Swiss textile relevant exports again in decline

Whereas statistics in January presented an uptrend, the February numbers show again a decline in Swiss textile relevant exports, including textile machinery

Switzerland exported in February 2013 6.9 % less textiles, clothing and footwear and also the machine and electronic industry exported 8.3 % less and the metal industry.

With the exception of customers in Africa (+ 1 %), Swiss noted less overall exports on all other continents, namely Latin America -9 %, predominantly Mexico -15 % and Brazil -14 %, and Asia with -7 % because of a drop of exports to India -33 % and China (Pharmaceuticals) and Hong Kong -25 % (watches and jewellery). Positive market performance was noted in Singapore (+20 %) and Iraq (Pharmaceuticals five times the volume of 2011). Europe was also negative (-2 %), resulting from less demand from Great Britain (-27 %), Austria (-18 %), Germany and France (-4 % each), but more demand from Ireland (+74 %), Italy (+ 17 % wagons and trains) and Belgium (+13 %). Exports to America dropped 1 %, however to the USA -3 %.

It has to be added that also overall Swiss imports dropped , however the value of the goods was increasing due to higher prices. Imports from Africa doubled, whereas those from Asia were 10 % lower, those from Singapore dropped by 49 %, and from the Arab Emirates – 40 % and Japan -39 %, but 25 % more came from India. There were also 3 % less imports from Europe, among Belgium – 23 %, the Netherlands – 18 %, France -11 % (airplanes), and Italy (-9 %), whereas the imports from Spain increased by 27 %. Increasing imports were noted from Latin America (+81 %), mostly pharmaceuticals from Mexico and there were also more imports from North America (+ 8 %), the USA + 9 %). The increased imports from Africa result from higher petrol imports from Algeria and Libya.