Working on behalf of external clients, or what we know as tall manufacturing is still the main activity of Bulgaria’s clothing industry. It is noteworthy that in a period of crisis, in 2011 there was a slight rise of the trade in clothing, textiles and knitwear. According to unofficial data, it was about 7 percent. The share of such products in exports – are expected to account for 8% of country’s entire export volume, while of imports the share will be about 5 percent. In exports what traditionally dominates is clothing forming 82% of exported goods, while textiles accounted for the remaining 18 percent.
Problems in the sector has long been known and remain the same. For example, despite high unemployment in the regions where large clothing enterprises operate, well-trained workers and specialists are hard to find. There is a lack not only in workers in the production shops, but also in middle-level managers to organize the process, company executives point out. Representatives of the trade association recognize as their error that they did not propose programmes to be implemented in specialized schools and universities.
Another big problem for the textile industry is the imports of second hand clothes and cheap clothing from China. A man’s shirt, produced in our country, costs about ten levs, while Chinese imports retain price at about a dollar and second hand ones are even cheaper. Shrinking domestic consumption makes it harder to develop the internal market and companies rely heavily on exports. European countries consume 95% of exported goods. For the domestic market now work a few companies that have their niches and regular customers.
As to exports, there is no change. According to an analysis of the trade association the largest share in it – 32%, or EUR375 million is generated by suits, jackets, dresses, skirts, and pants. The smallest contribution to the exports of Bulgarian textile production, with 2% , are sweat suits, overalls, ski suits and swimwear.
Our trade partners are also relatively constant. Italy continues to be first with a share of 24 percent, followed by Germany with 23 percent and Greece with 13 percent. Thus in these three countries account for more than half of the Bulgarian textile exports. The top three are followed by France, England and Spain.
Our traditional exports are directed thus mainly to the European Union and less to neighbouring countries. In addition to Greece, our main partners from the region are Turkey and Romania, where Bulgaria sold products for EUR188 million in the first eight months of 2011.
A defining trend in our import structure is that China has recovered its lost positions from several years ago. So in 2011, six countries – China, Italy, Germany, Greece, Turkey and France, formed 74.8% import of textiles to Bulgaria, that was for EUR687 million and increased against 2010 by 16.4 percent.
