Romania exports 80% of the textile output in 2008, mostly in Europe, official says

About 80 percent of Romania's textile production was exported last year, according to the executive president of the light industry union FEPAIUS, Aurelientu Popescu.

Romanian exports go mostly to Europe and Egypt, according to Popescu, who added that 80 percent of them went to Europe last year. However, the union plans to focus on Canada and Asia in the next period.

The top exporters in terms of value were Seroussi and underwear producer Jolidon in 2008, said the head of FEPAIUS, Maria Grapini.

Popescu said recently that Romania's textile industry reported constant decreases during the last three years, of about 6-7 percent a year due to the evolution of the euro and to the liberalization of the global textile commerce.

The value of exports amounted to 5.1 billion euros in 2008, of which 1 billion euros from textiles and 2.6 billion euros from clothing, versus 5.4 billion euros in 2007.

The number of employees was cut from 450,000 people on December 31 2004 to 300,000 at the end of last year.

The local textile market will be severely affected by the economic crisis this year and need to diminish production, exports and the work force by at least 15 percent, Grapini said at the end of last year.

Information supplied by FEPAIUS indicated that between 2004 and 2007 the textile industry lost about 79,000 employees and estimates point to 100,000 employees in 2008. Output in the first half of last year amounted to over 6 billion lei versus 8.5 billion lei in 2007.

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