The use of polyurethane in performance swimwear is credited with securing 235 world records over the past two years. But on January 1, 2010, the material will be banned in competitions. According to a ruling from Fina (Fédération Internationale de Natation) -- the international governing body for swimming -- competitive suits must be made exclusively from “Textile fabrics”.

Vietnam became the USA’s number two supplier of apparel in the first four months of 2008, according to Global Apparel Markets, published by Textiles Intelligence. Just a year earlier, Vietnam had ranked as low as fifth.

Going global has never been easier and more affordable for a small to medium size enterprise (SME), especially from the relative comfort of one’s own factory, shop or home office. While traditional marketing channels have included trade shows, catalogs and trade associations, the Internet has brought new tools to bring trading partners together using search engines, portals and online marketplaces.