EU textile trends analysed
A new report examining trends in EU imports and import prices for textiles and clothing shows that the region’s value of textile and clothing imports fell in 2009 for the first time since 2003.
Overall, it showed that EU textile and clothing imports fell by 7% in 2009, to EUR74.9 billion ($104.1 billion). Textile imports were down 16.2% in value terms and 13.8% in volume, while clothing imports fell 3.8% in value and 6.8% in volume.
imports continued to decline during the first two months of 2010, down 11.3% in value and 1.5% in volume compared with the corresponding period a year earlier. Clothing imports fell 14.4% in value and 9.4% in volume, while textile imports dropped just 0.3% in value and rose 5.2% in volume.
The average price of textiles fell in 2009, while clothing imports rose. Some suppliers increased their prices in order to maintain revenue levels in the face of falling sales volumes. However, many suppliers have shifted toward higher value products.
Seven of the ten largest textile and clothing supplier countries to the EU raised their prices in 2009. Among these, Vietnam continued to increase its prices significantly after cutting them in 2006. There was also a substantial rise in the average price of imports from Bangladesh.
However, during the first two months of 2010, nine of the top ten suppliers cut their prices in an attempt to maintain sales volumes. The one exception was Tunisia.
