According to Reinhard E. Döpfer, Chairman of the European Fashion and Textile
Export Council, EFTEC, fashion in the amount of € 511 million was
shipped to Turkey from the traditional member states of the EU-15, last
year. “Although the world economic crisis has lead to a moderate
decline of European fashion exports to Turkey at 7 per cent in 2009
against the year before, quite a number of European member states were
in a position to increase their exports to the home market of cpi”,
Döpfer explained ..In this regard, he referred to Spain in
particular, from where exports of textile fashion to Turkey increased
by 19 per cent to a purchasing value of € 119 million, last year. As
the data provided by EFTEC clearly prove, Spain gained market
leadership of the European fashion industry in Turkey over Italy, from
where clothing exports declined by 19 per cent to a total of € 113
million, in 2009. Belgium is the third largest apparel exporter from
the European Union to Turkey, having shipped fashion to this country
accounting for a value of € 82,8 million ( 2 %),followed by the United
Kingdom (- 9 % to € 69 million), Germany ( 1 % to € 57 million) and
France (- 30 % to € 29 million.) ..As EFTEC further assessed,
womenswear is the most important segment of fashion exported from the
European Union to Turkey. In 2009, fashion for women in the amount of €
236 million was ordered by Turkish clients, down by seven per cent
against 2008. Among the best sellers ranged dresses ( 18 % to € 49
million), followed by women’s trousers (- 8 % to € 42 million) and
sweaters, twin-sets and cardigans (- 24 % to € 35 million). Main
European supplier of womenswear is Spain ( 18 % to € 87,6 million).
The second largest category for European clothing exporters to Turkey
is menswear, accounting for a purchasing value of € 146,5 million, last
year, representing a slight reduction of 4 per cent. Turkish demand
concentrated on men’s trousers made of cotton and wool, up by 4 per
cent to a total of € 39,7 million as well as denim trousers for which
an increase was registered at 27 per cent to € 14 million. A further
product range on which Turkish clients focused their orders were
outdoor-jackets and coats from European suppliers, for which an
increase of 6 per cent to € 23 million came valid ..European
exporters to Turkey also keep trying to push sales of bodywear, the
third largest product segment of shipments to this country. Last year,
purchasing value of lingerie related articles composed € 41 million,
down by 7 per cent against 2008. Apart from the Turkish clothing retail
market, European exporters interested in participating in the first
edition of cpi look ahead for special opportunities to widen and deepen
customer relationships with twenty further export markets located in
the nearer and farer neighbourhood of Turkey ..Particular targets
of interest are the retail markets of the region of the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA), the Arabic Gulf markets, the emerging markets of
Central Asia as well as the South-Eastern European markets. According
to EFTEC, such markets accounted for an EU-15 export value of € 3,21
billion, last year, excluding Turkey. Key target markets which cpi is
expected to address in particular are Romania with export shipments
worth € 442 in 2009, followed by the United Arab Emirates (€ 402
million), Saudi Arabia (€ 280 million) and Bulgaria (€ 224 million) .
Date:5/13/2010
Source:in.reuters.com