Latinamerican Overview Of The Apparel Industry 2012

LATINAMERICAN OVERVIEW OF THE APPAREL
SECTOR

The Colombian textile and apparel industries have a tradition of more than a
hundred years, during which they have earned a central place in thedevelopment of the country's economic and indust rial areas, building a complex
production chain that passes through various activities such as cultivation,
spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing andclothing manufacturing through which
this sector has generated a very important contribution to employment,
income revenue and exports.
Throughout history the industry has faced difficult periods,such as the
economic liberalization in the nineties in which was seriously affected. Many of
its weaknesses were exposed, and their adaptation to change and competiti on
was slow. However, theactivity in recent years has been showing a different
dynamic for the most part in the apparel sector. The improve performance of the
apparel sector compared to the textile one has been responsible for thesustainability of the wh ole chain in Colombia. This has been achieved on a high
quality and reasonable price basis that has contributed to the best of the
reputations at an international levelthroughout the entire Latin - American region.
This industry constantly struggles to res tructure its finances and its productive
apparatus, backed on its own advantages inherited from its longexperience and
technical knowledge; also supported by an excellent and highly trained human
factor with exceptional skills and abilities , as well as th e good quality of its
products. The Colombianapparel business is currently making a big effort to
differentiate their products and innovat ing processes. However, there are large
disadvantages such as the technological backwardness and the highdependence on the imported r aw material as well as an increasing competition
from cheap Asian clothing manufacturing countries. Situation such that is
almost replicated in all the other countries...