Europe’s export headline needs a second reading
CBI’s latest apparel market update says the EU was the world’s largest apparel exporter in ****, with a **.* per cent global share. But of the EU’s €***.* billion export value, **.* per cent, or roughly €***.* billion ($***.* billion), went to other EU countries. Only **.* per cent moved outside the bloc.
That distinction matters because intra-EU apparel trade can make Europe look more manufacturing-heavy than it is. CBI notes that a large portion of EU apparel imports from inside the EU may be re-exports of garments made in developing countries. A product can enter through a European port or warehouse, move through a distribution hub, and appear again as intra-EU trade.
For buyers and suppliers, this is not a statistical footnote. It changes how they should read risk.
