Global Textile Industry Faces Uneven Recovery, Says ITMF Survey
The global textile industry is navigating a period of stagnation and uneven recovery, with significant regional disparities, according to the latest findings from the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). The results, published in the 32nd edition of the Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted between May 12 and 22, 2025, reflect mixed signals across key performance indicators such as business climate, order intake, and capacity utilization.
Africa and South America Show Resilience, East Asia Struggles
The global business situation remains strained, recording a negative balance of -20 percentage points. However, the survey reveals stark regional contrasts. Africa stands out as the strongest performer, reporting a positive balance of +23 percentage points, followed by South America at +6 percentage points. In sharp contrast, East Asia continues to face substantial headwinds with a -48 percentage point balance.
Looking ahead, industry participants expressed cautious optimism, with the overall expectation balance rising to +24 percentage points. North America leads future confidence with a strong +65 percentage point balance, while Africa follows closely at +54 percentage points. East Asia remains the only region with a negative outlook, at -18 percentage points.
Orders Decline While Capacity Holds Steady
Global order intake has fallen for four consecutive months, reaching -21 percentage points in May. While Africa again defies the trend with an encouraging +18 percentage points, Europe (-45 pp) and East Asia (-41 pp) are under significant pressure.
Despite the decline in new orders, the average order backlog has modestly improved, now standing at 2.3 months. Meanwhile, global textile capacity utilization reached 72% in May 2025. Asian markets continue to lead in this metric, with upstream segments such as spinning outperforming downstream operations.
Weak Demand Remains Top Concern
The survey also highlights that weak demand remains the primary concern for the textile industry, cited by 61% of global respondents. Trade tensions and rising operational costs emerged as secondary challenges. On a positive note, order cancellation rates remain low and stable across all regions.
