Trends in Natural and Man-made Fibres Trade

Examining global fibre industry integration, the analysis reveals varied approaches: China's extensive, low-cost processing across all stages; India's targeted strength in cotton and jute; Vietnam and Türkiye’s process-driven model with imported raw materials; and Italy’s focus on high-value, design-led fabric exports.
This study points to different production and trade integration approaches adopted by countries in the global fibre industry. China has integrated the textile and textile products industries, maintaining a strong presence at all processing stages, dominating fabric exports in most fibre types. China’s predominance can be explained by its vast processing capacity, its domestic production of both natural and man-made fibres, which has allowed its textile and apparel industries to produce low-cost and versatile textile products as demanded inter alia by the fashion industry. India follows a similar but more focused approach, concentrating on sectors where it has a strong presence, particularly cotton and jute. In contrast, countries such as Viet Nam and Türkiye have adopted a process-oriented integration model, specializing in yarn and fabric production, and relying heavily on imported raw materials. Italy represents yet another approach, focusing on high-value segments and building competitive advantage through design and quality in high-end fabric exports. The remainder of the analysis is organized as follows. First, it examines production and trade patterns for different fibre types and product categories, providing detailed data on volumes and values. Second, it analyzes market access conditions, including both tariff and NTMs, and their evolution over time. Third, it examines production and trade integration patterns.

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