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The latest data on EU-27 Textile & Apparel Imports (2025) underscores the scale of opportunity available to global suppliers and highlights why the impending India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be transformative for India's textile and apparel sector.
The European Union imported textile and apparel products worth US$295.66 billion in 2025, registering a robust 9.4% year-on-year growth over US$270.31 billion in 2024. This reinforces the EU's position as the world's most attractive and high-value textile consumption market.
Market Structure: Apparel Dominates
Among all product categories, apparel remained the dominant segment, accounting for US$212.62 billion, representing 71.91% of total imports. Other major categories included:
Fabric: US$22.77 billion (7.70%)
Home Textiles: US$16.92 billion (5.72%)
Fibre: US$6.74 billion (2.28%)
Yarn: US$4.39 billion (1.48%)
Others: US$26.67 billion (9.02%)
The data clearly indicates that apparel continues to be the primary driver of sourcing demand within the European market.
Leading Suppliers to the EU-27
China retained its position as the largest supplier to the EU-27 textile and apparel market with exports valued at US$53.61 billion, accounting for 18.13% market share.
The leading suppliers in 2025 were:
Rank Country Exports (US$ Billion) Share (%)
1 China 53.61 18.13
2 Bangladesh 29.29 9.91
3 Germany 28.84 9.75
4 Türkiye 17.48 5.91
5 Italy 17.28 5.84
6 Spain 12.09 4.09
7 Netherlands 10.63 3.60
8 India 9.84 3.33
Collectively, these top eight suppliers accounted for 59.56% of total EU-27 textile and apparel imports in 2025.
India's Position: Strong Presence, Bigger Potential
India ranked among the Top 8 suppliers to the EU-27, exporting US$9.84 billion worth of textile and apparel products and capturing 3.33% market share.
While India's position is significant, it remains well below the levels achieved by China and Bangladesh. This highlights the substantial headroom available for growth, particularly if tariff disadvantages are removed through the India–EU FTA.
Fastest-Growing Suppliers
Analysis of supplier performance during 2016–2025 reveals that the fastest-growing exporters to the EU market were:
Poland – 8.90% CAGR
Pakistan – 7.40% CAGR
Spain – 7.27% CAGR
Germany – 6.74% CAGR
Bangladesh – 5.94% CAGR
India recorded a CAGR of 1.98% during 2016–2025, indicating that while exports have expanded, growth has been relatively modest compared to some competing supplier nations.
Strategic Implications for India
The data carries several important messages for Indian exporters:
The EU remains one of the largest and fastest-growing textile import markets globally.
Apparel represents the largest opportunity, accounting for nearly 72% of total imports.
India already enjoys a meaningful presence but has significant room to expand market share.
The India–EU FTA can potentially improve India's competitiveness against Bangladesh, Türkiye and other major suppliers by reducing tariff disadvantages.
Future growth will increasingly depend not only on cost competitiveness but also on sustainability compliance, traceability, circularity, Digital Product Passport readiness, and ESG performance.
Conclusion
The EU's textile and apparel import market, now approaching US$300 billion, presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for India's textile industry. With the India–EU FTA expected to unlock improved market access and sustainability emerging as a key purchasing criterion, India has an opportunity to move beyond being merely a supplier and become a preferred sourcing destination for European brands.
The challenge ahead is clear: convert tariff advantages into sustainable competitive advantages.
CREDITS: Using CITI Linkedin official post. The content has not been edited and reviewed by us.
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