Moroccan ready-made garments and textile exports to the European Union (EU) decreased by 9.3 percent in the first quarter of 2002. Sales dropped from $400 million to $363 million in the first three months of the year, confirmed Moroccan Garment Industry Association figures.
The association attributed the losses to an increase in competition with Asian textile vendors and a decrease in European demand for ready-made clothing. The association predicted that sales would reach $2.8 billion in 2002.
Textiles are one of the most important sectors in Morocco. In 1999, the sector comprised over 1472 production units employing approximately 196,000 people - predominantly women Close to 50 percent of the production units involved in the sector are small and medium sized firms. The production of nearly 1000 companies representing 56 percent of the total number of industrial exporting companies is partially or totally export orientated. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
