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Feb 15, 2017
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UK clothing exports to EU rise, but trade deficit also grows

Published
Feb 15, 2017

UK apparel and textiles exports rose almost 7% to £9.1bn from £8.5bn last year with a 28% increase since 2012, the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) said on Wednesday.


UK exports, like Erdem's seen here, are growing and the EU is a key market - © PixelFormula



The rise came as apparel exports alone rose to £6.2bn in the five-year period, a value increase of £1.8bn.

The UKFT said the rise came on the back of an increased interest in heritage UK manufacturing, the creativity of British fashion designers and the importance of the UK as a key apparel trading hub.

However, the figures also suggested that there could be disruption ahead as the country extricates itself from its long-term membership of the EU. In 2016 the European trade bloc was the UK’s biggest export market and accounted for 74% of the products it exported.

Britain’s apparel and textile exports to the EU have risen 36% from £4.9bn in 2012 to £6.7bn in 2016.

But imports also rose with the UK trade deficit increasing to £15.4bn last year, up from £15bn a year earlier. Imports rose to £24.5bn from £23.4bn.

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