Brief Overview of Bulgarian Apparel Industry

The Bulgarian Apparel Manufacturing Industry consists of over 3000 private companies, employing approximately 150,000 workers. There are more than 60 major contract manufacturers among them more than 1000 medium size export apparel manufacturers offering CM, CMT and Full Package Services. Individual manufacturing capabilities range from 5,000 to over 140 000 pieces per month. The avarage labour costs in the apparel industry in Bulgaria amount $ 1,01/per hour, which rates it at a rather competitive position compared to other European countries.

A number of cotton and worsted wool weaving factories, two of them owned by Italian company Miroglio, provide the excellent basis for exporting on full package basis.

Share of textile products in Bulgaria's export

1998	$ 393 mln or 9,4% of the total export
1999	$ 523 mln or 13,1% of the total export
2000	$ 830 mln or 17,3% of the total export
2001	$ 1.060 bln or 24 % of the total export
2002	$ 1.265 bln or 24% of the total export
2003	$ 1.5 bln or 20% of the total export
2004	$ 1.8 bln or over 23% of the total export

Greece, Germany, France and Italy are Bulgaria's largest export markets for apparel contract manufacturing.

A brief list of the customers currently manufacturing in Bulgaria:

CC&A (Germany), Federated Department Stores Inc. (USA), Quelle (Germany), Frankenwalder (Germany),Strenesse(Germany), Shcera(Germany), LaCoste (France), London Fog (UK), Marks & Spencer (UK), May Department Stores (USA), Nekermann (Germany), Tommy Hilfiger (USA), Timberland (USA), Tribal (Canada), Umbro (UK), WalMart (USA)