10th May – 13th May 2022
The PCIAW® trade delegation to Tunisia PCIAW® is inviting our Trusted Members to attend the trade delegation to Tunisia from the 10th – 13th May 2022.
This trip is to help support UK manufacturers and strengthen our growing relationship with our nearshore neighbours. This trip takes the UK-Tunisia nearshore manufacturing project to the next stage.
Foreword by Yvette Ashby, Founder & CEO, PCIAW®
PCIAW® is excited to welcome our delegates to Tunisia, for what looks to be an incredibly productive trip. Within this brochure you will find everything there is to know about the upcoming visit to Tunisia.
We have had the pleasure of working with Cepex and the Tunisian government for many years and we are looking forward continuing this relationship by establishing firm communications between UK manufacturers and the Tunisian textiles industry. Tunisia has amazing infrastructure and people who have a talent and passion for textiles – and I cannot wait for you to explore all the opportunities that are on offer here.
With changes in energy prices, cost-of-living crises, Brexit and sustainability in mind, businesses are apt to prepare contingencies and Tunisia could well be the solution to the challenges that they face. French and Italian companies top the chart for textile trade with Tunisia and PCIAW® want to inform and encourage our members to follow suit.
Foreword by Nabil Ben Khedher, The Tunisian Ambassador to the UK
I am delighted that PCIAW® will lead this outward trade mission to Tunisia as part of a fruitful partnership with the Tunisian Embassy and paving the way for mutually beneficial partnerships between UK and Tunisian professionals in the textiles industry.
The programme of the trip has been designed in order to give the delegates of the UK participating companies the opportunity to get first-hand information about the praised Tunisian textiles industry and meet the representatives of key institutions (CEPEX, FTTH, CETTEX) and top companies active in the workwear sector. It also includes an opportunity to tour some selected factories and appraise the high standards of quality and competitiveness of Tunisian manufacturers.
In a rapidly changing world and growing challenges, I believe the upcoming visit is very timely as it will offer UK companies the opportunity to find trusted partners and explore sustainable nearshoring options for expanding their businesses in Tunisia, a unique location that has so much to offer.
I wish everyone a productive visit and an enjoyable stay.
Where:
Tunis, Tunisia
When:
10th – 13th May 2022
Flights:
Direct flights
10th May: LDN Heathrow to Tunis 17:55/20:50
14th May: Tunis to LDN Heathrow: 13:55/16:55
Hotel:
Laico Tunis Hotel
Mohamed V Avenue, Human Rights Square, 1001 Tunis, Tunisia.
£572.85 for Executive Room for three nights.
Day 1:
Arrival
Delegates will arrive in Tunis, Tunisia to Tunis Carthage airport from London (Heathrow or Gatwick). This day will be used for check-in to the hotel and to get everyone settled before Day 2.
Day 2:
CEPEX Workshop
On Day 2, the delegates will partake in a range of B2B meetings and presentations from the Ambassador and speakers from CEPEX, FIPA, FTTH and CETTEX.
You will be provided with information about the incentives and support for investment in Tunisia.
This day will be the perfect opportunity for networking with the companies you will be visiting on Day 3.
• Nabil Ben Khedher, Tunisian Ambassador to Great Britain, opening address
• Yvette Ashby, Founder and CEO of PCIAW®
• CEPEX speaker
• FIPA speaker
• FTTH presentation
• CETTEX presentation
PCIAW® Trusted Members meeting with Tunisian manufacturers.
Day 3:
Factory visits
CEPEX have invited 10 Tunisian companies, which you can select from to visit their factories, including:
Green Security
Specialised in the safety shoes, GS has diversified its catalogue with a whole range of workwear products (professional clothing, gloves, masks, helmets, Hi-vis…)
www.greensecurity.com.tn
Iris Confection
IC is a manufacturer of all kinds of workwear uniforms, with a particular focus on medical and hospitality sectors. It has developed its own brand –W Wear- but is still working with partner from Tunisia and abroad.
www.iris-confection.com.tn
Sotico Group
SG has been founded in 1984 and is a well-established manufacturer. Its first speciality was the sportswear sector, but after few years, SG has developed its activity in the workwear field. SG has several long-lasting partnerships with important foreign companies, as such CAWE, OURY, DUTRA, DAC Textiles, etc.
MACO Confection
The company MACO works in the field of the manufacture of technical articles and the production of professional work clothes and image 100% destined for the export for all Europe and with customers of international renown such as: SAMSONITE, HAVEP, ITC (ALFREDO GRASSI Group), SINUTEX (Groupe BETRANCOURT), PROTECOP. Apart from its certifications, MACO has a constant interest in improving its sustainable production process.
www.maco-confection.com/en
Day 4:
Return home
Direct flights available on Saturday 14th May, indirect flights are available to London Gatwick on Friday 13th May, stop offs in Madrid or Frankfurt.
Nearshore collaboration coming into fruition
The Tunisian Ambassador has shown a commitment to the UK and European professional clothing industries, helping manufacturers to find a more sustainable way to produce their clothing.
PCIAW® is proud to see the collaborative efforts of both the Tunisian textile manufacturers and professional clothing suppliers in the UK come to fruition. For UK manufacturers, this partnership is a promising step in the right direction.
Tunisia has a natural geographic advantage in its relative proximity to the UK and optimal location on the Mediterranean basin. The country is a high-quality nearshore manufacturing base for textiles with fantastic customer service, agility, and flexibility for UK workwear suppliers and buyers.
The Tunisian workwear sector has over 116 companies, with many producing exclusively for export. As many as two-thirds of these companies are run or owned by foreign investors. The Tunisian workwear sector has boomed since the 1980s, when competitive production costs, adherence to international standards, and a highly-skilled workforce set the sector apart.
The Tunisian economy is heavily export-based, with the textiles and apparel sector accounting for up to a third of total exports. Both the UK and Tunisian government are keen to forge a closer partnership post-Brexit, and the textiles sector has been selected for its strong potential to develop trade between two geographically proximate countries.
The programme for the PCIAW® trade delegation
The Tunisian Export Promotion Agency (CEPEX) will be hosting a workshop to outline the attractive environment for investment. PCIAW® Trusted Members will partake in meetings with leading Tunisian manufactures to get an understanding of the people who could later become their partners.
FTTH (Tunisian Federation for Textiles) will present the capabilities of the country’s manufacturers across the spectrum from fashion to technical textiles. CETTEX (the Tunisian Technical Centre for Textiles) will outline their capabilities in assisting research and development, laboratory testing and analysis, and professional training, to secure the success of Tunisian textiles in these nearshore partnerships.
Tour the factories of the best in Tunisian textile manufacturing
CEPEX will transport the delegation of PCIAW® Trusted Members to tour a diverse selection of experienced factories. This trip will show our delegates why the Tunisian textiles industry is such a valuable asset to the UK. Tunisia is the 9th largest supplier of textiles and clothing to Europe, this new partnership and working relationship hopes to benefit UK manufacturers even more.
