Peru’s textile exports are up 10 per cent. Much of the textile exports comprise shirts, T-shirts and cardigans made of cotton or woven of alpaca. Peruvian exports have had a positive record over the past three years, due to the development of a public-private promotion strategy based on the needs of clothing manufacturers. The idea is to develop a much more intense promotion program in terms of presentations of the Peru Moda format in Asia and Europe, and with more specialized missions in Latin America. The challenge for the industry is to start with cotton and alpaca, add new fiber blends, step up the technology and come up with value-added products for the market. One area which Peru’s designers are working on, and which buyers from the United States and Europe are interested in, is the development of organic cotton and other sustainable fashion fibers because of their minimum impact on the environment. Peru is trying to get a clearer understanding of international market trends and stimulate networking among Peruvian export firms.

The United States is the biggest market for Peruvian textiles followed by Brazil and Chile. New products have been developed for exports including children’s clothes, pajamas, haberdashery and articles for the home. Lines have also been developed for children, teens and adults.