Forty-five per cent of textile firms reported lower production during the month, while only 12 per cent recorded an increase, resulting in the sharpest negative balance across manufacturing at minus 34, the central bank’s data showed.
Sales in the sector were weak, with 40 per cent of companies reporting declines and just 5 per cent posting growth, producing a balance of minus 35.
Morocco’s textile and leather industry continued to contract in March, posting the weakest performance among manufacturing streams, a survey found.
Overall industrial activity, however, improved.
Forty-five per cent of textile firms reported lower production during the month, while only 12 per cent recorded an increase.
Sales in the sector were weak and production declined in all textile segments.
Demand remained subdued. New orders fell across most textile sub-sectors, with 28 per cent of firms reporting a drop and only 8 per cent seeing an increase. Order books were described as below normal across all activities.
The downturn was widespread, the central bank said. Production declined in all textile segments except leather and footwear, while sales fell in both domestic and export markets, according to a domestic media outlet.
Capacity utilisation in the sector stood at 77 per cent, below the industrial average and well under the 88 per cent recorded in the mechanical and metallurgical industries, which led March’s broader manufacturing rebound.
The outlook remains uncertain. Over the next three months, 37 per cent of textile manufacturers said they had no clear visibility on production, while 54 per cent reported no estimates for future sales, underscoring persistent uncertainty in the export-oriented sector.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
