Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 18 ISSUE 1
Written by Agatha POPESCU

The purpose of the paper was to analyze the dynamics of the world silk production, export, import and trade balance in the period 2012-2016 and to identify the trends and estimate the forecast for the horizon 2017-2021, based on the data supplied by ISC, ITC and UN COMTRADE and using the modern specific methods. The world silk production accounted for 192,692.45 Metric tonnes in the year 2016, being 1.26 times higher than in 2012. China and India produced 97.94 % of the world silk production. The most traded products worldwide are woven fabrics, raw silk on thrown, silk waste, silk yarn and yarn spun from silk waste, despite that it was registered a decline of the exported and imported quantities, because of the increased demand on the domestic markets of the main producers. The silk export value was USD 2,149 Million in 2016, by 31.49 % less than in 2012. The highest share in the world export value belong to woven fabrics, raw silk non thrown, silk yarn and yarn spun from silk waste, which together cumulated 95.77 %. The top silk exporters and China (53.9%), Italy (13.4 %), India (4.2 %), Romania (4 %), France (3.7 %), all together totalizing 79.2 % in the world silk export value. The world silk import value was USD 1,785 Million in 2016, by 29.21 % less than in 2012.The highest share in the world silk import value is kept by woven fabrics (56.13 %), raw silk non thrown (22.51%), and silk yarn (12.85%) which together totalize 91.49 %. The world top silk importers are: Italy (18.3 %), India (11.6%), Japan (7%), Romania (6.4 %), Vietnam (6.3 %), USA (5.7 %), France (4.4 %), Rep. Korea ( 3.9 %), Hong Kong China (3.3 %), China (3.2 %) and Germany (3%), all together accounting for 73.1 % of the world silk export value. The silk trade balance reached USD 354.3 Million in 2016, by 41.08 lees than in 2012. The main exporting and producing countries registered a negative trade balance, except China which had a positive balance. Silk price varied from a product to another, in relation to the demand/offer ratio. Woven fabrics, raw silk non thrown and silk yarn have the highest export price, while raw silk non thrown and silk yarn have the highest import price. In the horizon 2017-2021, it is expected as silk production to grow, but the export and import to decline due to the higher and higher requirement in the domestic markets of the producing countries.

[Read full article] [Citation]

SPUPOPUPNO1