#Associations

2026-06-11

Results of the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

Bottoming out, cautious recovery?

The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.

The new survey shows a business situation balance rising to −17 percentage points (pp) from −25pp in March. Business expectations climbed to +16pp (from +5pp), order intake to −9pp (from −25pp), backlogs to 2.5 months and capacity utilization to 74%. Order cancellations stayed contained and inventories lean low. The direction is encouraging, but the levels rest on a thin and fragile cushion.

Graph 1: Business situation [World] © 2026 ITMF

Graph 2: Business expectations [World] © 2026 ITMF

Source: 8th-38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey (38th: 19-28.05.2026) – last data point = May 2026

The upturn was geographically uneven. Africa led on business situation, order intake, backlog and expectations, alongside gains in Europe and North & Central America. The Asian production hubs lagged, with East Asia weakest on both current conditions and the six-month outlook. Along the value chain, segments closest to the end-consumer slightly fared best, while capital-goods and upstream segments trailed.

Cost and demand pressures persist: weak demand remains the major concern for 53% of participating textile manufacturers, followed by raw-material prices (52%) and energy prices and geopolitics (42% each). The survey links rising costs to the war in Iran, which has pushed crude oil to around USD 100 and lifted gasoline prices by roughly 50% since March, feeding inflation and squeezing margins. Whether the May reading holds will depend largely on energy prices and the resolution of ongoing conflicts.

For more information, please see www.itmf.org

Business situation weakens slightly, but the industry stays cautiously optimistic

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has published the results of its 39th Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS), conducted from 14 to 22 July 2026 among companies along the entire global textile value chain. Worldwide, 10% of participants rated their business situation as good, 53% as satisfactory and 37% as bad — a balance of -26pp, down from -17pp in May but still well above the 2023 lows. All regions are now in negative territory, from South Asia at -3pp to North & Central America at -58pp.

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Meadow Grove Research is a commodity research firm specializing in supply, demand, and trade analysis in cotton and other soft commodities. Providing clarity to the complex nature of the global fiber supply chain is one of its most formidable services. The firm thrives on customer engagement and providing the best framework for critical decisions.

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