Economic indicators in the German clothing sector are negative, but the textile segment has developed sustainably. Exports to Russia declined in the first quarter of 2016. While the textile sector showed an increase of 4.2 per cent in the first three months of 2016, clothing dropped 6.3 per cent and in March the sector declined 9.3 per cent.

While the number of employees in the textile industry increased in March by 1.9 per cent, the number in the clothing industry decreased by 2.5 per cent.

Working hours increased in the textile sector in the first three months by 2.4 per cent but declined in clothing by 1.7 per cent. Order logs in the clothing sector inched up eight per cent in March against the same month in 2015 and in the textile sector by 8.1 per cent.

Imports of the two segments fell by 0.6 per cent and the trade surplus of both segments decreased by 0.7 per cent in March on a year-to-year basis. Raw material imports declined by 4.9 per cent against 2015.

only the sentiment index and orders on log are nurturing hopes for a change in the clothing sector.

Textile exports fell in the first quarter of 2016 by 0.9 per cent and clothing exports by 1.2 per cent.