Imports have increased year by year, one more proof the market is growing because Romanians love fashion, on the one hand, and on the other that the purchasing power has improved.
The value of clothing imports as released by Eurostat does not equal sales of apparel in Romania, because that amount also includes taxes and retailer markup. Eurostat estimates sales of clothing in Romania at EUR3.6 billion.
More than 80% of the apparel imports by value come from EU countries. Turkey and China are the only non-EU countries among the top 10 clothing suppliers to Romania by import value, while Poland, Germany and Italy are the top three import sources.
If a product is imported from a specific country, this does not mean it was actually made there. Usually the apparel made in plants in various parts of the world reaches retailers’ warehouses which then ship them to their stores on various markets.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)