Philippine garment suppliers looking for more EU buyers

During a recent visit of a Philippine delegation to five European cities – Paris, Frankfurt,

Stuttgart, Stockholm and Sweden – the country’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) met with representatives from multinationals as well as small and medium enterprises to explore sourcing opportunities. The aim is to get more European clothing brands and retailers to source garments from the Philippines as currently, few do despite the apparel industry and its exports growing steadily.

According to a report prepared by DTI Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, high-end garments and home furnishings are especially geared for export to European countries and were promoted accordingly. The report names El Corte Ingles, Becara and Mango as three major Spanish retailers that have shown interest in sourcing garments and clothing accessories from the Philippines. German distributor Katag AG is also interested in sourcing garments from Philippine manufacturers.

In the first quarter of 2014, the Philippine garment and accessories exports increased by almost four percent to 433.5 million US dollars, compared to 417 million US dollars during the same time period last year according to the country’s National Statistics Office.