Chinese Prices Head Higher, New York Market Time Shaping Up

INFLATION AND RISING LABOR COSTS IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN CHINA ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON FUR MANUFACTURERS TO RAISE PRICES. The increases have been small so far, mostly less than 10%, but observers close to the scene say the wage trend is definitely upward and could signal the approaching end of China’s cheap-labor competitive advantage. With much of the country’s fur manufacturing located in Guangdong and other provinces where they compete for labor with technology, automotive and other major industries, they are forced to keep up with rapidly rising wage scales.

Efforts to revive June Market week in New York appear to be bearing fruit, judging from manufacturers participating and retailer reaction. Spearheaded by the Fur New York organization, the event is scheduled for the week of June 21, when a number of leading manufacturers say they will be ready to introduce their new collections. Fur Market Time in the Big Apple was a two- or three-week affair, featuring formal runway shows in manufacturers’ showrooms or in top hotels and attracted wide press coverage as well as prestigious retailers from overseas. They were coordinated by the Fur Information Council of America and its predecessor organizations and were listed in the Fashion Calendar, which retailers consider a bible