2021 was ‘best year ever’ for textile, clothing exports
According to the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) in a statement, "contributing to this excellent result were the exports of knitted garments and home textiles."
Portuguese textile and clothing exports in 2021 recorded a record €5.419 billion, up 16.5% compared to 2020 and 3.9% above the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the sector association announced on Wednesday.
According to the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) in a statement, “contributing to this excellent result were the exports of knitted garments and home textiles.”
Knitted garments exported €2.336 billion, up €193 million (+9%) compared to 2019, while home textiles exported €763 million, up €112 million compared to 2019, representing a growth of 17%.
In contrast, woven garments “failed to recover from the effects of the pandemic”, exporting €796 million, down €189 million compared to 2019, registering a 19% drop.
In terms of export destinations for the sector, France reinforced its second place in the ‘ranking’ and was the market with the largest increase in absolute terms, with an increase of €119 million (equivalent to +18%).
The French market now accounts for 15% of total textiles and clothing exports.
The US was the non-EU destination that grew the most, with an increase of €107 million (+31.5%), and now represents 8% of the sector’s total exports.
Conversely, Spain, although continuing to lead the table of the sector’s main export destinations, was the one that suffered the biggest drop: minus €220 million, or -14%.
If, in 2019, the Spanish market represented 31% of the total, in 2021 its weight fell to 25%.
According to the ATP, whose analysis is based on international trade in goods data released today by Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE), in 2021 the sector’s trade balance had a positive balance of €1.168 billion, with a coverage rate of 127%.
