Australian merino wool: Playing to our strengths

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Australian merino wool Playing to our strengths

• Chris Wilcox
• Chief Economist
• The Woolmark Company

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Good demand foundation for lift in wool prices

• Strong global economic growth
• Favourable fashion trends Wool is cool
• Best orders in wool textile industry in 5 years
• High synthetic fibre prices wool is competitive
• Drought to bring fall in wool production

3
Good orders in the global worsted wool industry
Combing
Worsted spinning
Worsted weaving
above normal
above normal
above normal
below normal
below normal
below normal
M07(e)
M07(e)
M07(e)
Source Woolmark Business Survey
4
Merino wool production by major country (mkg
clean)
Source AWPFC, Woolmark, MWi, SUL, FLA, Cape
Wools, China Statistical Year Book.. Merino wool
defined as 24.5um finer
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Playing to our strengths Consumer preferences
favour merino wool

• Comfort of fineness and softness
• Lightweight
• Trans-seasonal
• Quality
• Luxury at affordable prices
• Ethical clothing, including to raw fibre

6
Playing to our strengths Woolmark needs to be
retained and refreshed

• Established for over 40 years
• A global brand A Trustmark
• Over 2,500 licensees
• On 1 billion labels last year
• Quality certification symbol
• Refresh right through to fibre

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Playing to our strengthsWool industry
initiatives

• Growers
• Brokers
• Exporters
• Joint AWI/IWTO/AWS Test Marketing Project in the
  USA
• VAM (Verification of Australian merino) project
• Ethical wool sourcing

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Australian merino wool Playing to our strengths