Released on = April 19, 2007, 2:30 am

Press Release Author = Namrata

Industry = Small Business

Press Release Summary = In 2001 the industry accounted for 19.4% of total exports
and employed 225,869 people, providing some 24.8% of total manufacturing employment
in the country.

Press Release Body = Profile of the Textile and Clothing Industry in Portugal

Textiles and clothing represent Portugal's largest industrial sector. In 2001 the
industry accounted for 19.4% of total exports and employed 225,869 people, providing
some 24.8% of total manufacturing employment in the country. Small enterprises
dominate. Of the 13,069 firms in the industry in 2001, some 70.3% employed fewer
than ten people. Membership of the EU has enabled the Portuguese textile and
clothing industry to develop its trade with the rest of Europe. In 2001 EU member
states took 83.4% of Portuguese exports and supplied 78.8% of the country's imports.
In terms of turnover, Portugal is the seventh largest textile producer in the EU and
the sixth biggest producer of clothing. By late 2002, however, the Portuguese
textile and clothing industry was experiencing difficulties. A number of firms went
bankrupt while others relocated their operations in an attempt to reduce costs,
resulting in a large number of redundancies. In the past, the Portuguese textile and
clothing industry was able to compete on the basis of low wage levels. But new
shifts in global production have resulted in the relocation of production to
Portugal's low cost neighbours in East European and Mediterranean countries, with a
consequent loss of jobs. To survive, Portugal's producers need to adapt to these new
conditions by moving away from their present model of low cost operations and
embracing the challenges posed by innovation, creativity and marketing.

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