Textile & Apparel
Lithuania’s textile and apparel industry, maintaining a centuries-old tradition and creating about 10% of country’s manufacturing GDP, today is actively investing into its own brands and design, developing higher-value-added products. Lithuanian producers co-operate with well-known European companies such as Marzotto, Laura Ashley, Marks & Spencer, H&M, and Adidas.
There are about 690 companies in the sector (more than 20 employees in 50% of companies), employing about 40,000 workers (77% are women), which is 20% of all the labour force in manufacturing in Lithuania. The volume of investments into the textile and apparel industry grew about 15% in 2006.
About 77% of textile production was exported in 2006. Lithuanian textiles and apparel articles are exported very widely: to European countries, CIS countries, the U.S.A., Canada, and Asia. The main trade partners are Italy, France, UK, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. About 80% of Lithuanian textile exports go to the EU. Also, textiles make about 40% of total Lithuanian exports to Japan (mostly linen textile fabrics and linen home textiles).
Lithuanian textile manufacturers produce high-quality protective clothing for military, police and civil application, which fulfil the requirements of EN, NATO and NIJ standards, as well as bullet-proof garments.
The test laboratory at the Lithuanian Textile Institute is accredited according to the LST EN ISO/ IEC 17025 standard to carry out more than 60 physical and chemical tests to determine the qualitative, hygiene and environmental parameters of textile materials being developed. Tests are carried out for Lithuanian textile enterprises and foreign companies.
Lithuania’s textile & apparel sector main branches:
- manufacture of textile;
- manufacture of apparel;
- manufacture of leather and leather products.
For more information on the sector please see the Lithuanian Textile and Apparel Association’s website www.latia.lt and the Lithuanian Textile Institute’s website www.lti.lt
