August 2010 New Zealand wool and textiles industry New Zealand is the worlds largest producer and

exporter of crossbred wool and enjoys a reputation for producing some of the finest quality wool in the world. New Zealands distinctive environment and farming practices have enabled wool growers to develop a range of unique systems that meet a wide variety of end-user demands. New Zealand wool is highly valued for its whiteness, uniformity, soundness, and relative freedom from dark fibres and vegetable matter contamination. These qualities translate into carpets, interior textiles, and bedding and apparel products that exploit wools natural functionality and properties to produce stunning aesthetic and performance characteristics. Fine merino wool is used in a range of market segments from active outdoor wear to designer fashion. New Zealands traditional strengths in agriculture and wool have fed into the textiles industry, enabling the production of high quality textiles, innovative New Zealand and Pacific-inspired designs, and developing niche products and successfully marketing them internationally. The industry has made considerable investments in machinery, plant personnel and research to produce high quality products. New Zealand has developed an international reputation for innovation in marketing, new product development and manufacturing processes. Fast facts New Zealand was the worlds third largest producer of wool in 2008/09 with production of 154,000 tonnes. In 2009, New Zealand exported $731 million worth of wool globally. Top markets are China (32 percent) Australia (25 percent), UK (6.6 percent) and Italy (6.3% percent) In 2009, New Zealands wool clip had an export value of $522.2million. Forty four percent of New Zealands wool clip went to China, followed by the United Kingdom (8.8 percent) and Italy (8.7 percent) New Zealand exported $70 million worth of carpet in 2009. Of this, 93 percent was exported to Australia. In 2008, New Zealand was the fourth largest exporter of wool fibre, yarn and carpet with a global export market share of 8.7 percent, behind Australia, China and Italy.

International innovations New Zealand entrepreneurs and scientists are creating new business opportunities by using the traditional wool fibre in innovative ways. Snowy Peak has developed Merinomink, a blend of possum fur readily available in New Zealand with wool from the merino sheep to produce garments with the feel of cashmere. Snowy Peaks brands include Untouched World, and the company is known for stylish designs that are sold widely internationally. It counts former United States President Bill Clinton among its customers. WoolYarns has developed extensively refined merino possum yarns. The company is custom producing yarns to the specific requirements of a number of leading European fashion houses including Hermes, Armani and Chanel. The ultra-refined New Zealand yarns allow for the production of garments that are finer and lighter than ever before. AgResearch provides an increasingly wide range of textile capabilities. Its new lightweight, 100 percent wool fabric is the first wool textile in the world that is fully machine washable without chemical treatment.

Sustainability achievements Snowy Peak was the first fashion company in the world to be given permission by UNESCO to carry the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development logo on its Untouched World labelling. Over 95 percent of the companys products are made in New Zealand and Untouched World has an ethical manufacturing policy for all of its manufacturers. It currently uses 100 percent certified organic merino, 100 percent certified organic cotton and denim, and sustainably-sourced bamboo. Each Icebreaker merino garment carries a unique Baacode, which allows customers to trace the origins of their garment from the living conditions of the merino sheep to the production process.

Industry contacts Textiles New Zealand works with textiles, carpet, footwear and apparel companies to build a sustainable industry competing in the international marketplace. www.textilesnz.org.nz