The Moroccan textile-clothing sector experienced a heavy drop of 25% in 2020 due to the health crisis (Covid-19). Morocco’s clothing exports to the European Union rebounded by 24.7% to reach 2.47 billion euros. As a result, Morocco is ranked the seventh largest clothing supplier to the EU with a market share of 3.4%, after dropping to 2.9% in 2020.
Morocco is restoring its position in the European Union clothing market, in 2021 the textile industry in the Kingdom is ranked seventh in the world supplier of the EU, with 2.47 billion Euros.
According to the latest statistics published by the Euro-Mediterranean Circle of Textile-Clothing Leaders (Cedith). “ Morocco’s clothing exports rebounded strongly in 2021 after a heavy drop of 25% in 2020 due to the epidemic crisis. Its exports increased by 24.7% to reach 2.47 billion euros. This fine performance should not, however, hide the fact that Moroccan exports in 2021 remain below their 2019 level by 160 million euros”underlines Jean-François Limantour, president of Cedith.
The same international textile expert adds that over the past three years, Morocco’s share of EU clothing imports rose to 3.4% in 2021, after falling to 2.9%. % in 2020.
Furthermore, Jean-François Limantour indicates that “its average prices increased by 1.6% in 2021, while those of all suppliers fell by 0.8%. Like many other suppliers, Morocco was hit hard by the dismantling of the Multifibre Agreements (removal of quotas) which opened Europe’s doors wide to Asian exporters in 2005”.
However,“Morocco has been able to react, with strong support from the State, and begin a good recovery from 2013. We will nevertheless observe that its 2021 exports are only 2.3% higher than their 2007 level”explains the same source.
Generally, European Union imports of clothing increased by 5.6% in 2021 to reach 72.28 billion euros. The EU has 206 clothing suppliers. However, imports are highly concentrated: the top three suppliers alone (China, Bangladesh, Turkey) supply nearly two-thirds (62.9%), according to Cedith.
It should be noted that China alone represents 30.3% of EU imports, with 21.87 billion euros. It thus remains the first country exporting clothing to the European Union.
China is still followed by Bangladesh (14.29 billion euros) and Turkey (9.22 billion). Also in the top 5 are India (3.39 billion) and Vietnam (2.86 billion). Morocco is still positioned as the leading African clothing exporter to the community market. The Kingdom is ahead of Tunisia in particular (1.83 billion euros), and by far Egypt (319 million euros).
According to Jean-François Limantour, the market experienced a paradoxical situation in 2021. Imported apparel prices fell an average of 0.8% at a time when there was a strong surge in commodity prices.
Finally, the president of Cedith points out that“in this respect, the current surge in the prices of materials fueled by the war in Ukraine (historic peak in the price of cotton on March 21), Brent and therefore polyesters, energy and transport, suggests situations particularly difficult at all stages of the textile-clothing chain in the weeks and months to come”.
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