Upgrading, Changing Competitive Pressures and Diverse Practices in the East European Apparel Industry
نویسندگان
چکیده
Following a period in the 1990s of rapid integration into the production and trade networks of the European Union (and to a lesser extent of the United States), clothing manufacturers in East and Central Europe have had to quickly adjust to the changing costs of production with EU accession, the rise of Chinese exports, and the January 1, 2005 final phase-out of quantitative quotas into major markets. This paper focuses on the changing competitive pressures on clothing producers in the region and on the diversity of adjustments currently being made in response to these changes. In particular, the paper details the wide range of adjustment strategies being adopted by firms in Slovakia and Bulgaria, and shows how inter-regional price competition, downgrading, and geographical shifts in patterns of sourcing and production are articulated with imperatives to regionalized production for major markets, stabilization of supply networks, industrial upgrading, and the expansion of localized sourcing and domestic marketing strategies.
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