Textile and clothing exports soared 82.2% in April

  • Lusa
  • 11 June 2021

The Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) said that "April brought a new glow" to the sector's exports.

Portuguese textile and clothing exports soared 82.2% to €451 million in April, year-on-year, and grew 5.3% compared to April 2019, the period before the pandemic crisis, the sector association said on Friday.

In a statement, the Textile and Clothing Association of Portugal (ATP) said that “April brought a new glow” to the sector’s exports, which in the four months since January have accumulated a 15.5% rise compared to the same period of 2020, but still recorded a negative evolution rate (-0.9%) compared to the same period of 2019 (pre-crisis).

Based on data from Statistics Portugal (INE), and in a detailed analysis by product, the ATP highlights that, compared to the pre-crisis period, the products that recorded the best performances in the first four months of 2021 were ‘other made-up textile articles’ (with an increase of €61 million; +31%), in particular, ‘bed linen, table linen, bathroom linen and kitchen linen, of any textile material’, with an increase of €35 million, or +23%.

Knitted and crocheted clothing also stands out (with an increase of €36 million; +5%), in particular the segment of ‘jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, knitted or crocheted’, with an increase of €22 million or +16%.

Fabric clothing, on the other hand, recorded in this period, compared to 2019, a drop of 28%, with 94 million fewer euros exported.

In terms of destinations, the ATP highlights exports to France – which, until April, accumulated an increase of €31 million (+13%) compared to the same period of 2019 – and to the US, with a rise of 19%, equivalent to €21 million more.

Germany and Denmark also recorded an increase in the period under review, in both cases more than €11 million.

Exports to Spain, on the contrary, continue to stand out in the negative, with a decrease of €102 million (equivalent to -19%) until April, compared to 2019.

Concerning textile and clothing imports, from January to April they totalled €1.15 billion, falling by around 20% compared to 2019.

The sector’s trade balance in the period under review recorded a positive balance of €606 million.