In a phase of undeniable V-shaped recovery of the textile-fashion-accessory (Tma), Sergio Tamborini, new president of the Italian fashion system, would certainly have preferred to focus on issues such as sustainability and training, on which the medium and medium future is based. long term of the supply chain. But that shortly is threatened by the increase in the price of raw materials, as already underlined by Marino Vago, who has just passed the baton to Tamborini at the helm of the most important association of the TMA, among the seven federated in Confindustria Moda (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 28 September).
The mix of the energy-raw material rise
2021, in the wake of what was already beginning to make its way towards the end of 2020, was marked by the constant increase in the raw materials of the textile-clothing chain, which was strongly accentuated starting from the summer. In September (latest data available, but nothing suggests a reversal when the October one is calculated) the Smi synthetic index shows growth of 36.2% in euros and 36% in dollars compared to the same month of 2020. E the president of SMI – whose general meeting is scheduled for November 17 – raises the alarm: “The continuous and for now unstoppable rise in the prices of raw materials and sources of electricity and heat is putting pressure on the entire supply chain – comments Tamborini -. In some cases these are prices 3-4 times higher than the pre-pandemic values, which cannot fail to be reflected in an immediate increase in the value of products and transformations, especially in companies upstream of the supply chain. Many of these are small businesses with budgets unable to absorb these cost increases. The impossibility or even the difficulty of proceeding with increases in final products, while respecting the logic of the free market, can put the supply chain itself in difficulty ».
Record for cotton prices
In detail, it is cotton that has appreciated the most: the Cotton Outlook A index recorded a trend increase, ie compared to a year ago, of 47.3% and 6.3% compared to August. For some types of cotton imported into Italy and listed on the Milan Chamber of Commerce (Cciaa), the increases are even more pronounced: compared to September 2020, an American type recorded a variation of 104.7%, a Greek one grew by 53.9% and one from Central Asia of 46.6% (again referring to values in euros). Not much different is the problem of lane: the Awex Eastern index closed September at + 45.1% compared to the same month of 2020. Synthetic fibers (polyester, nylon, acrylic) grow by 50.9%, artificial fibers (viscose) by 17.3% ( in EUR); finally, raw silk on the Como market experienced an increase of just over 30% compared to last year.