How Has the Clothing Industry Evolved in the Past Fifty Years in a Global Context?

Textiles are increasingly produced by developing nations.

The greatest change in the clothing industry over the past 50 years has been the shift in production from richer nations to poorer, developing countries, resulting in significant employment, production and quota changes.

Employment

The past 50 years have seen a dramatic shift in textile employment from the United States and European nations to developing countries in Asia, South America and Africa. Specifically, the International Labour Organization reports that employment has gone down at least 30 percent in most European countries, whereas it has risen, in some cases more than 150 percent, in countries such as Jamaica, Jordan, Morocco and Indonesia.

Quotas

Under the Multifibre Arrangement and the 1995 World Trade Organization Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, quotas were placed on how much fabric could be imported from various nations to control surges in production that could damage international textile worth. However, in 2005, the World Trade Organization lifted these quotas, shifting trade from many small, developing nations to those that could produce fabrics and yarns more cheaply, particularly China and India.

Child Labor and Illegal Immigration

As the industry has spread to poorer nations, the use of child labor has increased. The Telegraph reports that India still employs an estimated 55 million children under age 14 in the textile industry. Additionally, hidden workshops still exist, created to dodge labor laws and hire illegal immigrants at salaries below minimum wage.

References

• World Trade Organization: Textiles Monitoring Body, The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing
• Time Magazine: Hanging by a Thread
• International Labour Organization: Globalization Changes the Face of Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industries
• BBC News: New Look for Global Clothing Industry
• The Telegraph: 'Gap Sweatshop Children' Saved in India Raid