#Europe

2022-01-17

EU-UK trade figures confirm: BREXIT has been a “lose-lose” deal for the textile industry

Latest trade data (January-September 2021) show a dramatic drop of imports and exports of textile goods between the EU and UK, with significant losses for companies on both sides. The situation is likely to get worse, as the full customs regime between UK and EU has entered into force on 1 January 2022. EURATEX calls on the European Union and the United Kingdom to effectively cooperate to remove the issues in the EU-UK Trade agreement that prevent smooth trade flows.

All the sectors have been already suffering a significant loss in the past year and textiles has been no exception. Compared to the same period in 2020, between January and September the EU recordeda dramatic fall in imports (-44%, corresponding to almost € 2 billion) and in exports (-22%, corresponding to € 1.6 billion). The data show that the most impacted EU countries on the export side are Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany while on the import side the most impacted countries are Germany, Ireland and France. Among the T&C sectors, clothing articles are facing the most severe drop in both imports and exports, corresponding to a total trade loss of more than € 3.4 billion over the 9 months period. Despite these alarming figures, the UK continues to be the most important export market for EU textiles and clothing.

Concerning the impact on the UK textiles sector, in May 2021 the UK Fashion and Textile Association’s (UKFT) surveyed 138 businesses, including leading UK fashion brands, UK textile manufacturers, wholesalers, fashion agencies, garment manufacturers and retailers.

The results of the survey showed that:

• 71% currently rely on imports from the EU

• 92% are experiencing increased freight costs

• 83% are experiencing increased costs and bureaucracy for customs clearance

• 53% are experiencing cancelled orders as a result of how the EU-UK agreement is being implemented

• 41% had been hit by double duties

• The vast majority of the surveyed companies declared they are looking to pass the increased costs on to consumer in the next 6-12 months

The above situation is expected to get worse. Since 1 January, full customs controls are being implemented. It means that export and import rules have become stricter: products should already have a valid declaration in place and have received customs clearance. Export from Britain to the EU must now have supplier declarations and the commodities codes changed.

EURATEX calls on the European Union and the United Kingdom to effectively cooperate to address, solve and remove the issues in the EU-UK Trade agreement that currently prevent smooth trade flows between the two sides of the Channel. It is causing considerable losses for textile companies both in the EU as well as in the UK.

FITA, ABIT and EURATEX underline strategic importance of Mercosur – EU Partnership Agreement for the textile and apparel industry

The Argentine Textile Industry Federation (FITA), the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT), and the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX) continue to monitor the process of internalizing the Mercosur-European Union Partnership Agreement. This agreement is essential for the competitiveness of our industries, on both sides of the Atlantic.

European business associations celebrate the signature of the EU-Mercosur FTA

The 17th January marks a historic milestone with the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, creating the biggest trading block in the world. European business – represented by more than 28 associations across a wide range of sectors – warmly welcomes this signature. It sends a strong and timely signal that the EU remains open and is committed to rules-based global trade. In a time of global uncertainty, this agreement is a key growth booster.

Commission adopts a first-ever EU Visa Strategy

Today, the European Commission is adopting its first-ever EU Visa Strategy. It sets out a framework for a visa policy that is more strategic and that advances the EU's long-term interests, allowing it to be better equipped for growing mobility as well as the consequences of regional instability and geopolitical competition.

ICAC to support European Commission on pending PEF legislation

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is proud to announce that it has been included as a member of the European Commission’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) on the Product Environmental Footprint methodology. The Commission developed the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) to assess and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organizations.

EU and India conclude landmark Free Trade Agreement

The EU and India concluded negotiations today for a historic, ambitious and commercially significant free trade agreement (FTA), the largest such deal ever concluded by either side. It will strengthen economic and political ties between the world's second and fourth largest economies, at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and global economic challenges, highlighting their joint commitment to economic openness and rules-based trade.

Fabolose: Fabricating vegan and circular leather alternatives from bio-tech-derived cellulose

Fabulose is an EU funded project coordinated by the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF). Its consortium consists of leading research institutes, biotech innovators, and industry stakeholders who aim to create high-performance, biobased and recyclable leather-like fabrics, using efficient biotech production routes for bacterial cellulose, cyanophycin and bacterial pigments

Connecting the ASEAN textile sector: sustainability, trends, and technology take centre stage at this week’s VIATT 2026

Opening this week Thursday, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is set to welcome visitors from ASEAN’s dynamic textile market and beyond. From 26 to 28 February, VIATT 2026 – the fair’s third editions – will reinforce its strategic proposition with an integrated showcase of the three core sectors of the entire textile value chain. Beyond new sourcing opportunities in Apparel Fabrics & Fashion, Home & Contract Textiles, and Technical Textiles & Technologies, the fair will present an expanded fringe programme.

Measure and control the fiber – optimize yarn quality

Producing consistent yarn quality is an everyday challenge – and a very difficult one. Detailed knowledge and understanding of the fiber raw material is absolutely critical to achieving the best possible quality in the yarn. To help spinners, Uster experts have put together guidelines for avoiding yarn irregularity claims, in a special edition of the Uster News Bulletin.

Coats Digital appoints Himanshu Mehrotra as Managing Director to lead next phase of cloud and AI-driven innovation

Coats Digital is delighted to announce the appointment of Himanshu Mehrotra as Managing Director to lead the company’s strategic direction, innovation agenda, and global growth as it accelerates the development of its cloud-native, AI-powered software solutions for the global apparel and footwear supply chain.