A look at Portugal's last two years of Clothing Industry

According to the Bank of Portugal, in 2020 the portuguese economy registered a GDP contraction of 7.6%, in real terms, compared to the previous year, reflecting the negative effects of the covid-19 pandemic on economic activity.

The latest Bank of Portugal projections point to a GDP growth of 3.9% in 2021 and 4.5% in 2022, while the European Commission expects growth of 4.1% and 4.3%, respectively.

With regard to imports and exports of textile and clothing goods, Portugal imported 13% less and exported 22.6% more during January – July 2020 compared to the last year. On the positive side, exports of sweaters, cardigans, vests and similar knitted items stood out, which increased by 19% compared to 2019.

The following countries also stand out as the main recipients of portuguese exports in terms of clothing and their respective value:

Table 1 – Destination of portuguese exports; 2020

​Clothing and its accessories, knitted	(€)
​ES: Spain	​575 961 343,00€
​FR: France	277 704 385,00€​
​DE: Germany	187 134 528,00€​
​IT: Italy	172 048 200,00€​
​GB: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	165 748 320,00€​

From table 1, clothing and knitwear accessories, Spain leads while the UK and Northern Ireland are at the bottom of the top 5.

In terms of clothing and accessories, except knitwear, table 2, Spain remains in first place, however, closing the top 5 is the United States of America.

Table 2 – Destination of portuguese exports; 2020

Clothing and its accessories, except knitted	(€)
​ES: Spain	​269 048 610,00 €
​FR: France	​121 301 238,00 €
​DE: Germany	​69 025 735,00 €
​GB: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	​64 300 931,00 €
​US: United States of America	​33 068 823,00 €

In terms of the Portuguese's favorite clothing brands, Zara leads with 36.3%, followed by H&M with a share of 33.2% and Sacoor with 24%. Portuguese consumers also define their style as casual and prefer to make payments through ATM.

It can be concluded that the textile industry in Portugal remains strong and ready for the next challenges! You can count on us to develop your collection in the best portuguese factories, with sustainability and ethics as the basis of the business.