Salvadoran textile exports rise 2.7% in Jan-April'13

30 Aug '13

2 min read

The exports of textile and apparel from the Central American country of El Salvador rose by 2.7 percent year-on-year to US$ 717 million in the period January to April 2013, according to the latest data released by Chamber of Textiles, Clothing and Free Zones of El Salvador (CAMTEX).

In April 2013 itself, the country’s textile and garment exports increased by 9 percent to US$ 196.1 million, compared to US$ 180 million worth of exports made during the corresponding month of 2012.

In the first quarter of 2013, the United States stood to be the main destination for Salvadoran textiles and clothing, and accounted for 78 percent of total exports made by El Salvador, the data showed.

The Central American region accounted for 21 percent of Salvadoran textile and garment exports during the quarter, with Honduras alone importing US$ 106.4 million worth of goods.

In 2012, textile and garment exports fetched US$ 2.196 billion for El Salvador. Of which, cotton textiles and apparel accounted for US$ 1.436 billion, while synthetic textiles and apparel earned US$ 505.25 million, and other textiles were valued at US$ 254.58 million.

CAMTEX report pegged the total employment in the Salvadoran textile and apparel sector at 72,596, as of March 2013, which is an increase of 3,307 jobs compared to the same period in 2012.

The textile and apparel industry is one of the strongest pillars of the El Salvadoran economy as it accounts for over half of the total exports made by the country.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India