The International Trade Centre’s Fibres, Textiles and Clothing (FTC) unit works along the entire value chain from natural fibre production to clothing manufacturing. We aim to strengthen the capacities of fibre, textile and clothing manufacturers making them more competitive, including socially and environmentally responsible.  At institutional level, we work with T&C- related business support organizations and training institutions in developing countries to become sustainable and reliable partners to effectively support the industry.

Through training, coaching, and advisory services, FTC supports farmers, companies, businesses support organizations, academia, among other stakeholders, to overcome challenges in the fibres to clothing sector.

In addition, we provide a neutral UN-enabled environment and platform where manufacturers and industry stakeholders can discuss common concerns, build partnerships, and jointly increase efficiency and reduce costs along the value chain.

For more information, visit ITC website (link).

FTC country programmes and projects

1. GTEX MENATEX
The Global Textiles and Clothing Programme (GTEX) and its related work in the Middle East and North Africa (MENATEX) is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), focusing on six priority countries (Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan and Tunisia). The programme aims to encourage exports of textiles and clothing from developing countries to promote employment and income generation throughout the value chain.

UKTP
The UKTP Programme works with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to increase exports to the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU).In Madagascar, the project works with SMEs in the textile and clothing sector. It follows the same logical approach developed under GTEX MENATEX and is closely linked to it. The aim is to increase competitiveness and exports, thus creating new employment opportunities.

Zambia Cotton Development Programme

As part of the EU financed ACP Business-Friendly programme: Supporting value chains through inclusive policies, investment promotion and alliances, ITC is implementing a cotton-specific project in Zambia. The project works along the cotton to clothing sector value chain from productivity and yield increase to fibre value addition.

Pashmina Programme

The EU-Nepal Trade and Investment Programme is a four-year programme funded by the European Union (EU) to assist the Government of Nepal to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction by increasing trade and participation in regional and global value-chains.