2024-05-13 19:34:14
Morocco is still an important player in the European textile industry. In fact, the Spanish group Inditex outsources part of its production to Morocco, taking advantage of geographical proximity, a significant resource for its supply chain and responsiveness to the market.
However, the rise of Fast Fashion, which increasingly uses air freight for quick deliveries and to satisfy fleeting trends, is shaking up the sector. The Chinese companies Shein and Temu have revolutionized the global textile industry, reducing shipping times to just days by air, compared to 5-6 weeks by sea.
The rise of fast fashion, driven by major European brands such as Primark, H&M, Zara, as well as Chinese e-commerce giants Shein and Temu, has led to an exponential increase in sales of fast fashion items. This situation has raised environmental concerns in Europe, prompting France, the EU and the G7 to start a process of regulating this industry. This might affect Moroccan exports, knowing that the kingdom is in eighth place among Europe’s clothing suppliers.
Morocco is an important supplier to Europe in the textile area, occupying eighth place with a market share of 3.1%. In the French market, Morocco is in second place with 17% of Moroccan exports to Europe, representing 1.75 billion dirhams in 2023.
The fashion industry has undergone a significant transformation with the advent of Fast Fashion. This phenomenon, which mainly affects ready-to-wear, is characterized by a significant number of new models and a constant renewal of collections. Accelerated production cycles and cheap clothing have changed consumption standards in the fashion industry, leading to a massive overproduction of clothing made halfway around the world.
Each year, the number of clothes sold worldwide is estimated at 100 billion, generating 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Fast Fashion: a danger to the environment?
On an ecological level, the massive and industrial production of clothing is alarming. The brands’ suppliers are mainly located in Bangladesh, Burma, Vietnam, Pakistan, India and especially in China. These clothes travel thousands of kilometers before reaching Europe, contributing to the emission of tonnes of CO2. The global textile industry is responsible for 4 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalents each year, a volume greater than that of international flights and sea traffic combined.
Due to its harmful environmental impact, the Fast Fashion model is subject to strong criticism. In France, environmentalists fought once morest this model by introducing coercive measures, such as the use of an enhanced environmental penalty to reduce the attractiveness of Fast Fashion products.
This penalty represents a penalty of 50% of the price excluding tax for each item sold, which might reach up to 10 euros per product by 2030. Within the EU, MEPs are tackling the problem of textile waste. According to experts, the G7 countries will take measures once morest the significant environmental and climate impact from the fashion and textile sector. The issue of Fast Fashion is worrisome; in fact, the ministers meeting in Turin hope to limit the uncontrolled development of the textile industry, which is responsible for significant plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, factors for global warming.
However, Morocco benefits from an undeniable competitive advantage: geographical proximity, especially at a time when transport costs are skyrocketing. Experts predict that the punishment of Fast Fashion in France will have a positive impact on the Moroccan industry. As a major textile exporter to Europe, these laws might ultimately significantly reduce the trade of Fast Fashion brands in France, thus promoting the emergence of Moroccan industrial products in the French market.
1715652411
#Fast #fashion #surveillance
