Market evolution: Other vegetable fibre fabrics (CN 5311) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the trade dynamics of CN 5311 — woven fabrics of other vegetable textile fibres (including ramie, hemp, and paper yarn) — for the European Union over the 2015–2025 period. The data reveals a market characterised by sustained import growth, a shift in export geography from North Africa to West Africa, and a structural transformation of the EU from a net importer toward a more balanced yet increasingly export-oriented position. The EU's trade in this niche textile category has undergone significant reconfiguration across partners, member states, and pricing structures.

The full product definition and data overview can be explored here.

Import dependency persists despite a diversifying supplier base

China consolidates its dominance while new Asian suppliers emerge

EU imports of CN 5311 grew from €11.0 million in 2015 to €18.5 million in 2025, a rise of 68.6% in value and 38.7% in volume. China remains by far the largest supplier, accounting for €10.9 million in 2025 (up 59.3% from 2015), representing over half of total imports by value. India also grew strongly, from €1.1 million to €2.7 million (+155.4%), consolidating its position as the second-largest supplier.

Notably, several traditional suppliers declined or vanished:

Hong Kong's near-total disappearance from import flows likely reflects a re-routing of Chinese supply chains directly through mainland China rather than a genuine collapse in demand. Indonesia, meanwhile, has emerged as a minor but fast-growing supplier, though from a negligible base.

Further detail on partner breakdown.

Spain becomes the EU's primary import gateway

Among EU member states, the import geography has shifted markedly. Spain grew from €1.6 million to €6.2 million (+282.1%), becoming the largest importer by 2025 — displacing Germany, which declined from €2.2 million to €1.4 million (−36.6%). Italy also grew strongly (+156.4%), while Czechia collapsed (−83.6%), suggesting a possible relocation of downstream processing activities.

This shift may reflect the growing role of Spain's textile industry and its geographic proximity to North African re-export hubs.

Further detail on reporter breakdown.

Exports grow in value but the geographic focus shifts from Tunisia to West Africa

Export value rises nearly 50% despite stagnating volumes

EU exports of CN 5311 increased from €9.7 million in 2015 to €14.4 million in 2025 (+48.8%). However, export quantities barely moved, rising only 4.0% from 585 to 609 tonnes. This divergence is explained by a sharp increase in unit export prices, which rose from €16,526/t to €23,650/t (+43.1%), suggesting that the EU has increasingly specialised in higher-value or more processed fabrics within this product category.

The contrast with import pricing is striking: imported fabrics averaged €4,811/t in 2025 versus €23,650/t for exports. This fivefold price differential indicates that the EU acts as an intermediary processor or niche producer, importing lower-grade raw fabrics and exporting premium or finished goods.

Morocco and Senegal displace Tunisia as primary export destinations

The export partner landscape has been fundamentally reshaped:

Morocco's rise is the most significant development. From €1.4 million in 2015, EU exports to Morocco reached €6.4 million in 2025, making it the single largest export destination — accounting for nearly 44% of total EU exports by value. This likely reflects Morocco's growing role as a textile finishing and re-export hub, with EU fabrics being sent for further processing under offshoring and nearshoring arrangements.

Senegal's emergence from virtually zero to €1.4 million is equally striking and points to a new West African demand base — potentially linked to growing fashion and garment manufacturing in the region.

Tunisia, historically the dominant export partner, declined by 58%, potentially reflecting competitive pressure from Morocco or shifting outsourcing patterns.

Italy remains the leading exporter but Spain and France surge ahead

Italy has long been the EU's dominant exporter of CN 5311 fabrics, accounting for €7.3 million in 2015. By 2025, Italian exports had declined to €5.2 million (−28.7%), but Italy still represents the largest single-country share. Spain, however, underwent a transformation from €1.3 million to €6.6 million (+417.2%), overtaking Italy by 2025. France similarly grew from €230,000 to €1.1 million (+384.5%).

