The paper outlines the development of air jet weaving machines from the first machine to achieve significant penetration, the Kovo, to the Tsudakoma ZAX. 190, spanning 38 years in time and a weft insertion range from 500 to 5500 m/min. The introduction of the Sulzer M8300 multi-phase linear shed air jet machine and its development both in speed and product range capability are also discussed. The commercial exploitation of the multi-phase machine is considered and it is established that, for the first time, weaving technology is capable of discounting the wage differential of $12 per hour which still exists between UK and the lowest cost producers in developing countries. A review is made of the limited published reports of commercial evaluation of the M8300, and a comparison is made with the single-phase air jet machine. Comparative costs of weaving in seven different economies, all equipped with the Sulzer P7200.B360 projectile machine, are calculated, together with all associated costs relevant to the different economies. This demonstrates that a US mill is capable of producing at lower cost than some of the NDCs and within competitive distance of the landed costs of lowest cost producers India and Indonesia, clearly indicating that the next significant improvement in technology would fully close the remaining difference. The ideal configuration for the M8300 is in the manufacture of fabric with yarn provided by integrated facilities, and open-end spinning with 2000 technology is a suggested partner. Such a mill is considered in detail under UK conditions, and that comparison shows that competition with duty-free imports from NDCs is now a viable proposition.