Exports of textile products from Portugal are 16 percent higher than they were the previous year.

Shaken in the last 20 years by competition from Asia, Portugal’s textile industry has found its footing again and become a major player, supplying firms not just in Europe but also in the United States.The industry has benefited from its flexibility and inexpensive labour along with a spirit of innovation focused on limiting damage to the environment. The textile industry’s advantages are reactivity and the capacity to adapt. Firms have the ability to use new techniques for sustainable output without compromising on aesthetics.

There is also increased demand from firms in Germany and Italy as well as in the United States. Portugal has the advantage of a workforce that remains competitive by offering quality products at reasonable prices. Portugal’s textile sector has made a dramatic comeback. The sector has resumed hiring.

Following the pandemic, which led to delays in deliveries, the industry prefers to use supply chains that are closer to home. Companies have understood that they need to find solutions and partners to reconcile sustainable development with competitiveness. However, the sharp gas and electricity price increases caused by the war in Ukraine penalise a sector heavily dependent on energy.