Worldview | China’s Tariff Cuts Benefit African Fashion

🇨🇳 China’s tariff cuts could benefit African apparel exporters. China will remove tariffs on imports from almost every African country starting May 1, expanding its zero-duty regime from 33 to 53 nations. The move could make China a more attractive export destination by lowering landed costs of garments and textiles, though gains will depend on factors such as capacity, logistics and compliance. With African suppliers concerned about the future of AGOA, the US duty-free programme for the region which was extended for just one year after lapsing, China’s tariff-free offer could encourage them to further diversify away from the US. In recent years, Chinese-owned apparel, textile and footwear manufacturers have opened factories in countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and Egypt, though most have so far focused on exporting to Western markets. The 20 African countries granted duty-free access under China’s new scheme include larger economies such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire as well as smaller countries with established garment export industries, such as Mauritius and Tunisia. China had previously granted zero-tariff access to 33 of Africa’s “least-developed countries,” under an earlier United Nations LDC grouping. The new arrangement will exclude only Eswatini, which recognises Taiwan instead of China. [Straits Times, Zawya, BoF]

🇭🇺 Budapest fashion week extends its reach further east. The latest edition of Budapest Central European Fashion Week, held from Feb. 9-15 in the Hungarian capital, showcased 24 domestic and 17 international designers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Serbia, Armenia, Romania, and Ukraine. The schedule spanned a diverse range of brands from Nanushka and other well-known Hungarian names like Katti Zoob and Kata Szegedi to designers from the wider region such as Lenie Hanz and Jackob Buczynski. “We are no longer following trends but transmitting the voice of the Central and Eastern European region – and we are increasingly shaping it ourselves…While we provide a stage for designers from neighbouring countries in Budapest, our partners provide Hungarian creators with opportunities for market entry and sales,” explained Zsofia Jakab, CEO of Creative Hungary, fashion week’s event organiser since 2018. [BoF Inbox]

🇹🇷 Turkish textile sector pursues growth in Latin America. Turkey’s Commercial Consul in Colombia recently highlighted the growing opportunities for Turkish firms in Colombia and the wider region. “Fabric is where Turkey has the strongest hand,” Muhammed Hartavi told KTJ. “There is clear potential, and that is why most of our participating firms at [last month’s Colombiatex trade show in Medellin, Colombia] are fabric manufacturers… Turkish yarn producers can sell here, and some already do but the market share potential is limited. The large portion of the pie is firmly in the hands of Asian suppliers.” The most challenging segment is finished garments, a category on which Colombia imposes duties up to 40 percent. “Large global brands may absorb the tariff costs and continue exports…but overall, Turkish apparel exports to Colombia remain well below potential.” Turkish brands like LC Waikiki and Mavi do export more to other Latin American countries though. [Kohan Textile Journal]

🇦🇺 Australian Fashion Council asks government for A$5 million in funding. Last year, the event was pulled back from the brink after its US owner IMG abruptly pulled the plug on its Australian showcase in November 2024, leaving local designers in limbo. The AFC swiftly stepped in, supported by the New South Wales Government, and delivered the first not-for-profit industry model in the event’s history but the event appears to remain underfunded. AFC executive chair Marianne Perkovic has confirmed that the event will be held May 11-15 in Sydney, but details are sketchy. “For a highly trade-exposed industry operating in volatile global conditions — including supply-chain disruption, shifting trade policy and evolving compliance regimes —export success cannot rely solely on episodic or market-specific interventions. It requires nationally significant platforms that enable continuous, agile market engagement, buyer access and diversification over time. Australian Fashion Week provides this capability,” wrote the AFC in its funding request submission to the federal government. [Ragtrader]

🇮🇳 Indian eyewear major Lenskart records steep profit rise. The Gurugram-based eyewear retailer posted 132.7 crore rupees ($14.6 million) in profit-after-tax for the third quarter ended December, up from 1.8 crore a year earlier, reflecting a more than 73-fold increase. “The acceleration comes from higher product margins and applying our battle-tested India playbook from day one,” said chief executive Peyush Bansal, noting the firm now has 705 international stores. “International grew 32.7 per cent year-on-year, with EBITDA margins improving from 2 percent to 6.1 per cent in 9 months, significantly ahead of where India was at a comparable scale.” Founded as an e-tailer in 2008 by Peyush Bansal, Neha Bansal, Amit Chaudhary and Sumeet Kapahi, the brand has expanded to over 2,000 physical stores in India, and key markets across the Asia-Pacific region. [Economic Times]

🇷🇺 Russia blocks WhatsApp in an effort to push Russians to rival app Max. The Meta-owned messenger, which until recently had around 100 million users in the country, has been removed from the online directory of the national internet regulator. “The Russian government has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive users to a state-owned surveillance app,” said WhatsApp, calling the move a “backwards step.” It is now virtually impossible to access the service without complicated workarounds. Max, which is owned by Russian social media firm VKontakte (VK) and modelled after China’s WeChat, was officially designated as the “national messenger” last year when Moscow first tried to undermine it. The authorities have also stepped up their disruptions of the encrypted messenger Telegram. Both apps serve not only as means of communications but also key marketing and sales platforms for brands. [Financial Times, BoF]

