According to the latest data released by the European Apparel and Textile Confederation (EURATEX), the European textile and apparel industry continued to face significant challenges during the first quarter of 2026, extending the difficult conditions that have affected the sector since 2023.

Weak consumer demand, intensifying competition from low-cost imports, and declining export activity continued to weigh on industry performance, preventing a meaningful recovery.

Although the final quarter of 2025 brought signs of stabilization, with turnover remaining steady and exports recording modest growth, raising expectations of an improving business environment, the positive momentum proved short-lived. The first quarter of 2026 marked a return to declining performance across the sector.

All major economic indicators posted negative results during the period.

Production declined by 5.1% in the apparel industry and by 4.2% in the textile industry.

Turnover also weakened, falling by 4.2% in the apparel sector and by 3.0% in the textile sector compared with the same period a year earlier.

Exports continued to contract, decreasing by 3.2% for apparel and by 2.1% for textiles.

The slowdown in consumer spending across the European Union also had a substantial impact on imports. Apparel imports fell by 11.6%, while textile imports declined by 10.6%.

Within the apparel sector, the steepest declines in imports were recorded from Bangladesh (-19.3%), Turkey (-18.9%), and China (-7.9%).

In the textile sector, imports from Pakistan and Turkey also dropped significantly, by 17.3% and 13.0%, respectively.