TIRANA, Dec 1 /ATA/ The export of textiles and footwear, which constitutes an important item of Albania’s foreign trade, has shown signs of recovery during the first 10 months of this year, compared to the corresponding period of 2020.
Yet, exports were lower, compared to the 10-month period of 2019, which coincides with the pre-pandemic period. Exporters operating in the industry say the sector is still facing a shortage of new orders due to stocks built up during the lockdown.
Referring to the data published by the Institute of Statistics, the exports of this group reached ALL 91.7 billion during the period January-October of this year, when in the 10 month period of 2019 they were estimated at over ALL 118.2 billion. While during the 10 months of 2020, exports of textiles and footwear amounted to ALL 85 billion.
The tailoring industry has a specific contribution to Albanian exports and employment. This industry contributes 38% of total exports and employs 45% of the workforce.
Thanks to advantages such as the geographical position of the country, the legal framework up to EU standards, low cost of transport and infrastructure, active work force in this sector, but also investments of companies in machinery and equipment, recent years have seen an expansion of exports to new markets with some companies adopting closed loop production.
/j.p/r.e/sm/
