Brazilian companies from the yarn, fabric, knitwear, trimmings, chemical inputs, technology and textile machinery segments will participate in the event, reinforcing the competitiveness and diversity of the national industry. The fair will be held from January 27 to 29 at the Plaza Mayor Convention Center in Medellín, Colombia.

In this 26th consecutive participation in the event, 41 companies will be present at Colombiatex, including 35 Brazilian exhibitors who have the support of Texbrasil (Brazilian Textile and Fashion Industry Internationalization Program), developed by Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) in partnership with ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency). The group is composed of: Altero, Brand Têxtil, Canatiba Têxtil, Capricórnio Têxtil, Cardenas, Cataguases, Cedro Têxtil, Chargeurs PCC Brasil, Coltex, Dalila Ateliê Têxtil, Diklatex, Doptex, Ematex WorkWear, Fabril Mascarenhas, FB do Brasil, Fiorella, Hyosung, Kalimo, Kirimurê Brasil, Linhas Trichê, Lunelli Têxtil, Martine Digital, Nilit/Sensil, Nova Kaeru, Pantextil, Paranatex Têxtil, Pollibox, Rovitex, Sancris Linhas, Fios e Zíperes, Santista Têxtil, Spa Têxtil, Tecelagem Columbia, Texneo, The LYCRA Company and Vicunha Têxtil.

Brazil will also be represented by machinery and equipment manufacturers through the Brazil Machinery Solutions Program, a sectoral project of ABIMAQ (Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Industries) with ApexBrasil. The initiative includes the companies Audaces, Castilho Máquinas Têxteis, Comelato Roncato, Inarmeg Máquinas e Redutores, Socio Tec Automação, and SPGPrints.

Brazilian participation reflects the country’s commitment to expanding its presence at major international events in the textile and fashion sector. The expectation is that the 2026 edition will contribute to the generation of new business, the strengthening of commercial partnerships, and the expansion of Brazilian exports in the months following the fair.

“Colombiatex is a strategic showcase for the Brazilian textile industry in Latin America. The presence of our companies demonstrates the sector’s ability to offer innovative, sustainable, and competitive products, as well as strengthening commercial relations with a relevant market like Colombia,” says Rafael Cervone, executive director of the Texbrasil Program and president emeritus of Abit.

In the January 2025 edition, the Brazilian delegation held approximately 7,000 meetings. As for business, the outlook is close to USD 100 million, with USD 8.5

million in deals closed during the fair and an expectation of USD 91 million in future business.

Colombia imported approximately US$ 1.6 billion in textile products in 2024, with emphasis on the categories of cotton woven fabrics and artificial and synthetic knitted fabrics. In the same period, more than 70% of textile imports originated from Asian countries. Brazil ranked 6th, with 4% of the market, with approximately US$ 53.8 million.

The Colombian market stands out among the main destinations for Brazilian exports of textile machinery and equipment. In 2025, Colombia was the fourth largest destination, registering growth of 65% and reaching a volume of US$ 3.9 million.

Between 2024 and 2025, Colombia’s share of Brazilian exports in the textile machinery and equipment segment jumped from 4.3% to 9.1%. Five years ago, this share was only 2%.

“The growth in Colombia’s share of Brazilian exports of textile machinery and equipment demonstrates how the innovation and competitiveness of Brazilian solutions are gaining ground in the Colombian market, in a segment where Brazil is consolidating itself as a supplier of technology and competitive solutions,” advises Patrícia Gomes, Executive Director of Market at ABIMAQ.

Het bericht Brazilian textile industry brings diverse portfolio of 41 companies to Colombiatex 2026 verscheen eerst op IAF.

Committed to advancing the transition to sustainable development, Türkiye’s Apparel and Textile industry has recently launched a new project, jointly with the European Union, for the green transformation of this very important sector for our national economy. The project is specifically focused on supporting the reduction of carbon and water footprints in the production and export of Textile and Apparel goods, with needed transformative changes in relevant Chemicals and Transport sectors.

