Global production of apparels increased 1.9 per cent in Q2 but was outpaced by global textile production which grew 3.8 per cent. A new United Nations report states, developing and emerging economies led the gains. On the other hand, textiles registered growth of 5.3 per cent and apparel 3.1 per cent while in rich nations, production fell 0.9 per cent for textiles and 2.7 per cent for apparel.

The results, however, were mixed among producing nations in both emerging and rich economies in both sectors, the report said. This reflects the fragile recovery process in industrialised economies and the significantly weakened growth prospects in developing and emerging industrial economies.

Significant growth rates of over 9 per cent were found in production of apparels in Poland, Turkey and Vietnam in particular, the report disclosed. In the aftermath of protracted economic crisis, China, which emerged as the largest global manufacturer, entered a transition period and witnessed a more balanced growth pace. This pushed the average industrial growth of emerging industrial economies downward.

The report also said that the world’s manufacturing growth has also been affected by the generally lower growth rate in the US and Japan. The overall manufacturing growth in Europe, North America and East Asia remained sluggish during the quarter, the report found. World manufacturing output rose by 2.2 per cent in the quarter compared to the same period last year which is marginally higher than the 2.1 per cent growth estimated for the first quarter of 2016.