Global Textile Value Chain Trends Revealed in ITMF’s Latest Survey
Zurich, Switzerland - June, 2025 – The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has unveiled the findings of its 32nd Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted between May 12 and May 22, 2025.
The study sheds light on the global textile value chain, highlighting stark regional disparities and the industry's mixed strides toward recovery.
The survey results reveal a global business environment grappling with challenges, as indicated by a -20 percentage point business situation balance.
However, the data points to markedly different performances across regions. Africa stood out as the positive outlier, reporting a +23 pp balance, with South America following at +6 pp.
Conversely, East Asia faced the steepest challenges, recording a -48 pp balance.
Looking forward, the industry demonstrates cautious optimism, reflected in a positive global business expectations balance of +24 pp.
North America holds the highest confidence levels at +65 pp, followed closely by Africa at +54 pp.
Meanwhile, East Asia remains under pressure, with a negative confidence balance of -18 pp.
Global order intake illustrates a troubling trend, declining for four consecutive months since January and reaching a concerning -21 pp in May.
Africa once again led the order intake performance at +18 pp, while Europe (-45 pp) and East Asia (-41 pp) reported significant struggles.
Encouragingly, global backlogs experienced modest recovery, currently averaging 2.3 months.
Additionally, global textile capacity utilisation has reached 72% for May, with upstream operations such as spinning outperforming downstream segments.
Notably, Asian markets continue to lead in utilisation rates.
Despite signs of optimism, weak demand remains a dominant concern for businesses, affecting 61% of global participants.
Secondary challenges identified include trade tensions and rising operational costs, though order cancellation rates have remained low and stable across regions.
“These findings illustrate a global industry caught between stagnation and uneven recovery, with regional variations underscoring the complexity of navigating current market conditions,” stated ITMF “While regions such as Africa and North America show promise, addressing key challenges like weakened demand is crucial to ensuring sustainable growth in the global textile value chain.”
For a closer look at the full findings and implications for the global textile industry, visit here
About ITMF
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, serves as a global platform for stakeholders in the textile value chain.
Since its establishment in 1904, ITMF has provided thought leadership and insight into industry dynamics while promoting sustainability and innovation.
Its Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS) remains an invaluable resource for industry participants seeking to understand and adapt to evolving market trends.
