Europe and the world: external trade in fibres, textiles and clothing

摘要

The weak economic situation for textiles and clothing in 1996 was reflected in the textile fibres trade trend. The balance of trade again improved compared to previous years because of the purchase drop in wool and chemical fibres. While imports decreased in terms of value (-7.8% compared to 1995), export growth reached a stable value (+0.5% compared with 1995), so the commercial deficit was reduced in 1996 to 2 billion ECU from 2.3 billion in the previous year.