Investing in the future of jobs and skills: Textiles, wearing apparel and leather products - Sector report

The European textiles, clothing and leather sector (TCL) lost 40% of its production volume and 40% of its jobs at the same time within a ten year period from 1996. It had to accept continuously rising import shares from low-cost countries – China in particular. The phasing out of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing in 2005 gave a further push to this trend. Mass-production largely disappeared from high-wage areas in the EU while low-cost areas – the New Member States, Portugal and Greece – could keep at least some parts of TCL production.