ITMF Survey Reveals Uneven Global Textile Industry Recovery

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) released findings from its 32nd Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted May 12-22, 2025, revealing sharp regional variations across the global textile industry.

Regional Performance Varies Dramatically

The survey shows a challenging global business situation with a -20 percentage point balance, but regional performance differs significantly. Africa emerges as the standout performer with a positive +23 pp balance, followed by South America at +6 pp. In contrast, East Asia faces significant challenges with a -48 pp balance. Looking ahead, the industry shows cautious optimism (+24 pp), with North America leading confidence at +65 pp and Africa at +54 pp, while East Asia remains negative at -18 pp.

Orders and Capacity Show Mixed Signals

Global order intake declined for four consecutive months since January, reaching -21 pp in May. Africa again leads with positive intake (+18 pp), while Europe (-45 pp) and East Asia (-41 pp) struggle most. Despite order challenges, global backlogs show modest recovery at 2.3 months. Textile capacity utilization reached 72% in May 2025. Asian markets continue to lead utilization rates, while upstream segments like spinning significantly outperform downstream operations.

Demand Concerns Dominate

Weak demand remains the primary concern for 61% of global participants over the next six months, with trade tensions and operational costs as secondary issues. Order cancellation rates remain stable and low across all regions.

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