The European apparel and textile confederation Euratex has launched an initiative to support the Ukrainian textile and apparel sector by mentoring and supporting economic, industrial and trade relations between EU and Ukrainian companies: the EU-Ukraine Textile Initiative (EUTI). The project seeks to facilitate cooperation between the market players by offering a single contact point for Ukrainian companies who seek support and cooperation with EU counterparts and vice versa. The service is coordinated by Euratex in close collaboration with the Association of Enterprises of Textile & Leather Industry (Ukrlegprom). “Today, we have many textile and apparel companies in Ukraine with expertise and skilled workers; they are able and willing to work with the EU but lack the contacts, customers and supplies. EUTI will help them,” says Tetyana Izovit, Ukrlegprom president and chief of the board.
The potential for a stronger business connection to Ukraine is visible in the numbers: According to Euratex, EU exports to Ukraine reached €1.3 billion in 2021, while imports from Ukraine into EU countries counted for €500 million. Ukraine is ready to upgrade its role in Europe’s textile and apparel supply chain as a partner in the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) convention that has set rules for harmonized identical origin protocols.
