Definition
The textile manufacturing industry comprises of establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing goods and products for traditional and non-traditional textile markets. Traditional textile markets are destined to apparel and accessories; households; furnishings; and floor coverings. Non-traditional markets are defined as technical textiles and “other valued-added textiles”. Examples of markets for technical textiles are: filtration; transportation; medical; packaging; protection; reinforcement; sporting goods; agriculture; construction; civil engineering; and environmental industries. The “other value-added textiles” concept refers to traditional textile products to which advanced technological characteristics have been added. Examples are: advanced sports and leisure apparel; antimicrobial textiles; special protective textiles; easy-care textiles; intelligent textiles; and ultra-comfortable textiles.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for this industry are:
- 313 Textile Mills (covers the manufacture, dyeing and finishing of yarns, fabrics and some textile products)
- 314 Textile Product Mills (covers the manufacture of final products such as carpets, rugs, window coverings, etc.)
- 325220 Artificial and Synthetic Fibres and Filaments Manufacturing (covers monofilament, filament yarn, staple or tow production)
Statistical Summary
| Economic Indicators | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | % change 2014-15 | CAGR 20011-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definitions:
Notes:
| |||||||
| Sources: Statistics Canada, Trade Data Online | |||||||
| Gross Domestic ProductFootnote 1 | 1,435.8 | 1,458.6 | 1,327.8 | 1,432.9 | 1,468.9 | 2.5% | 0.6% |
| ShipmentsFootnote 2 | 3,768.7 | 3,682.3 | 3,499.2 | 3,820.7 | 3,852.7 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Total Imports | 4,912.7 | 5,212.7 | 5,369.6 | 5,805.2 | 6,437.1 | 10.9% | 7.0% |
| Total Exports | 1,953.1 | 1,902.3 | 1,842.7 | 1,886.2 | 2,148.9 | 13.9% | 2.4% |
| Re-Exports | 292.4 | 270.2 | 257.0 | 267.1 | 326.9 | 22.4% | 2.8% |
| Apparent Domestic MarketFootnote 3 | 6,728 | 6,993 | 7,026 | 7,740 | 8,141 | 5.2% | 4.9% |
| Domestic Market ShareFootnote 3 | 27.0% | 25.5% | 23.6% | 25.0% | 20.9% | -4.1% | -1.5% |
| Trade Balance | -2,959.7 | -3,310.4 | -3,527.0 | -3,919.0 | -4,288.1 | -9.4% | -9.7% |
| Import Penetration | 73.0% | 74.5% | 76.4% | 75.0% | 79.1% | 4.1% | 1.5% |
| Export OrientationFootnote 3 | 51.8% | 51.7% | 52.7% | 49.4% | 55.8% | 6.4% | 1.0% |
| Manufacturing Intensity RatioFootnote 4 | 38.1% | 39.6% | 37.9% | 37.5% | 38.1% | 0.6% | 0.0% |
| Capital ExpendituresFootnote 5 | 55.6 | 61.9 | 47.5 | 49.5 | 49.4 | -0.2% | -2.9% |
| R&DFootnote 5 | 42.0 | 31.0 | 26.0 | 29.0 | 29.0 | 0.0% | -8.8% |
| EmploymentFootnote 6 | 19.0 | 18.5 | 19.2 | 18.3 | 17.6 | -3.8% | -1.9% |
| Labour ProductivityFootnote 7 | 75.4 | 78.7 | 69.0 | 78.1 | 83.3 | 6.6% | 2.5% |
| EstablishmentsFootnote 8 | 1,226 | 1,106 | 1,118 | 1,035 | 984 | N/A | N/A |
Economic overview
The textile manufacturing industry exhibited limited growth in output between 2011 and 2015. GDP expanded at an average annual rate of 0.6% between 2011 and 2015, increasing by approximately $30 million over the entire five-year period. Shipments grew at a similar rate, increasing by an average annual rate of 0.6%. In 2015, total shipments amounted to approximately $3.9 billion. The apparent domestic market for textile goods and products increased by $1.4 billion between 2011 and 2015; however, the domestic market share for Canadian manufacturers contracted by approximately 6% periods during the time period. Total imports and exports both expanded at a steady pace increasing by 7.0 and 2.4% respectively. High growth of imports has resulted in a growing trade deficit, which stood at $4.3 billion in 2015. Moderate growth in the industry has been accompanied by a contraction in both employment and establishments. Between 2011 and 2014, the total number of establishments contracted by approximately 16% or 191 establishments, and total employment for the industry declined by an average annual rate of 1.9%. In 2015, approximately 17,600 individuals were employed in the textile manufacturing sector and the industry consisted of approximately 1,035 establishments in 2014.
Trends in the industry
Canadian manufacturing of commodity textiles, such as for household items like bed linens, towels, and curtain, and textiles used in the manufacture of apparel, has largely moved to lower labour cost countries, however the business case to manufacture these items still exists in cases of niche demand (e.g., high quality, a particular performance characteristic, quick response to customer aesthetic preferences, rapid inventory replenishment, and if they are heavy or inefficient to transport as is the case in carpets and pillows). Textiles have many uses though in addition to those commonly thought of, such as woven carbon fibre used in composite structures, non-porous coated geosynthetic fabrics used to line tailing ponds, para-aramid fabrics (e.g. Kevlar) in bullet-proof vests, washable and antibacterial mattress and pillow covers in health care facilities, webbings for seatbelts or slings, and fibreglass used to make a range of moulded products including boat hulls, bathroom tubs, spas, and automobile parts. Canada`s textile companies manufacture for a wide variety of technical and niche applications and are integral to the supply chains of the many major industries in Canada.
In Canada, technical textile is evolving in a business environment supported by academic research and strong industrial knowledge which is conducive to even further growth of this sector. Advances in the global textile industry have resulted in textiles increasingly competing with other materials such as metals, wood, and plastics for applications that have traditionally been held by these other materials. Composites are a prime example of such substitution. Further, novel textiles, such as ‘intelligent’ textiles or those that conduct electricity, are increasingly seen in applications making it to market.