TUNISIA: Textile and Clothing exports increased by 10.15 % in the first 5 months of 2011.

The textile & Clothing sector's exports rose by 10.15% in the first five months of 2011 compared with 2010, generating revenues estimated at 2 282 million Dinars.

The last economic bulletin of the Textile Technical Centre "CETTEX" (June 2011) shows a 9.9% increase in clothing exports and a 11.8% rise for textile exports. Tunisia imported in the same period 138 676 tons worth 1612 million dinars, that is to say a significant 10.21% rise.

Tunisia managed to keep its traditional customers during this period, namely the UK ( 27.3%), The Netherlands ( 21.1), Spain ( 18%), Belgium ( 11.1%), Germany ( 25.9%), Italy ( 7.3%) and France ( 5.5%).

Portugal, Spain, China, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, France and Italy are the 8 main countries that supply Tunisia with raw materials.

With its 2 036 plants (34.9% of the total number of Tunisian enterprises) and the 199 500 jobs generated by the sector (39.2% of manufacturing industries jobs), the textile-clothing sector represents a chief support of manufacturing industries in Tunisia.

At the international level, the sector keeps its 5th rank as EU clothing supplier with 2 309 million euros (4400 MTD), that is 3.8% of the total EU clothing imports in 2010.

The EU remains a priviliged partner of Tunisia since it accounts for 96% of the sector's exports. The major countries importing Tunisia's textile-clothing products are France (33.2%), Italy (29.1%), Germany (11.5%) and Belgium (6.7%).