The Textile Industry

The foundations for the modern textile industry were laid by the technical developments of the 18th century. Textile industries grew in Europe - especially England, Belgium, France - and in the USA. But after World War II, the textile industry underwent significant changes worldwide. Textile manufacturing expanded and China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea became competitive with European and United States industry. Restrictive quotas and tariffs were imposed by countries who felt their industries threatened, and countries automated their textile industries to combat lower priced competition. Stanley Chapman has selected more than 100 articles that identify the key historical developments and which reveal the complex issues within the textile industry today.