Industry revenue of »retail sale of textiles« in Norway 2011-2023

Up until two decades ago, the textile industry in Norway witnessed robust growth, with over 500 manufacturers and nearly 8000 employees, and a high export share. However, the industry is no longer as lucrative as it used to be. Lack of industrial innovation, high production costs and high labor wages have resulted in a closure of many industries over the years. Additionally, manufacturers are increasingly shifting base to other low cost economies such as China and India, which have emerged as the leading textile markets in the world. Therefore, revenues of the textile industry are projected to reduce from 532 million U.S. in 2011 to 489 million U.S. dollars by 2023.

Imports satisfy majority of the domestic demand

Lack of domestic manufacturing has resulted in a higher share of imports in the market. In 2019, the import value of women's or girls' clothing of textile fabrics amounted to nearly 4.6 billion Norwegian kroner. In contrast, the export value of the same amounted to only 94 million Norwegian kroner.