Textile and Clothing Sector in Tunisia Has Recorded a Slight Improvement in October 2013

The textile and clothing sector in Tunisia has recorded a slight improvement in October 2013, according to the latest data released by the Centre Technique du Textile (CETTEX).

The data showed that Tunisia’s balance of trade in textiles and apparel recorded a slight improvement of 0.4 percent points, CETTEX said, reports African Manager.

Tunisia’s warp and weft clothing exports increased by 51 percent year-on-year to Spain, by 40 percent to the UK, and by 11 percent to the German market.

On the other hand, Tunisia’s knitwear exports to all its traditional markets declined, with the largest drop of 63 percent year-on-year recorded in its supplies to Italy.

In the textile segment, Tunisian exports registered an increase of 5.51 percent in value, but a decline of 5.87 percent by weight.

The textile and clothing industry in Tunisia has about 2,000 companies which together provide employment to around 200,000 people. The sector plays a key role in the socio-economic development of the smallest country, in terms of land area, in northern Africa.

The textile and apparel sector has a 34.8 percent share in the number of people employed in the country’s manufacturing sector, making it the largest employer in the manufacturing industry.

Similarly, with a share of 32.6 percent, the Tunisian textile and garment sector is the largest in terms of number of companies.

The sector is also the second-largest foreign exchange earner for the country.

In the first ten months of 2013, investment in Tunisian textile and clothing industry fell by 5.8 percent year-on-year.