Trade and trade policy: the EU clothing import market and its ten largest supplying countries, 3rd quarter 2011

EU clothing imports soared in value by 18.3% to a record high of Euro66.93 bn (US$91.20 bn) in
the 12 months ending June 30, 2011. In volume terms, however, imports grew by a much slower 4.7%
to 4.42 mn tons, and remained below the levels seen in 2007 and 2008. The 18.3% rise in import
value was due mainly to a 13.0% increase in the average import price, which took the price to its
highest level since 2002. The price increase was itself caused by a hike in the cost of raw
materials—and raw cotton in particular.
Rises in import values were observed in all but two of the EU’s 27 member states—the exceptions
being Greece and Slovenia. But there were falls in import volumes in 11 member states. Increases in
import prices, meanwhile, extended to 23 member states.
In 2011 as a whole, demand for clothing (excluding footwear) will rise in all the 19 key EU economies
as the region recovers from the global economic downturn. However, demand in these economies will
continue to be weak between 2011 and 2015. Declines in demand are forecast for five countries, and
only in three countries will demand growth average more than 5% per annum.
EU clothing imports were up in value from all of the ten leading supplying countries during the 12
months ending June 30, 2011. Imports from nine of the ten were also up in volume—the exception being
India.
China remained by far the EU’s largest clothing supplying country during the 12-month period with
a 44.5% share of EU clothing imports from all sources in value terms and a 50.3% share in volume.
However, China’s value share rose only slightly while its volume share fell.
The three best performing supplying countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam, were low price
suppliers and all three gained share at the expense of four higher price suppliers, namely Turkey,
India, Tunisia and Sri Lanka. In fact, these four suppliers lost market share in both value and volume
terms.

Clothing And Textile Industry in Europe

SUMMARY
GENERAL TRENDS IN EU CLOTHING IMPORTS
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS BY MEMBER STATE
KEY EUROPEAN MARKETS: CLOTHING DEMAND FORECASTS TO
2015
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS BY LEADING SUPPLIER
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM CHINA AND DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE CHINESE CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM TURKEY AND DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE TURKISH CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM BANGLADESH AND
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BANGLADESHI CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM INDIA AND DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE INDIAN CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM TUNISIA AND DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE TUNISIAN CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM MOROCCO AND DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE MOROCCAN CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM VIETNAM AND DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE VIETNAMESE CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM SRI LANKA AND DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE SRI LANKAN CLOTHING SECTOR
EU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM INDONESIA AND DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE INDONESIAN CLOTHING SECTOREU CLOTHING IMPORTS FROM PAKISTAN AND DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE PAKISTANI CLOTHING SECTOR
STATISTICAL APPENDIX
List of tables
Table 1: EU: clothing imports from suppliers outside the EU by member state, 2009-11
Table 2: Europe: clothing demand by country, 2006-15
Table 3: EU: top ten suppliers of MFA clothing, 2005-11
Table 4: Trends in average exchange rates against the euro: selected countries, 2009-11
Table 5: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of knitted and woven clothing from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 6: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of men’s and boys’ overcoats from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 7: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of women’s and girls’ overcoats
from the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 8: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of men’s and boys’ trousers from the
ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 9: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of women’s and girls’ trousers from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 10: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of women’s and girls’ skirts and
dresses from the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June
2011
Table 11: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of men’s and boys’ shirts from the
ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 12: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of women’s and girls’ shirts from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 13: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of men’s and boys’ underwear from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 14: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of women’s and girls’ slips from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 15: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of T-shirts and pullovers from the
ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 16: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of babies’ garments from the ten
leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 17: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of knitted hosiery and brassieres
from the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011
Table 18: EU clothing imports: average prices of imports of men’s and women’s suits from
the ten leading supplying countries, July 2009-June 2010 and July 2010-June 2011