GENEVA — The European Union’s besieged textiles and apparel industry in 2004 posted a weak export performance and declines in production activity, investment and employment levels in the face of stiff competition from lower-cost producers, according to estimates released by the European Apparel & Textile Association.
On the trade front, despite the strength of the euro against the dollar, the U.S. remained the top export market for EU textiles with 2.5 billion euros, or $2.95 billion at current exchange, worth of shipments.
Other major destinations for EU textiles were Romania, with 2.1 billion euros, or $2.48 billion, in goods shipped; Tunisia, with 1.39 billion euros, or $1.64 billion; Turkey, at 1.38 billion euros, or $1.63 billion, and Morocco, with 1.2 billion, or $1.42 billion, according to Euratex.
Overall, textile exports from the EU outside the 25 member countries totaled 20.4 billion euros, or $24.07 billion, compared with 19.8 billion euros, or $23.36 billion, in 2003.
The results were somewhat similar in apparel, where the U.S. retained its rank as the second most important customer for European suppliers, with shipments stagnant in value terms at 2.5 billion euros, or $2.95 billion, Euratex said.
Neighboring Switzerland was the top export market with 2.5 billion euros, or $2.95 billion, while Russia edged out Japan to become the third most important customer with 1.5 billion euros, or $1.77 billion, up from 1.2 billion euros, or $1.42 billion, a year earlier, followed by Japan with 1.3 billion euros, or $1.53 billion, and Romania with 760 million euros, or $896.8 million.
But the overall apparel export performance showed little strength, reaching 16.5 billion euros, or $19.47 billion, slightly up on 16.2 billion euros, or $19.12 billion, a year earlier.
On the textile import front, the five top suppliers remained China, Turkey, India, Pakistan and Switzerland, all of which, with the exception of Switzerland, posted gains in shipments.
EU textile imports from China hit 3.1 billion euros, or $3.66 billion, up from 2.6 billion euros, or $3.07 billion, a year ago, while shipments from Turkey were 2.6 billion euros, or $3.07 billion, from 2.4 billion euros, or $2.83 billion, and India reached 1.9 billion euros, or $2.24 billion, from 1.7 billion euros, or $2 billion.
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China was also the top supplier of apparel to the EU, with shipments valued at 12.7 billion euros, or $14.99 billion, up from 11.4 billion euros, or $13.45 billion, in 2003, followed by Turkey with 7.8 billion euros, or $9.2 billion, compared with 7.6 billion euros, or $8.97 billion, and Romania was flat at 3.8 billion euros, or $4.48 billion. Bangladesh increased its exports to 3.7 billion euros, or $4.37 billion, up from 3.1 billion euros, or $3.66 billion, in 2003, while shipments from neighboring India remained unchanged at 2.7 billion euros, or $3.19 billion.
EU apparel imports reached 54 billion euros, or $63.72 billion, up from 51.8 billion euros, or $61.12 billion, a year earlier.
The EU production index for textiles and knitting in 2004 fell to 84.9 from 88.8 a year earlier, Euratex said. For apparel, the index in 2004 declined to 75.2, down from 79.9 a year earlier, but the drops varied between segments. Workwear slipped to 76.2 from 86.2, outerwear dropped to 77.4 from 78.5 and underwear declined to 63.9 from 69.4.
Euratex estimates sales by its member companies totaled 180.9 billion euros, or $213.46 billion, employment at 2.2 million jobs and investment at a total of 5.4 billion euros, or $6.37 billion.
For the EU15, which does not include the 10 new members who joined on May 1, sales declined by 2.4 percent to 170.3 billion euros, or $200.9 billion; employment by 6 percent to 1.7 million, and investment by 5.6 percent to 4.9 billion euros, or $5.78 billion.