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Chemnitz (dpa) - The Corona crisis has exacerbated the loss of sales in the East German textile industry.

After a minus of almost 7 percent in 2019, the renewed decline in the past year is estimated at more than 11 percent, explained the chief executive of the Association of the North-East German Textile and Clothing Industry (vti), Jenz Otto.

The clothing sector suffered particularly with a decline of around a third.

The entry into the production of medical protective equipment such as masks and gowns, which were desperately wanted when the pandemic broke out, has not yet paid off for many companies, Otto complained on Friday.

He called on authorities and the health service not to raise the purchase price alone as the measure of all things when bidding for tenders and buying such equipment.

"Rather, criteria such as standard-compliant quality, traceable supply chains, the possibility of needs-based reorders and the multiple use of textiles are decisive for the safety of the population."

The domestic manufacturers have invested in this production at the request of the politicians and have gone through expensive test procedures for the products.

This was a great challenge for medium-sized companies, emphasized vti CEO Thomas Lindner.

According to its own information, the association represents around 160 companies in eastern Germany with 16,000 employees and an annual turnover of around 1.8 billion euros.

The majority of companies are based in Saxony and Thuringia.

In view of the continued difficult situation in the corona pandemic, Otto did not want to issue a sales forecast for the industry for 2021.

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Association of the North-East German Textile and Clothing Industry