BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.22
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Georgia has reached a record of the clothing export in 2019, according to the data released by Georgian government, Trend reports.
Georgia exported clothes worth $56.9 million in 2019, or 53.2 percent more compared to 2018, Georgian media reports referring to the government data.
Currently, there are over 200 sewing factories in Georgia, of which 95 percent are micro-enterprises. Significant Georgian investments were made in a sewing factory in Kutaisi. The remaining companies are located in Tbilisi. In general, about 5,000 workers are employed in the clothing industry in Georgia, 85 percent of which are women.
The success of Georgian sewing manufacturers is confirmed by the fact that many local companies receive orders from such world-famous brands as Mexx, Zara, Marks & Spencer, Puma, Lotto, Lebek, Hawes & Curtis and others.
The range of clothing made in Georgia is wide and includes sportswear, T-shirts, shirts, blouses, jeans, coats, trousers, cardigans, sweaters and uniforms for government organizations.
Georgian sewing companies supply uniforms to the private sector, and the main buyers are hotels, restaurants, banks and gas stations.
The Georgian National Investment Agency provides assistance to local sewing manufacturers, helps to increase the economic efficiency of the production, and also ensures the availability of skilled sewing labor.
Georgia's competitive advantages in the clothing industry include qualified, competitively priced labor, low electricity costs and good transportation links with the CIS countries, Europe and Asia.
The report earlier released by National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) shows that in 2019, the external merchandise trade (excluding non-declared trade) of Georgia amounted to $12.8 billion, 2.7 percent higher year-on-year.
The country's exports equaled $3.7 billion (12.4 percent higher), while the imports stood at $9.1 billion (0.8 percent lower), reads the report.
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