Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) 2018, a leading fair for apparel, textile, fashion, and fabric manufacturers, has set a new record with 6,000 registered attendees from 20 countries. The event was held from August 20 to 22, 2018, in Toronto, Canada. The show size was doubled from 2017 to occupy more than 120,000 square feet and more than 500 booths. Day one of ATSC celebrated the thriving Canadian retail sector as more than 1,300 attendees heard from Bob Kirke, executive director, Canadian Apparel Federation and Julia K. Hughes, President, US Fashion Industry Association.
The conference, which brought together international ambassadors, consul generals, and high commissioners from China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ukraine, Indonesia, Guatemala, and Mexico, confirmed Canada’s vibrant retail sector is thriving due to the country’s trade policies, LDC recognitions, and free trade agreements and ambitions. Attendees included sourcing executives from Canada’s leading retailers and brands such as Giant Tiger, Walmart Canada, Gildan, Moose Knuckles, Joe Fresh, and Simons, according to a press release.
Top level VIPs representing Canada’s major global trading partners reaffirmed their commitment to fuelling strong trade relations with Canadians, including Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada; Wu Zhengping, director general foreign trade development bureau, China Ministry of Commerce People’s Republic of China; Sun Jiwen, minister counsellor, economic and commercial counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada; Cao Jiachang, chairman of the china chamber of commerce for import & export of textiles; Dinesh Bahtia, consulate general of India in Toronto; Mizanur Rahman, high commissioner, Bangladesh to Canada; Andrii Veselovskyi, consulate general of Ukraine in Toronto; and H.E. Tariq Azim, high commissioner for Pakistan to Canada.