Market evolution: Woven apparel and accessories (CN 62) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the trade performance of Combined Nomenclature heading 62 — Articles of Apparel and Clothing Accessories, Not Knitted or Crocheted — for the European Union over the period 2015–2025. CN 62 covers a broad range of woven garments, from suits and trousers to overcoats, shirts, swimwear and accessories. The period under review was marked by profound structural changes: the near-collapse of EU domestic production, a dramatic increase in import dependence, geographic diversification of sourcing, and a striking upward repositioning of EU exports in terms of unit value. Three major dynamics stand out and are explored in the sections below. Data are drawn from the Trade Dashboard for CN 62.

1. From workshop to wardrobe: the erosion of EU manufacturing and growing import dependence

EU domestic production contracted sharply

Over the 2015–2025 period, EU production of woven apparel collapsed in both volume and value:

The decline in quantity far outpaced the decline in value, indicating that surviving EU producers have shifted towards higher-value items — but the overall footprint has shrunk dramatically. The most specialised producing Member States in 2025, measured by Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage, are Denmark (RSCA 0.43), Poland (0.33), Spain (0.31), Italy (0.22) and Bulgaria (0.22).

Imports surged in both volume and value while exports shed weight

The trade data tell a complementary story. Imports grew from €36.0 billion to €43.8 billion (+21.5%) in value and from 1.65 million tonnes to 1.92 million tonnes (+16.7%) in quantity. By contrast, EU exports rose in value from €17.3 billion to €21.0 billion (+21.5%) but fell in volume from 280,153 tonnes to 241,500 tonnes (−13.8%). The trade balance widened from −€18.7 billion to −€22.8 billion.

Net import reliance nearly quintupled

The most telling indicator of this structural shift is the net import reliance, which soared from 10.9% in 2015 to 60.8% in 2025 — a 456% increase. Trade intensity (the ratio of trade to domestic production value) more than tripled from 34.9% to 117.2%, and export propensity (exports as a share of production) leapt from 16.3% to 174.0%. These figures reflect a sector that has moved decisively from self-sufficiency to dependence on third-country sourcing.

2. Asian consolidation meets European diversification: the shifting geography of supply

South and Southeast Asian suppliers gained ground while China's share eroded

Seven partners accounted for the bulk of EU imports by value:

China remained the single largest supplier at €13.3 billion, but its share of total imports declined as other partners grew faster. Bangladesh, the second-largest source, saw imports surge by 66.3%, driven by competitive labour costs and EU trade preferences. Pakistan (+76.5%), Vietnam (+49.2%) and especially Myanmar (+401.2%) registered the fastest growth, though from smaller bases. The import Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) fell from 1,778 to 1,456 (−18.1%), confirming that the EU's import base has become less concentrated — a structural diversification away from heavy reliance on China.

The UK and Russia lost weight as export destinations; Switzerland and the US gained

On the export side, the geography shifted significantly:

The United Kingdom, once the EU's largest single export market for woven apparel, saw deliveries decline by 29.5% — a drop likely linked to post-Brexit trade frictions and currency effects. Exports to Russia nearly halved (−46.4%), consistent with the sanctions regime following 2022. Meanwhile, Switzerland overtook the UK as the top destination, and the United States, China and Türkiye all registered strong growth. The export HHI also fell from 921 to 817 (−11.3%), indicating a broadening of the EU's outward market reach.

Volatility varied widely across partners

The coefficient of variation of import flows reveals that some fast-growing suppliers are also the most volatile. Myanmar (CV 0.47), Pakistan (0.19) and Türkiye (0.16) show higher year-to-year swings than China (0.11) or Vietnam (0.10). On the export side, shipments to the UK (CV 0.84), Ukraine (0.47) and Russia (0.37) were the most unstable — in each case reflecting policy or geopolitical disruptions rather than market fundamentals. Notable supply shocks were detected for Pakistan (price shock in 2022, +20.5%) and Bangladesh (price shock in 2022, +20.5%), likely reflecting post-pandemic raw-material cost pressures and shipping disruptions.

3. The price scissors: EU exports move upmarket as import unit values stagnate

Export unit values surged while import prices barely moved

The most striking price dynamic of the decade is the divergence between export and import unit values:

EU exporters shipped 13.8% fewer tonnes but earned 21.5% more revenue, implying a sharp increase in the average value per kilogramme of outbound apparel. Importers, meanwhile, added 16.7% more volume for only 21.5% more cost — a near-proportional relationship that points to flat or declining real import prices.

Product-level data confirm a quality gap

The product segment breakdown makes the divergence visible at the heading level. Taking the two largest categories — women's woven garments (CN 6204) and men's woven garments (CN 6203) — as examples:

Import unit values for the major categories remained essentially flat over the decade — the EU continued to source volume apparel at stable, low per-tonne prices. Export unit values, by contrast, rose by 36% to 106% depending on the category. The sharpest increase was in men's outerwear (CN 6201), where the export price per tonne more than doubled. This is consistent with the EU specialising in premium, branded and design-intensive garments while offshoring commodity production.

The EU's woven apparel sector is restructuring, not retreating

The simultaneous decline in physical output, growth in import volumes and surge in export unit values paint a coherent picture. The EU has progressively exited low-margin, labour-intensive woven apparel manufacturing and redirected its productive capacity towards higher-value segments. At the same time, the growing trade intensity (reaching 117.2% by 2025) signals that EU-based firms increasingly operate as intermediaries — importing fabrics or finished garments, adding design, branding or finishing, and re-exporting at a premium.

Conclusion

The decade 2015–2025 fundamentally reshaped the EU's position in the global woven apparel market. Domestic production shrank by two-thirds in volume, and net import reliance climbed from 11% to 61%. China remained the dominant supplier but saw its share erode as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam and Myanmar absorbed a growing share of demand — a diversification that, while positive for supply-chain resilience, introduces new volatility risks. On the export side, the EU shed weight (−13.8% in tonnes) but moved sharply upmarket (+41% in unit value), reflecting a strategic pivot towards high-value, design-led products. Geopolitical events — Brexit, the Russia sanctions regime, and post-pandemic supply disruptions — left clear fingerprints on bilateral flows, but the overarching trend is structural rather than cyclical. The EU's woven apparel sector is increasingly a hub for premium positioning and trade intermediation, not for mass production.