The latest International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) report by The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) offers a comprehensive benchmark of manufacturing costs across the primary textile value chain. This edition provides detailed cost data for the year 2023, with an expanded scope that now includes Uzbekistan and, for the first time, a thorough calculation of the carbon footprint associated with each textile product across its full value chain.
The IPCC publication reveals significant global variations in manufacturing costs. For instance, producing one meter of woven fabric from cotton 1-1/8" in a continuous open-width process (excluding raw material costs) averaged $0.94/meter in 2023. This cost ranged from $0.70/meter in Bangladesh to $1.54/meter in Italy, highlighting a substantial difference in efficiency and cost structures across countries. Breaking this down further, spinning the yarn for this meter of fabric cost an average of $0.31/meter, weaving added $0.25/meter, and finishing contributed $0.38/meter to the average production cost.
The report also details the cost of spinning 1 kg of ring yarn NE/30, averaging $1.63/kg in 2023. This cost varied widely, from a low of $1.19/kg in Vietnam to a high of $2.85/kg in Italy. Labor costs showed stark contrasts, with Italy ($0.97/kg), the US ($0.69/kg), and Korea ($0.54/kg) having the highest, while Indonesia ($0.07/kg), Egypt ($0.03/kg), and Bangladesh ($0.02/kg) reported the lowest. Power costs were highest in Central America ($0.58/kg), Italy ($0.48/kg), and Mexico ($0.42/kg), and lowest in Pakistan ($0.13/kg) and Egypt ($0.12/kg).
The new carbon footprint analysis for woven fabrics processed using continuous open-width methods reveals significant environmental variations. India registered the highest total carbon footprint, exceeding 12.5 kg CO₂e per kg of textile, largely due to high emissions in spinning (4.4 kg) and weaving (4.3 kg). China also showed high emissions, particularly in the finishing stage (3.9 kg).
In contrast, Brazil demonstrated the lowest total carbon footprint, just under 4 kg CO₂e per kg, benefiting from its renewable energy mix and efficient early-stage processes. The United States and Italy also showed relatively low emissions in initial production stages. The newly included Uzbekistan reported moderate emissions across all segments.
