The European Union has become a net importer of cotton fabrics over the last 10 years. Imported cotton fabrics, particularly from Pakistan, Turkey, and China, have come to dominate the European market. Italy, Germany, Romania and Spain were the largest importers of cotton fabrics in the EU, accounting for about 50 per cent of total EU imports. Germany’s share increased from 2007 to 2015, while the shares of the other leading importing countries remained relatively stable.

Cotton fabrics weighing less than 200 g/sq.m held the largest share of the EU imports. Imports of that product remained relatively stable from 2007 to 2015. Cotton fabrics with a density over 200 g/sq.m (excluding colored yarns) ranked second, with a 27 per cent share of the imports, followed by cotton fabrics of yarns of different colors (excluding denim), which accounted for a 12 per cent share.

From 2007 to 2008, intra-EU trade accounted for the major share of imports. However, the share of extra-EU imports became almost equal to intra-EU imports in recent years, accounting for about 47 per cent of total import value in 2015. That year extra-EU imports of cotton fabrics were two per cent higher than the year before.