Clothing sector cornerstone of Moroccan economy

21 Jun '10

2 min read

Morocco, a country located on the North-west tip of the African continent has a vibrant textile and clothing export sector and is also considered one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy. Clothing shipments in particular account for more than 70 percent of overall exports from the sector.

Total exports from the industry touched Dirham 25.8 billion (US $2.91 billion) at today's rates, of which apparel shipments stood at Dirham 18.5 ($2.08 billion), knitwear exports touched Dirham 6.5 billion ($733 million) and textile exports reached Dirham 798 million ($90.08 million).

Amongst the main markets of the export sector in 2009 was, France with 45 percent market share, Spain 22 percent, UK 12 percent, Germany 7.6 percent, Italy 1.3 percent, US 0.83 percent, Portugal 0.89 percent, Belgium and Luxembourg with 1.06 percent market share each.

If considered as a value-addition sector, it is the biggest employment generator by employing 41 percent of total workforce). The sector accounts for 9 percent of total investments, 5 percent of industrial production, 25 percent of industrial exports and 14 percent of the added value.

The Moroccan clothing sector is known for high-added value production and has around 980 units and produces all kinds of apparels. On the other hand, the knitwear is known for its strong integration and a diversified range of items like jerseys, sweatshirts, t-shirts, socks, swimwear and polo-shirts.

The textile sector accounts for 480 units, mainly into spinning, weaving and processing. It offers a diversified range of products like, upholstery, curtains, blankets and various fabrics. Cotton fabrics make up for 51 percent of textile shipments, synthetic fibre fabrics 28 percent, household linen 14 percent and blankets 5 percent.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India