Country Stories

With top positions in the global cotton, jute, and polyester segments, numerous regional textile clusters, and over 100 million employees, India's textile sector is a key growth engine for the economy. The main challenges lie in small businesses in need of modernization and a decline in international demand in some areas. The government intends to counteract this by investing in technology, infrastructure, sustainability, and seven new PM-MITRA textile parks.

The focus is on future-oriented topics such as high-tech textile machinery, AI, the circular economy, recycling, and the expansion of chemical fiber production. With ambitious trade agreements, growing domestic demand, and increased sustainability initiatives, India is positioning itself as an emerging global hub for modern, competitive, and sustainable textile production.

Would you like to read the full article? Then click here [link to pdf] for our detailed report on India as a textile location.

Despite global crises, inflation, and regional earthquake damage, Turkey maintains its role as one of the world's strongest textile and clothing hubs. As the sixth-largest exporter in the global textile trade and a major supplier to Europe, the country combines millennia-old tradition with modern, sustainable high-tech production. International brands such as Adidas, H&M, Nike, and Zara rely on the location just as much as strong Turkish labels.

In addition to economic challenges—such as declining demand, rising costs, and competition from Asia—Turkey is increasingly focusing on digitalization, automation, and ecological transformation. Major investments in recycling, organic cotton, local raw material production, and Industry 4.0 are strengthening the value chain and reducing import dependencies.

With its innovative strength, nearshoring advantages, and focus on quality and sustainability, Turkey remains a strategically important partner for the European fashion industry—and is simultaneously working to tap into new growth markets such as the Gulf region.

Would you like to read the full article? Then click here [link to pdf] for our detailed report on Turkey as a textile location.

China remains the undisputed leader in the global textile industry: with enormous export volumes, leading production capacities for chemical fibers, polyester, and cotton, and highly developed value chains, the country continues to set international standards. At the same time, the People's Republic is at a turning point. Economic slowdown, declining domestic demand, rising labor costs, and increasing geopolitical pressure are forcing the industry to embrace greater automation, innovation, and sustainability.

The government is responding with a strategy of technological independence, focusing on digitalization, high-tech textile production, green manufacturing, textile waste recycling, and the expansion of national brands. Regional clusters such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Guangdong are driving specialization and modernization. At the same time, China is diversifying its trade relations as part of the Belt and Road Initiative and responding to challenges such as US tariffs, EU protective measures, and growing competition from South and Southeast Asia.

Despite increasing risks, China remains a key driver of the global textile industry thanks to its size, efficiency, and innovative strength. However, in order to remain competitive, the country must strike a balance between the pressure to adapt and the goal of greater self-sufficiency in an increasingly fragmented global economy.

Would you like to read the full article? Then click here [link to pdf] for our detailed report on China as a textile location.

The US textile industry is undergoing one of its most profound transformations since industrialization. Dominated for decades by the Cotton Belt and iconic products such as denim and nylon, the focus is now shifting to high-quality high-tech textiles, sustainable materials, and innovative manufacturing technologies.

Despite global price pressure, geopolitical uncertainties, and tighter trade controls, the industry is holding its own with a mix of tradition and innovative strength. While classic segments such as cotton and apparel are losing importance, chemical fibers, nonwovens, technical textiles, and circular production models are gaining significantly in importance.

New regulatory frameworks—including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the abolition of the de minimis rule—are noticeably changing trade flows. At the same time, investments in recycling technologies, biomaterials, automation, and AI are providing fresh impetus. Many companies are placing greater emphasis on quality, transparency, and sustainability as strategic competitive advantages.

The future of the US textile industry therefore lies less in mass production and more in specialized, resource-efficient, and technologically sophisticated solutions. In the long term, this shift could even enable the relocation of selected production steps back to the US – supported by low energy prices, modern manufacturing systems, and growing demand for fair, sustainable textiles.

Would you like to read the full article? Then click here [link to pdf] for our detailed report on the USA as a textile location.