The Fabric Year 2023

Preface:
Initial idea for this report was to structure market forces of the entire fabric industry in the absence of official data. Target is to present long-term indications based on views from market experts and industry data. We developed a methodology starting with supply of fibers, filaments and polymer-based nonwovens. Those data derive from the long-established textile yearbook The Fiber Year 2023. Taking into account fiber and filament trade volumes results in the fiber material available by country. The amount of staple fibers was then reduced by fiber-based nonwovens, unspun applications and waste. Secondary spinning waste and an equivalent for fiber-based nonwovens were considered. It finally determines the quantity ready to enter further processing into knitted and woven fabrics as well as nonwovens.

Essential part then includes a breakdown into knitted and woven fabrics. After expiration of the exclusive cooperation with Groz-Beckert KG, this process was opened to international companies in the fabric business to indicate their appraisals for the development of knitted and/or woven fabrics production by country. Their participation offers unique benefits beyond pure reporting. Contact us to learn more about your exclusive benefits to raise transparency at the fabric stage and to put your assessments into perspective with estimates from other industry experts on anonymized basis which ultimately may trigger targeted internal verification processes.

These assessments specify the corridor of production changes in knitted and woven fabrics. Further national parameters such as retail sales, consumer sentiment, industrial production indices, fabric and apparel trade are taken into consideration. General approach is to set speculative inventory changes aside. However, if inevitable, we indicate accordingly. It might be the case when assessments significantly deviate from the available input volume in either direction.

Hence, the final decision for market dynamics is incumbent on The Fiber Year GmbH (TFY). TFY acknowledges that all market data for knitted and woven fabrics are result of own calculation, hence, statements and conclusions do not necessarily reflect the assessment of participating companies. It goes without saying that all projections indicate a scale only. However, the sector long-term development and potential segment size in comparison to competing technologies are believed to offer an added value that may be instrumental to conduct your business.

Executive Summary:
The global fabrics production declined in 2022 like also upstream fiber and filament supply. Traditional technologies such as knitted and woven fabrics witnessed their output entering negative growth territory. The world nonwovens production was also down but delivering a mixed performance with fiber-based nonwovens modestly increasing while polymer-based nonwovens continued to decrease in the second consecutive year.

3-year pandemic has caused a general deceleration, except for skyrocketing spunlaid demand from face masks in 2020. Significant slowing of manufacturing activity was noticeable at the other technologies with the weaving business even suffering from negative 3-year average growth performance. Both knitting and weaving industries did not yet return to their pre-pandemic dynamics while the nonwovens sector ultimately succeeded to accelerate growth dynamics during entire quota-free period as compared to the average annual performance witnessed between 2005 and 2018.

Current market shares by technology were tolerably stable to the previous year. However, the long-term development clearly shows expansions in nonwovens and knitted fabrics to a minor degree. Meanwhile, woven fabrics lost around 10 percentage points since abolishment of quotas.

The top-5 industries by volume at fabric stage accounted for a 78% world market share last year. Chinese manufacturing in 2022 softened -2%, recording almost +3% growth in fiber-based nonwovens only. Fastest growth of major industries occurred in India at nearly +8% despite flat movement in spunlaids. About +3% expansion was projected in both U.S., thanks to gains in woven fabrics and drylaid nonwovens, and Türkiye due to knitted fabrics and nonwovens while woven fabric output dropped below pre-pandemic levels. Bangladesh succeeded to reach all-time highs in both knitted and woven fabrics output. Finally, Pakistan experienced double-digit gains in woven fabrics manufacturing while knitted fabrics output was confronted with a sizeable contraction.

The global average annual growth rate of fabrics during quota-free period amounted to +3%. 11 of the analyzed 20 industries achieved positive growth since 2005 and almost doubled their cumulative volume to 100 million tonnes. The remaining 9 analyzed industries witnessed declines and recorded a cumulative shortfall of about 2 million tonnes as compared to 2005. Rest of the world managed to moderately expand their joint quantity by nearly 3 million tonnes.

Table of Contents for Full Report:

Summary:
World Fabrics Production 2005 – 2022
Share of Fabric Technologies 2005 – 2022
Upstream Dynamics by Industry 2005 vs. 2022
Fabric Dynamics by Industry 2005 vs. 2022
Total Fabrics Production 2005 – 2022
Knitted Fabrics Production 2005 – 2022
Woven Fabrics Production 2005 – 2022
Nonwovens Production 2005 – 2022
Calculated Inventory Changes 2005 – 2022
Calculated Waste Volumes 2005 – 2022

Industries:
Bangladesh
Brazil
Cambodia
PR China
Egypt
Germany
India
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Korea
Malaysia
Mexico
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Türkiye
USA
Vietnam

Sources