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#Natural Fibers

Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp announces positive outlook for 2024 flax harvest

The Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to announce a positive outlook for the 2024 flax harvest. As the flax pulling period commences, the industry is optimistic due to favorable weather conditions that provide an ideal context for the upcoming harvest.

Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp’s latest estimates predict average straw yields of 6-7 tons per hectare for spring flax, a significant milestone that has not been seen since 2019. While winter flax, cultivated on 30,000 hectares for this harvest, shows slightly lower performance with the overall prospects remaining strong. Flax straw, the raw material for fibre extraction during scutching, is expected to be abundant.

The area under cultivation for European Flax™ is projected to reach at least 180,000 hectares for both spring and winter flax combined, the highest since 2020. This expansion suggests that the European sector is poised to achieve record level yields of flax straw, the building block for premium flax fibres for composite applications, in a single harvest.

Whilst the exact amount of flax fibre to be extracted from this volume remains undetermined at this stage, the retting process, set to occur in the summer, will provide more detailed production output data.

Scutching of the current harvest is scheduled to begin in Autumn 2024 in French, Belgian and Dutch factories.

Flax pulling period begins with optimism with harvest on track to meet market demand © 2024 Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp
Flax pulling period begins with optimism with harvest on track to meet market demand © 2024 Alliance of European Flax-Linen & Hemp




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#Composites

Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp expands bio-materials presence at JEC World 2026

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to announce its participation at JEC World 2026, featuring a significantly expanded presence and an enhanced offering for the global composites industry.

#Natural Fibers

Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp expands technical capabilities with addition of CIRCULAR STRUCTURES

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is pleased to welcome CIRCULAR STRUCTURES, a Bremen-based platform for sustainable material development and product incubation, to its Technical Section. This addition further enhances the Alliance’s mission to accelerate the industrial adoption of European-grown flax and hemp fibres in high-performance composite applications.

#Sustainability

Groundbreaking architectural projects using natural fibres

Paris, May 19 2025 : The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp is proud to spotlight a growing wave of innovative architectural and civil engineering applications featuring flax and hemp fibres. As the global construction industry turns toward sustainable solutions, flax and hemp are emerging as high-performance, low-impact alternatives for a new generation of bio-based architecture.

#Composites

Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp host Natural Fibre Composites Village at JEC World 2025

The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp will host a Natural Fibre Village at JEC World 2025 that will showcase the activities of the Alliance and nine of its members in a 250m2 area dedicated to natural fibre composites. Partnering with the JEC Group, the Alliance will lead the European flax and hemp industry exhibit where Bcomp, Demgy, Depestele, Eco-Technilin, Flipts en Dobbels, Libeco, Norafin, Safilin and Terre de Lin and, for the first time, Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale SRL, will all exhibit a wide range of flax and hemp raw materials and composite products.

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#Spinning

Measure and control the fiber – optimize yarn quality

Producing consistent yarn quality is an everyday challenge – and a very difficult one. Detailed knowledge and understanding of the fiber raw material is absolutely critical to achieving the best possible quality in the yarn. To help spinners, Uster experts have put together guidelines for avoiding yarn irregularity claims, in a special edition of the Uster News Bulletin.

#Raw Materials

Esquel Group adds two new extra-long staple cotton varieties approved

Esquel Group’s Xinjiang Research & Development Center has successfully developed two new Sea Island cotton (Extra-Long-Staple cotton, ELS cotton) varieties named “Yuan Loong 37” and “Yuan Loong 42,” which have been officially approved and granted registration numbers. Both varieties have also obtained Plant Variety Rights certificates, marking another significant breakthrough for the Group in cotton breeding and commercial application.

#Raw Materials

Aid by Trade Foundation reaches new milestones in supply chain transparency

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#Natural Fibers

Merino wool moves into China’s high-performance sportswear market

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#Recycled_Fibers

Selenis to double capacity in Portugal by Q3 2027 - Accelerating the Global transition to circular and low-carbon polyesters

Selenis, a global leader in high-performance specialty polyesters and part of the IMG Group, has announced a transformational expansion of its industrial headquarters in Portalegre, Portugal. This strategic investment is set to double the site’s production capacity by the third quarter of 2027, significantly accelerating the industrial scale-up of bio-based, medical-grade, and circular co-polyesters.

#Technical Textiles

Independent testing confirms no detectable PFAS in Milliken firefighter turnout gear fabrics

Independent laboratory testing has confirmed that Milliken fabrics used in the manufacturing of firefighter turnout gear contain no detectable PFAS, based on third-party analysis conducted by Forever Analytical, an independent laboratory specializing in screening products and environmental samples for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

#Home Textiles

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns in August as global sourcing hub and trend barometer for home textiles industry

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#Digital Printing

Express Print boosts production using an expanded fleet of Mimaki technologies

Express Print, a fast-growing Bulgarian provider of visual communication and soft signage solutions, has significantly enhanced its production workflow with a comprehensive portfolio of Mimaki digital printing systems. Based in Varna and active for more than 10 years, the company maintains a strong focus on the advertising sector. Over the years, it has steadily expanded its operations, driven by a clear vision to bring the full spectrum of large-format printing services in-house, avoiding outsourcing and ensuring complete control over production quality.

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