The European textile sector finds itself at a crossroads between global competitiveness and sustainability. With more than 200,000 companies, 1.3 million workers and a market value of approximately 170 billion euros, the sector is strongly interconnected with international trade. Recent geopolitical and regulatory challenges require a strategy that balances market access, regulation, and sustainability, as highlighted in the Priorities in Trade Policy for the EU Textile Sector 2024-2029 report published by EURATEX in January 2025.
The strategic role of secondary markets
Prominent among the report’s central themes is the need to strengthen sustainability in the textile sector. M&A Export fits perfectly into this dynamic, offering a concrete solution to manage unsold goods and redistributing more than 10 million items to secondary markets each year. This approach not only minimizes environmental impact but also meets the needs of a sector that must adjust to new EU regulations and evolving trade agreements.
Global textile production nearly doubled between 2000 and 2015, while garment use decreased by 36% over the same period. Across Europe, the average share of unsold textiles is 21 percent, and this figure highlights the importance of relocation strategies such as those adopted by M&A Export.
European trade policy challenges
The EURATEX report highlights some key issues that directly influence strategies for relocating unsold goods.
- Free trade agreements: the finalization of the EU-Mercosur agreement could create new opportunities for the European textile sector, facilitating exports to emerging markets. For M&A Export clients, this means greater fluidity in the relocation of unsold goods.
- EU-Turkey Customs Union: the revision of the agreement aims to simplify procedures and strengthen cooperation on environmental and quality standards. This could facilitate more efficient and sustainable trade for the textile industry.
- Sustainability and regulation: the EU is increasing controls on textile products to ensure they comply with environmental standards. This induces companies to better manage surpluses, which fuels the circularity of the fashion industry’s economy and helps reduce its overall environmental impact.
Competitiveness and sustainability: the future of unsold textile goods
The European textile industry must face a crucial challenge in the coming years: ensuring competitiveness without compromising sustainability. At M&A Export we offer a concrete response to this need with our business model based on the relocation of unsold goods.
If well addressed, EU trade policies can foster solutions like ours, encouraging circular practices that reduce textile waste and valorize unsold goods. 2025 is set to be a key year for the industry, and at M&A Export we are ready to seize the opportunities presented by an evolving market.
For more information and opportunities to collaborate, write to us now.
