Tunisia certainly possesses some impressive statistics in relation to the textile industry, with the country first being the 5th most important supplier to European countries. Moreover, with one out of three bras and one out six items of work clothing all originating from Tunisia, it shows just how highly the country is regarded within this field.

In simple terms, the textile industry in Tunisia is absolutely massive with over 2,100 firms said to be competing in the marketplace. The fact that it was recorded that production was worth 5,362 million Tunisian dinars in 2008 also speaks volumes about how much money is involved in this area. As you would expect with such vast figures, there is plenty of employment opportunities with 2008 figures suggesting that over 200,000 people were employed in the industry. This makes it the largest employer out of all of the manufacturing businesses in the country.

Assets

For those who are contemplating an investment in the Tunisian textile industry, they will at least be blessed with the following assets to start with:

•  In comparison to other nations, Tunisia boasts extremely competitive production costs for the textiles industry
•  The proximity to Europe means that it’s possible for just-in-time production to occur – something that is very common within the textiles industry
•  Tunisia is the main supplier of worldwide brands of jeans and sporting clothes
•  There is a Technopole in Monastir which is targeted to the textile industry, including a fashion institute and business incubator
• There is an industrial activity area in El Fejja which has a section designed solely for textile finishing
•  It is very easy to obtain a talented workforce

The fields within the textiles industry

In total, there are six main segments to the textiles industry:

• Spinning
• Weaving
• Finishing
• Hosiery
• Ready-to-wear clothes
• Miscellaneous

In relation to competitiveness, it is undoubtedly the ready-to-wear clothes field that is the most swamped market. This segment contained no fewer than 1,567 at the last statistics check in 2008, according to the Agency for the Promotion of Industry. This was in vast contrast to the spinning segment, which had just thirty firms.

Following on from the above, most won’t be a surprise to find some of the world’s biggest clothing brands based in Tunisia. The likes of Benetton, Diesel, Esprit, Gap, Hugo Boss, Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger all have some involvement in the textile industry in the country, which highlights just what a key nation it is.