Tunisia, Kenya wear smiles of success

摘要

With clothing exports in excess of US$3000mn, Tunisia is clearly a key forex-earning component of the world's fastest-growing continent. Kenya's export business is still worth less than one-tenth of this, but these earnings have been generated since the year 2000 as a result of generous US trade arrangements which pre-date the Obama era. Both countries remain key importers of both textile fabrics and clothing too, and also destinations for major amounts of incoming foreign direct investment in this highly competitive business. Tunisia long-established industry was the subject of a penetrating analysis by the UN/WTO's International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva last year. Noting the downturn in clothing exports recently, Tunisia said it should 'move beyond' its traditional markets in Europe and investigate, amongst others, improving business prospects in North America, the Middle East and even sub-Saharan Africa.