‘Mediterranean exports to Europe drop gradually’

Mediterranean suppliers’ share in European imports of clothing has dropped progressively from 25 per cent in 2007 to 17.6 per cent in 2015. The causes of this was analysed as competition from Asia, erosion of preferential trade advantages granted to Mediterranean countries, and the complex political and economic situation in some of these countries.

Mediterranean exports to Europe have dropped suddenly, according to lectures organised and moderated by Evalliance and its president Jean François Limantour on the global textile industries at the Apparel Sourcing 2016, the European trade fair for worldwide apparel sourcing, recently held in Paris Le Bourget, from September 12 to 15, 2016.

Conference attendees were in agreement that a “joint European and North African sectoral programme” needs to be developed and implemented in order to develop a growth strategy that offers perspectives for the future.

During the discussion on the Vietnam textile sector, it was announced that with 1.3 million employees, 3800 businesses and exports worth $27.2 thousand million in 2015, Vietnam’s clothing and textile sector represents one of the largest exporters in the world.

The presentation on Chinese clothing industry show how the Chinese textile industry was world’s leading producer and exporter with 28 million employees. In 2015, its exports topped $284 thousand million, $44 thousand million of which went to the European Union. Its relative share has decreased due to a drop in competitiveness caused by sharp increases in wages. However China is relocating extensively towards ASEAN countries in particular for its consolidated exports to grow significantly.

In the lecture conducted on the Moroccan textile sector, it was announced that Morocco was the eighth largest supplier of clothing and textiles to the European Union in 2015 with exports worth €2.54 thousand million. Despite a rather sluggish European economic climate, Moroccan clothing and textiles are not merely holding their ground but have been back on track for growth for the last three years. In the first half of 2016, exports to Europe boomed by 8 per cent.

At the end of the presentation, the president of AMITH, Moroccan Textile and Apparel Manufacturers Association, and the president of Messe Frankfurt France signed a partnership agreement aiming to boost promotion of the clothing and textile sector in Morocco.