Figures from the industry group showed that textile and apparel exports of Portugal declined 10 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2003 to 1.15 billion euros.

Data compiled by the Portuguese Centre for Applied Textile Studies said textile exports fell 12 per cent year-on-year in the January to March period with clothing exports down nine per cent.

It added textile and apparel imports fell nine per cent to 800 million euros in the period with textile imports down 14 per cent but clothing imports the same as last year.