#ITM 2018

2018-02-28

Panama participates into ITM 2018 for the first time

A surprise country will take place at the ITM 2018 Exhibition, in which the heart of the textile world will beat and the sector leaders will be introducing their latest technological products, in the present year. The Panama Colon Free Trade Zone, the world's second largest free trade zone, will take part at its booth at ITM.

Mr. Manuel Grimaldo, Director General of the Panama Free Trade Zone, expressed a special interest in the ITM 2018 Exhibition, into which exhibitors and visitors from nearly 100 countries will participate. Manuel Grimaldo requested a location from the exhibition space.

After the talks, Mr. Manuel Grimaldo confirmed that the Panama Colon Free Zone would participate into the ITM 2018 Exhibition. Thus, Panama will become one of the first countries taking place at the ITM for the first time. Grimaldo with the team, among whom there are members of the Panama Free Zone Board of Directors, will visit the ITM 2018 Exhibition.

Panama, which is the fastest growing economy in South America, has 18 registered free zones. The largest of these is the Panama Colon Free Zone, the second largest free zone in the world after Hong Kong.

There are nearly 3,000 companies in the Panama Colon Free Zone and 500 of these companies are operating in the field of textiles and ready-made clothing.

The annual trade volume of the Panama Colon Free Zone is 20 billion US dollars.

Italian Trade Agency ITA took its place at ITM 2024 with its Italian Pavilion

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) decided to participate in the ITM 2024 Exhibition this year with the Italian pavilion. Italian textile machinery manufacturers, which are leaders in the global textile industry, will mark on the ITM 2024 with their innovative technologies focusing on energy consumption, efficiency, sustainability and digital transformation.

Providing Turkey's visa facilitation will make ITM 2024 a global destination

Leading textile machinery manufacturers, global industry investors and professional visitors will meet at ITM 2024 to see the latest textile technologies. The fact that the textile manufacturers of the countries that have visa problems when travelling to Europe will not have this problem when coming to Istanbul will increase the number of exhibitors and visitors of ITM 2024 Exhibition.

Brazil sets new cotton export record and consolidates global leadership

Brazil ended the 2025/26 commercial year with a new record, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cotton exporter. Between August 2025 and July 2026, the country shipped 3,373,941 tonnes of the fiber, 19% more than in the previous cycle, and reached record revenue of US$5.3 billion. The result represents a milestone in Brazil’s expansion in the international market and reinforces the country’s role as a strategic supplier to the global textile industry.

The LYCRA Company expands its co-creation vision through an immersive Lifestyle District at Intertextile Shanghai.

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in fiber and technology solutions for the apparel industry, is reimagining the trade show experience at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition, which opened today in China. Building on the success of last year's ALL IN concept, the company has expanded its co-creation vision into a 356-square-meter Lifestyle District featuring partners Jingzili New Material, JYT Textile, Lianxingfa Knitting, and Trend Textile. The district is part of a larger 895-square-meter pavilion showcasing a total of 19 co-exhibitors. Together, they demonstrate how innovations in fiber, fabric, and garments can be combined to create compelling solutions for both work and play.

Plastic-free stretch technologies drive new direction for denim innovation

As the denim industry looks for ways to reduce its reliance on synthetic fibres, plastic-free stretch technologies are gaining momentum. Developments based on mechanical fabric construction and natural rubber are demonstrating that comfort and stretch can be achieved without conventional elastane, supporting both recyclability and circular product design.