Brussels, 9 June 2020
This week, the European Commission and New Zealand are holding another round of negotiations to reach the Free Trade Agreement. At EURATEX we welcome the commitment of the European Commission in pursuing a comprehensive trade agenda, especially in these turbulent times, in which trade is more important than ever. It will help the European economy recovering and stimulate production.
New Zealand is indeed an important trade partner for the textile and clothing sector given that EU exports increased by + 27% between 2014 and 2019, and in 2019 they amounted to almost €70 million. In the same year, EU main exports were apparel products (chapters 61 and 62). On the other hand, the Textile sector represented 66% of the share of exports in 2019.
Until now, negotiations run quite smoothly, and we can see some significant progresses. The next round of negotiations should address several issues, including rules of origin for the Textile and Clothing sector and we look forward to working with the EC for the benefit of EU textile and clothing companies.