To meet the Green Deal objectives, a systemic, systematic, evidence-based transformation of the industrial sector is required, driven by collaborations between the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. It targets and collaborates with concerned industry networks and agencies (ITKIB, IHKIB, TIM, IKMIB, ITHIB, UND), providing tailored assistance in their transition towards circularity and sustainability, promoting eco-design, encouraging and accompanying the stakeholders to drastically improve their resource efficiency and environmental performance.

The project is expected to increase the competitiveness of concerned industries, while elaborating and implementing a comprehensive action programme in Turkiye on reducing carbon and water footprint, over a three-year period, Nov2025-Nov2028. It is aligned with the green transformation overall objective of the IPA-III project, which is financed within the framework of the financial cooperation of the European Union and the Republic of Turkiye.

The project brings together the apparel, textile, chemical and logistics sectors, which are the most important links of the ready-to-wear value chain. Throughout the implementation process, enabling capacity of companies to measure and reduce their carbon and water footprints will be enhanced, together with an active communication strategy to raise awareness, induce innovations and drive changes, making a significant contribution to the green transformation of concerned industries and the transition to a circular economy.

Highly Participatory, mainstreaming a culture of Innovation, Resilience, Responsibility and Sustainability, the project will be delivered through the Development of Green and White Policy Papers and Action Plans for Targeted Sectors. It will enhance the understanding and opportunities for action in the Value Chain and Environmental Footprint, while providing tailored Capacity Building for Project Partners, including IMA. DDM and EKOTEKS in addition to concerned networks and agencies, together with targeted Communication and Awareness Raising Activities.

The project is implemented from Istanbul with the technical assistance of GIZ and BYS Group.

Het bericht EU-Türkiye project on “Support to Sustainable Industry Transformation in the Key Sectors of Apparel, Textile, Chemical and International Transport” verscheen eerst op IAF.

The 12-month project, titled “Twin Transition in the Apparel Supply Chain,” is supported by the Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA) under the 2025 Twin Transition Financial Support Programme. İHKİB says the project is designed to help manufacturers build capability across both green transformation and digitalization, positioning suppliers to better respond to export-market expectations while improving competitiveness and productivity.

“Türkiye’s apparel sector has long been a strategic pillar of our export economy. With this project, we aim to strengthen the industry’s existing advantages by accelerating both green and digital transformation, and to build a sustainable, long-term capability base for our supply chain,” said Mustafa Paşahan, Vice President of İHKİB.

Digital + green service hub for suppliers

A central element of the project is the expansion of İHKİB’s Digital Transformation Center (DDM) into a Digital and Green Transformation Service Point, providing structured support for companies participating in the project.

Planned activities include digital and sustainability transformation assessments to measure operational and sustainability maturity, roadmaps, mentoring and advisory support for supplier upgrades, online seminars focused on transformation, including access to finance and consultancy for companies seeking EU and national funding schemes to accelerate transformation investments.

The project is implemented by İHKİB, in partnership with the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), and includes participation from 20+ companies, alongside engagement from institutions and global brand representatives.

Council to support sector alignment with export-market requirements

Project plans also include establishing a Twin Transition Council involving national and international stakeholders to support alignment with market expectations and contribute to broader sector-level transformation approaches.

The roadmap is structured around 10 core activities, culminating in an international conference titled: “Türkiye in the Twin Transition of the Apparel Supply Chain.”

The project was formally launched at a kick-off meeting at IHKIB premises in Istanbul, where stakeholders discussed the need for productivity-focused transformation efforts in the apparel sector.

Het bericht IHKIB launches “Twin Transition” project to help apparel suppliers meet brands’ low-carbon and traceability demands verscheen eerst op IAF.

The European Union’s Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products1 (ESPR) is set to reshape the way physical goods are designed, made and consumed.

Covering a range of physical goods categories, the regulation aims to make products more durable, circular and energy-efficient across their entire lifecycle.

At the heart of this initiative is the Digital Product Passport (DPP): a digital record that contains detailed information about a product. It serves as a digital

identity for the product, offering traceability and transparency throughout its lifecycle—from design to disposal—by making key information about materials,

production and environmental impact digitally accessible. To see how this could work in practice, a pilot was launched to test the concept on an unexpected but essential item: socks.

Explore the case study

Het bericht GS1 case study: Behind the seams: Digital insights in socks verscheen eerst op IAF.