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30 November 2004
Growth in private (also called household) consumption provides guidance on how much consumer spending in aggregate is rising and so is a key indicator for prospects for wool apparel demand.
26 November 2004
The Australian Wool Market finished this week with prices 2.3% lower, on average, in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
The increased popularity of wool floorcoverings is likely to continue for the rest of the year, despite some slowdown in the global economy and in household construction.
24 November 2004
US retail sales rose more than expected in September - assisted by the strongest increase of automotive sales in almost three years.
New Zealand and China will begin free trade negotiations within weeks. According to the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, successful negotiations could add up to $400 million a year to the New Zealand economy.
23 November 2004
China Customs statistics show China's aggregate chiefly wool apparel and textile exports in volume terms lifted moderately in the January to August period, compared with the same period a year earlier, whilst in $US terms it the rise was stronger.
19 November 2004
The Australian Wool Market finished this week with prices 2.0% lower, on average, in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
As the movement to protect the US textile industry against an expected rise in Chinese imports from next year gathers pace, the ninth "threat based safeguard" petition has been filed in the US.
During the January to July period, Japan's domestic production of worsted fabrics was down moderately from the same period a year earlier.
16 November 2004
The first three months of 2004 were exceptionally poor for Italian trade in wool fibre, textiles and clothing, resulting in a notable fall in the value of exports and imports. This resulted in a significant drop in the Q1 wool trade balance by value.
12 November 2004
2003/04 was a tough year for fine and superfine wool (19.5 micron and finer), but the prospects are for a moderate improvement in 2004/05.
The Australian Wool Market finished this week with prices 1.0% higher, on average, in Newcastle, Melbourne and Fremantle.
International cotton prices have headed downwards for most of 2004, apart from a strong rally seen during September.
Despite particularly strong growth levels in the Korean economy during the second quarter of 2004, private consumption levels contracted for the fifth consecutive quarter. Retail sales remained particularly sluggish throughout the summer season, although hot weather stimulated demand for casual clothing to some extent.
5 November 2004
The Australian Wool Market finished this week with prices 0.4% lower, on average, in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
Continuing the upward trend seen over the past two seasons, unsold wool in brokers' stores for the end of September 2004 were equivalent to two and a half months' auction offerings. Even so, the total amount of stock does not appear to be unduly high yet.
4 November 2004
The European Union's (EU) current trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, has proposed a new set of EU trade priorities aimed at targeting developing countries most in need, at the expense of China's textiles.
Provisional figures from the German Federal Statistics Office showed a moderate rise in August retail sales in real terms compared with July.
1 November 2004
Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) provides Monthly Market Briefing to its woolgrower shareholders to help them make more informed marketing decisions and longer-term production decisions.
14 November 2004
According to local textile and garment exporters, India's competitiveness in the global market is being affected by a stronger rupee.