2008 Articles

It is said a week can be a long time in politics. However, in the roughly two months since the Government released the 'Green' review of Australia's Textile, Clothing & Footwear industries, the foundation underpinning future sectoral assistance – as well as the vision for a shift to 'innovation' as the driver for industry assistance policy – has been turned upside down by the global financial crisis, and the Australian Government's subsequent responses.

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The election of the Rudd Labor government on 24 November 2007 has brought with it an important change in philosophy in terms of the role and focus of industry policy, including a possible change to the assistance framework and timings for tariff adjustments put into place by the former Howard government.

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2005 Articles

Creating new ways and means to help clients advance critical investments in plant & equipment has always been a high priority for TCF Services. In the past, we have been able to provide valuable support through the pre-payment of a limited number of key clients’ Strategic Investment Program grants.

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2004 Articles

• Election outcome puts pressure on Labor to pass SIP legislation by June;
• Australia-United States free trade agreement (AUSFTA) to start on 1 January 2005;
• China textiles & clothing supplies in doubt after end of US/EU quotas;
• US manufacturers to loose half of clothing market if all quotas abolished.
  

• Senate review driving future of SIP legislation
• Continuing reductions in TCF tariffs are integral part of the post-2005 package,
• Politics now holding is post 2005 SIP delivery. Risk that new Sip details won’t be settled until 2005.
• What is the likely scenario with a Labour government
  

• Extended SIP to take TCF to free trade in 2015
• Key shift in focus of TCF assistance policy
• Tranche 1 - Changes to current SIP (post-2005)
• Tranche 2 - New SIP Scheme (2005- 2010)
• Tranche 3 - Curtailed SIP Scheme (2010- 2015)
• New Programs to parallel SIP Extension - SME grants

2003 Articles

• Extended SIP to take TCF to free trade in 2015
• Key shift in focus of TCF assistance policy
• Tranche 1 - Changes to current SIP (post-2005)
• Tranche 2 - New SIP Scheme (2005- 2010)
• Tranche 3 - Curtailed SIP Scheme (2010- 2015)
• New Programs to parallel SIP Extension - SME grants

• Public hearings on draft position paper
• Contemplating the ‘lose-lose’ scenario
• With the majority of clothing being manufactured offshore, traditional links with local fashion textile manufacturers will become stressed

• Old statistics not supportive of good decision making
• Transitional support for a slow death, or protracted TCF re-birth?
• Structure of a ‘polished-up’ post- 2005 SIP
• Things could get worse if you don’t like Option A

• Free trade agreements changing TCF world
• Impact of the US abolishing quotas post-2005
• Charting where TCF sits in the 21st century
• Big guys no longer dominating the TCF&L sectors
• TCF Services now ‘the source’ for the latest textiles intelligence

2002 Articles

• Post-2005 TCF Assistance Inquiry· What is the Government’s ‘intent’ for the TCF industries?
• Achieving cultural shifts inside TCF management
• Short-term tariff options, but it’s zero in the long run· Free trade agreements also reducing tariff assistance

• Scoping the extent of eligibility for TCF ‘Brand Support’
• Getting the cycle of ‘Market Research’ right
• Integrating production with ‘warehousing and distribution’
• Bilateral trade agreements undoing the TCF sector plan

• No early ‘modulation’ - but it could be a race to lodge your claim
• A major Scheme enhancement -annual rollovers for Type 1-3 grants
• ‘Innovation’ tested, as appeals yield commonsense

• Shaping up for the post-2005 Inquiry
• Subtle changes to SIP Scheme from Round 3 onwards
• Important issues for the Minister’s consideration
• Plans, strategies and people motivations
• TCFL not one industry, but many

• SIP Policy Review Now Being Undertaken Written submissions due by 2 April
• TCF Services response to the SIP Review

• Response to new international trade environment
• Are dollars more relevant than tariffs?
• Over 100 major assistance schemes
• Fashion worries over population statistics

2001 Articles

• The new business environment in 2002
• Fixing up Industry Policy· Elaborately transformed Textiles
• Attack on the EMDG Scheme

• Principal SIP Expenditure Types
• Type 2 and ‘innovation’
• Refining the case on technical change
• More to eligibility than commercial risk

• Transferring SIP benefits
• Why are the changes to Part G wrongly founded
• Access to early SIP payments
• TCF-SIP Claim Time Lines

• Broaching the Long-term TCF Strategic Outlook
• Europe and the US taking care of No.1
• Pro’s and Con’s of Free Trade with the US

• Preparing your first SIP claim
• Special guidance for your Financial Controller
• Program Year 2 -What do I need to do now?