TUNISIAN TEXTILE & GARMENT EXPORTS SHOT UP 2.94% IN JAN-FEB 2014

The exports of textile, apparel and leather fetched 1,119.8 million dinars in the first two months of 2014 for the North African country of Tunisia, according to the data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

 

The exports in January-February 2014 period were 2.94 percent more than exports worth 1,087.8 million dinars made during the corresponding months of last year, according to the data.

 

In 2013, Tunisian textile, garment and leather sector earned 6,227.2 million dinars in exports, registering an increase of 5.05 percent over 2012 exports of 5,927.8 million dinars.

 

On the import front, Tunisian textile, apparel and leather sector spent 712.9 million dinars during the initial two months of 2014, showing a rise of 8.7 percent over imports of 655.8 million dinars made during the same period last year.

 

Tunisian textile, clothing and leather imports grew 4.68 percent last year to 4,473.5 million dinars from imports of 4,273.2 million dinars in 2012.

 

According to the recent statistics released by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation, there are a total of 1,826 textile and garment manufacturing units in Tunisia, which make up 32 percent of the total 5,701 industrial units in the country that employ 10 or more people.

 

These 1,826 textile and apparel units together employ 174,283 people, or 33.9 percent of the overall 513,960 persons employed in Tunisian industries having 10 or more employees.

 

The textile and apparel sector in Tunisia is the largest employer and the second-largest foreign exchange earner for the country, which is the smallest country, in terms of land area, in northern Africa.

 

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India