Prospects for the Textile and Clothing Industry in Malaysia

摘要

The textile and clothing industry in Malaysia is a significant earner of foreign exchange for the country. In 2011 it generated exports valued at US$3.85 bn while imports in the same year were worth US$2.65 bn. There were 662 licensed companies in the industry in 2011, representing a total investment of US$2.6 bn, and a further 1,000 or so small-scale enterprises. Employment stands at around 48,000. That said, unlike the position in many Asian countries, the industry is not a dominant force in Malaysia as the focus of development of the Malaysian manufacturing sector in recent years has been on investment and expansion in high-tech sectors, especially electronics. In fact, employment in the Malaysian textile and clothing industry has been falling, and in 2011 the country ranked just 22nd in the league of textile and clothing exporters, assuming that EU member states are considered as individual suppliers.