanimously elected as the new President of the Federation (for his detailed CV see the ITMF-website).

Mr. K.V. Srinivasan (India) and Mr. Juan Parès (Spain) were elected as Vice Presidents of the Federation.

Mr. Ernesto Maurer (Switzerland) was elected as the new Treasurer.

Mr. Loek de Vries (The Netherlands), Mrs. Michelle Tjokrosaputro (Indonesia)

and Mr. Mohammad Kassem (Egypt) were re-elected as Board Members.

As new Board Members, the Committee of Management elected Mr. Mustafa Denizer (Turkey), Mr. Uday Gill (Thailand/Indonesia), Mr. Salman Ispahani (Bangladesh), Mrs. Suchita Jain Oswal (India), Mr. Taejin Kang (Korea Rep.) and Mr. Yingxin Xu (China).

Mr. Rafael Cervone (Brazil), Mr. John Cheh (Hong Kong, China), Mr. Andrew Macdonald (Brazil) and Mr. Muharrem Kayhan (Turkey) were co-opted as Board Members.

Mr. Kihak Sung (Korea Rep.) was elected Honorary Life Member of the Federation in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Federation as Vice President (2016-2018) and President of ITMF (2018-2020).

President Ruizhe Sun (China)

Sun Ruizhe, started his career in 1985. He first graduated from university with a bachelor degree of engineering and later received an EMBA degree. He is now a professor-level senior engineer and an expert enjoying special subsidy rewarded by the government.

Mr. Sun is the president of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), President of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), chairman of the Responsible Supply Chain Association (RSCA), CNTAC, and also Director of China Textile & Garment Brand Strategy Promotion Committee.

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

BTMA backs global growth while investing in future UK leaders

As one of a number of new initiatives launched this year, the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is launching the UK-India Textile Machinery Coalition. The UK-India Free Trade Agreement, signed in July 2025, has implications that extend across sourcing, competitiveness and long-term trade dynamics, believes BTMA CEO Jason Kent.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

VDMA members at Techtextil: Smart technologies for technical textiles

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, the members of VDMA Textile Machinery underline their key role as global technology leaders for technical textiles and textile processing. With a strong presence of more than 50 members they will highlight how engineering excellence, innovation strength and sustainability expertise from Germany and Europe are shaping the future of the textile industry. Seven companies will be present at the VDMA group stand in the centre of hall 12.0.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Techtextil 2026: KARL MAYER impresses as an innovative sector partner

KARL MAYER looks back with satisfaction on its participation in Techtextil 2026. From April 21 to 24, the international industry leader used the trade show in Frankfurt to meet with numerous key customers at its booth and, at the same time, establish many new contacts. Most visitors came from Germany, followed by major markets such as Poland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, France, and Portugal.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.