Spain's rise mirrors its growing role as an import hub and suggests the development of an integrated import-processing-export value chain, particularly oriented toward Morocco and North/West Africa.

Price shocks and supply volatility signal a structurally fragile niche market

Morocco and Türkiye experienced pronounced export price shocks

The volatility analysis reveals that certain trade relationships exhibit high instability. The coefficient of variation (CV) for exports to Morocco stands at 0.82 and for Türkiye at 0.93, indicating significant year-to-year price fluctuations. Three specific shock events stand out:

Morocco's price shock in 2022 — a 343% price shift — is particularly significant given that Morocco accounts for over 25% of EU export value. This may reflect supply chain disruptions or a shift toward higher-value shipments. The Türkiye shock in 2020 coincides with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruption of textile supply chains.

On the import side, volatility is highest for smaller or newer suppliers such as Indonesia (CV 1.11), Morocco (CV 1.25), and the United States (CV 2.07). China and India, by contrast, show relatively stable import flows (CV of 0.18 and 0.33 respectively), confirming their role as dependable baseline suppliers.

Further detail on volatility indicators and supply shocks.

EU production declines in value while trade intensity rises sharply

The EU's domestic production of CN 5311 fabrics shows a concerning trend: production volume grew by 26.7% (from 2.4 million m² to 3.0 million m²), but production value fell by 52.4% (from €21.0 million to €10.0 million). This suggests a move toward lower-value production or declining margins.

Meanwhile, trade intensity — the ratio of trade to domestic production — rose from 63.9% to 110.7% (+73.1%). Export propensity surged even more dramatically, from 24.3% to 126.4% (+420.5%). These figures indicate that the EU's trade activity in CN 5311 has become increasingly detached from domestic production volumes, with re-export and processing-for-export dynamics gaining ground.

Further detail on trade intensity and export propensity.

Italy and Lithuania lead specialisation; import concentration softens

The Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) analysis for 2025 shows that Italy (RSCA 0.64) and Lithuania (0.82) are the most specialised EU producers in CN 5311. Italy's position is consistent with its historical strength in high-end textiles, while Lithuania's high specialisation (despite a small market share) may reflect niche production for regional markets. At the other end, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, and Slovakia show no meaningful specialisation (RSCA near −1.0).

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for import concentration by value declined slightly from 4,101 to 3,874 (−5.5%), indicating a modest diversification away from single-supplier dependency — though the index remains elevated, reflecting China's continued dominance. Export concentration by value rose from 1,889 to 2,282 (+20.8%), suggesting that export flows have become more concentrated on fewer destinations, particularly Morocco.

Further detail on specialisation and concentration.

Conclusion

The EU trade in CN 5311 over 2015–2025 tells a story of structural transformation. While imports have grown faster than exports in absolute value terms (€18.5m vs. €14.4m in 2025), the EU's net import reliance has actually declined from 46.2% to 16.9%, indicating that export growth has been more than sufficient to narrow the trade gap.

Three defining dynamics emerge:

1. Geographic reorientation: The export landscape has shifted decisively from Tunisia to Morocco and West Africa (Senegal, Algeria), reflecting broader nearshoring trends and the growing importance of African textile manufacturing hubs.

2. Value-chain upgrading: The EU increasingly imports lower-priced fabrics (averaging €4,811/t) and exports premium products (€23,650/t), suggesting a shift toward higher value-added processing and specialisation.

3. Growing vulnerability through concentration: Despite slight import diversification, export flows have become more concentrated on Morocco, and several trade relationships (Morocco, Senegal, Indonesia) exhibit high volatility. The collapse of some traditional suppliers (Hong Kong, Taiwan) and the rise of new ones (Indonesia) add further uncertainty.

The coming years will test whether Morocco can sustain its central role without destabilising shocks, whether West African demand continues to grow, and whether Italy can maintain its specialisation advantage as Spain and France scale up their export activities.