Tunis: The textile-clothing trade balance widens by 3.1 points during the first five months of 2024, compared with the same period in 2023, down from 132.1% to 129%, according to the economic bulletin published by the Textile Technical Centre (CETTEX). The value of exports in the textiles and clothing sector fell by 8.64% between January and May 2024, to TND 3,845.74 million. In terms of quantity, exports totalled 62,973.54 tonnes, down 11.81%. Clothing exports dropped by 10.59%, from TND 3,584.29 million in the first 5 months of 2023 to TND 3,204.71 million in the same period of 2024. Textile exports, on the other hand, rose by 2.51% to TND 641.03 million in 2024, compared with TND 625.31 million in 2023. Textile-clothing imports reached TND 2,981.50 million, down 6.44%. The imported quantities reached 146 847.94 tons, down 2.67% compared to the same period in 2023. Textile-clothing imports by value from the main supplier countries under suspension arrangements during the first 5 months of 2024 showed an increase in imports from Germany (8.05%) and the Netherlands (4.46%), compared with a fall in imports from Belgium by 15.23%, Spain by 13.19% and Italy by 11.62%, Turkey by 8.62%, France by 8.58% and China by 4.81%. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse