Central and Eastern European countries and North Africa

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the delocalization trend of the EU's clothing production to Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) and North Africa, focusing on the geographical shift of outsourced clothing production pattern within the two developing regions.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 14 CEECs and North African countries were selected and classified into 1st‐tier and 2nd‐tier regions according to their GDP/capita values. Clothing trade statistics were obtained from the Eurostat database, and the clothing trade pattern was examined during 1995 to 2004. Trade Specialization Coefficient (TSC) was employed to measure the international competitiveness of clothing exports of the selected CEECs and North African countries.Findings – Results concluded that the EU's clothing production had significantly delocalized to the proximate CEECs and North African regions, with further geographical shift to less‐developing 2nd‐tier clothing supplying countries in recent years. The TS...