EU textile and clothing imports in 2015 picked up by 9.6 per cent in value terms due to sharp increases from Asian countries. Textile sales to the US, EU’s top market, recorded a noticeable growth of 16 per cent thanks to a favorable exchange rate. Moderate expansion was recorded by Hong Kong and China. On the contrary, exports to Russia and Ukraine slipped due to the depressed markets.

Clothing exports to the EU’s main consumers indicated a higher growth rate than for textiles. There was a noticeable growth in clothing exports to the US, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada and China, which made the US the second largest EU customer and China the sixth largest. Exports to the Saudi Arabian and Mexican markets also experienced a significant expansion. Russia and Ukraine, on the other hand, declined, following the political turmoil.

Textile imports coming from the EU’s top 20 suppliers were all up, except from Egypt, Thailand and Australia. Among the main suppliers, the US witnessed the highest growth, followed by China, Pakistan and Vietnam. At the bottom of the ranking were Morocco and New Zealand.

Clothing imports from most Asian countries recorded double digit growth rates. The top supplier, China, recorded a six per cent increase, with 30 billion of clothing articles sold to the EU market. In the second place, Bangladesh recorded a 24 per cent increase. Strong import upturns were also observed from Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and the US.