🇮🇳 India’s Marico acquires Vietnamese beauty brand Skinetiq for $28 million. The Mumbai-based beauty and personal care giant, whose holdings include the Kaya, Beardo, Just Herbs, Pure Sense, Parachute and Nihar brands, said it will acquire a 75 percent stake in the Vietnamese brand for 261 crore rupees through its subsidiary Marico South-East Asia Corporation (MSEA). “The investment in Skinetiq reflects our commitment to building a strong premium beauty play in Vietnam and advancing our D2C strategy internationally,” said Saugata Gupta, CEO of Marico Ltd. Co-founded by Bui Ngoc Anh and Vietnamese beauty blogger Hannah Nguyen in 2020, the Ho Chi Minh-based company owns skincare brand Candid and holds exclusive distribution rights in the country for Murad. [Economic Times]

🇮🇳 India’s Hindustan Unilever posts $729 million in third quarter profit. The Mumbai-based beauty, personal care and household goods major, whose portfolio includes brands like Lakmé, Glow & Lovely, Dove and Pond’s, recorded 6603 crore rupees ($291 million) in consolidated net profit in the quarter ended December, an increase of 120 percent year over year. The surge at HUL, as it’s also known, was driven by the impact of a demerger of the company’s ice cream business. “During the quarter, demand trends reflected early signs of recovery, underpinned by supportive policy measures,” said CEO Priya Nair. [Economic Times]

🇮🇩 Indonesian beauty retailer Sociolla plans aggressive Asia expansion. The firm, which operates 150 stores across Indonesia, each carrying thousands of products from local and international mid-market brands, said it is readying to expand to Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, while boosting its presence in Vietnam where it already has three stores. The Jakarta-based retailer founded as Social Bella in 2015 by Chrisanti Indiana, Christopher Madiam and John Rasjid was acquired in December by US growth equity investor General Atlantic. The deal saw Pavilion Capital and L Catterton fully exit their positions, while East Ventures and EDBI partially sold their stakes in the business. [Global Cosmetics News]

🇮🇳 Indian beauty group Honasa Consumer reports 92% profit surge in Q3. The beauty and personal care group whose portfolio includes brands offering products with natural, organic, ayurvedic and vegan ingredients, such as Mamaearth, Aqualogica, Aqualogica, The Derma Co, Ayuga and Bblunt, recorded 50.2 crore rupees ($5.5 million) in profit-after-tax for the quarter, compared to 26.02 crore rupees a year earlier. [Economic Times]

🇨🇳 Vogue China appoints Tim Lim as executive creative director. The Shanghai-based, Canada-born stylist and media veteran is the former group fashion director at Meta Media Holdings (formerly Modern Media Group). There he helped oversee titles including Modern Weekly and Numéro China for nearly two decades. The appointment comes less than two years after publisher Condé Nast brought Rocco Liu to lead Vogue China as editorial director, following the departure of Margaret Zhang. [Ladymax.cn]

🇦🇷 Cencosud taps Dolores Fernandez Lobbe as Argentina general manager. The Santiago-based group, one of South America’s largest retailers operating 48 department stores including the Paris chain and 33 shopping centres in Chile alone, has appointed the retail and consumer goods veteran to replace Diego Marcantonio as its top executive in Argentina. Fernandez will report directly to the company’s CEO, Rodrigo Larrain. [BoF Inbox]

🇵🇰 Pakistan’s textile and apparel exports reach $9.1 billion in H1.The South Asian nation recorded a year-on-year rise of 0.9 percent year in exports in the category during the first half of the 2026 financial year. The category accounted for 60.5 percent of the country’s total exports during the period. Although knitwear and non-knit ready-made garments recorded modest growth, cotton yarn and fabric exports declined amid weak demand in Asia. [Fibre2Fashion]

🇦🇺 Australian body piercing and jewellery chain SkinKandy considers IPO. The company founded in 2010 by Mark Oliphant, which has grown into a business with over 100 stores led by retail veteran Dain Friis, is reportedly exploring a float that would value it at around A$400 million (US$ 284 million). [Australian Financial Review]

🇮🇳 Indian jewellery brand Ethera raises $2.7 million from BlueStone. The Bengaluru-based lab-grown diamond jewellery brand founded in 2024 by Nitesh Jain and Sharad Arora has secured 25 crore rupees in investment from BlueStone, an Indian jewellery retailer founded by Gaurav Singh Kushwaha. [Economic Times]

🇬🇭 Ghana mulls opening garment factories in public-private partnership. The west African country’s trade, agribusiness and industry minister said the three facilities would be earmarked for the textile and apparel export sector and located in the Central, Bono East and Eastern Regions. No timeline was disclosed for the project. [Fibre2Fashion]