TEXTILES AND APPAREL SECTOR: THE NETHERLANDS

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 001940 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UBI AND EB/TPP/ABT (LERSTEN) COMMERCE FOR ITA/OTEXA/DANDREA STATE PASS USTR FOR ABIOLA HEYLIGER E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD KTEX NL SUBJECT: TEXTILES AND APPAREL SECTOR: THE NETHERLANDS REF: STATE 138090 ¶1. In response to reftel, the following are the main sector data for the Dutch textiles and apparel producing industry and a description of the Dutch stance on imports from China. All data are for 2005. -- Total industrial production: 234 billion euros (300 billion dollars) -- Total textiles production: 2.6 billion euros (3.3 billion dollars) -- Total apparel production: 975 million euros (1.3 billion dollars) -- Share of textiles and apparel in total Dutch imports: 2.6 percent -- Share of textiles and apparel in total Dutch exports: 1.8 percent -- Dutch exports of textiles and apparel to the U.S.: 227 million euros (290 million dollars) -- Total manufacturing employment: 924,000 people -- Total textiles, apparel, and leather employment: 23,000 people ¶2. Dutch textiles and apparel producing industries have been in decline for several decades. Remaining companies have generally outsourced their basic production and have focused on more specialized products, design, and marketing. The Dutch government is focused on textile importers and apparel retailers. For instance, during the debate about re- establishing quotas for Chinese textiles in the summer of 2005, Foreign Trade Minister Karien van Gennip was a strong supporter of flexible quotas and urged other European governments to abandon outdated means of production. In general, the Netherlands is a large importer of Chinese goods, but most of those goods are intended for re-export to other European countries.