Cotton On
Financial support set to boost Syria’s textiles sector
There is expected to be a boost in S y r i a ’s textile sector w i t h a new five year plan 02
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rom 2011 to 2015 the Ministry of Industry intends to supply significant funds towards developing several sectors including cotton textiles, clothing, and blended denim fabrics. These particular segments have been highlighted due to their potential for manufacturing high-value-added products. The Strategic Research & Communication Centre (SRCC) have said that the support for the production of clothing comes regardless of the decline in some segments, such as underwear and ready made garments, manufactured by public sector companies between 2005 and 2009. The Ministry is looking to specifically aim its support
state-owned firms that produce cotton textiles. Yarn, however will not receive any financial support with a number of its segments falling dramatically in output. The cotton yarn output has decreased by more than 10% between 2005 and 2009, from 114,915 tonnes per year down to 102,648 tonnes according to the SRCC and therefore the five-year plan will not allow for the expansion of yarn segment. Synthetic yarn production has the worst output, with a drop of 65%, from 31 tonnes per year to only 11 tonnes. The demand for Syrian textiles has been decreasing in recent years, partly due to the expiration of the
Cotton On
Syrian woman making fabrics
Multi-Fibre Agreement in 2005 and also due to the recent global economic crisis but a main impact has been from the recently signed free trade agreement (FTA) with Turkey, which has a more advanced textiles industry and produces a wider variety of fabrics.
Picture Credits: sxc.hu
According to Hussam Al Yousef, the general manager and vice-chairman of the Syrian Export Development Promotion Agency there is huge potential for the textile centre. “Textiles have a $2bn share of export earnings and this figure is supposed to increase to $8bn,” Yousef told textile company OBG last year. The textile industry will also continue to receive aid from international organisations particularly UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Italian government. With support from these organisations the Ministry of Industry has developed the Industrial Modernisation and Upgrading Programme (IMUP), who’s main aim is to modernise the textile industry. In 2007 a $2.2m programme was announced and the IMUP. Phase one began supplying technical aid to 36 companies in the textile sector.
The initiatives from IMUP included training and assistance in marketing, production and accounting. They also established an Upgrading and Modernising Unit. Phase two started in 2010 and will focus on restructuring and upgrading various industrial enterprises, including those working with design, safety, testing and quality, according to a UNIDO press release. Although the Syrian textiles industry will still need to contend with declining demand and increased regional competition in the years to come, the current range of initiatives backed by both the government and foreign and international partners may well help to ready the sector to successfully compete on a global level.
Textiles abroad
“Textiles have a $2bn share of export earnings and this figure is supposed to increase to $8bn”
SYRIA AND TEXTILES: Syria supplies local markets with 3520 tons of textile monthly.
The textile industry employs 30% of the Syrian population
Finished textile goods have had as much as 75% tariff charged on them.
Textiles represents nearly 12% of the total industrial output of Syria Women carrying textiles to market
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