Especially the textile sector is continuously on the upswing during February 2007. The positive figures of incoming orders, production and turn-over serve as proof. However, the apparel industry had to register a slight decrease concerning incoming orders and therefore reduced production once again. The enhancement of the import-surplus has persisted since October 2006 up to February this year.

The plus of 0.8 percent for the incoming orders discloses positive signals for a business revival in February 2007, too. The textile sector gains 4.2 percent, while the apparel sector records a slight minus of 1.7 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. The results of January had already been a satisfying takeoff into the year 2007: Plus 7.4 percent for textiles and plus 4.1 for apparel.

The turn-over also reflects the positive tendency of the first two months under report. Summing the sectors, the turn-over grows by 3.6 percent in February in comparison to the previous year’s month. In detail, the increase in the textile industry amounts to a plus of 3.1 percent and in the clothing industry to a plus of 4.1 percent.

The production rose by 2.6 percent in February in total. The textile sector could enlarge its production by a whole 4.8 percent. The apparel production, in contrast, has been reduced by 2.8 percent; already the second reduction during 2007. In relation to the same month of the last year, the number of employees working for theseindustries in Germany declined by 2.2 percent in February.

This decrease has mainly been caused by the textile sector. Because of a new law which is supposed to relieve the medium-sized businesses and which has been released on 01-01-07, only companies with at least 50 employees are still reporting. Therefore, these figures do not represent the total line of business anymore.

Producers’ prices have only slightly risen in February 2007: The textile industry registered a plus of 0.5 percent and the apparel industry a plus of 0.3 percent. The import and export figures rose by 11.2 and 2.1 percent during the reporting month compared to the year before adding to a growing importsurplus.

Source: Gesamtverband Textil