Trends in World Textile and Clothing Trade, 2009/10 edition

Textiles Intelligence
February 1, 2010
68 Pages - SKU: TXI2590918
License type:
Countries covered: Global

World textile and clothing trade rose by 4.4% to US$612 bn in 2008. The rise represented a slowdown compared with the previous few years, reflecting the global economic crisis. In fact, growth in 2008 was slower than in any year since 2001, when there was a 3.2% decline. That said, four trade flows involving Asia grew at double digit rates in 2008. In textiles, exports from Asia to Africa increased by 20%, while those from Asia to the Middle East rose by 18%. But intra-North American trade fell by 8% and intra-European trade by 3%. In clothing, Asian exports to Europe rose by 17% and to Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries by 14%. However, trade with North America was affected badly. Exports from South and Central America to North America declined by 5%, intra-North American trade was down by 4% and Asian exports to North America fell by 3%.

Reflecting these trends, the US textile and clothing trade deficit fell in 2008 for the first time since 1991—by 3.8% to US$88.65 bn, of which clothing accounted for 88%. The EU27 deficit, however, continued to rise—by 8.8% to US$69.12 bn. At this level it equated to 78% of the US deficit compared with 69% a year earlier. Offsetting these deficits, China was the country with the world’s biggest surplus, followed by India, Turkey, Italy and Pakistan.

The world’s biggest textile exporter in 2008 was the EU27, followed by China, the USA, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Turkey, Taiwan, Japan and Pakistan. The EU27 was also the biggest textile importer, followed by the USA—although China ranked as high as third, followed by Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Turkey, Russia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In clothing, China was the world’s leading exporter for the third year running, followed by the EU27, Hong Kong, Turkey, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and the USA. As for clothing imports, 47% of the world total went to EU countries in 2008, while the USA took 22%, Japan 7% and Russia 6%. Next in importance were Hong Kong, Canada, Switzerland, the UAE, Australia and South Korea but each of these had only small shares.


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