Competitiveness of the Textile Industry of the Republic of Serbia on the EU Market

Abstract The focus of research interest on the analysis of the competitiveness of the textile industry of the Republic of Serbia stems from the fact that, despite many years of negative indicators of development and objectively unsatisfactory status, the industry has maintained a recognizable and pronounced export potential. Namely, despite the marginal share in the production of gross domestic product, the textile industry is continuously, in terms of its export, among the top five most important exporters. The research should point to the trend and dynamics of changes in the competitiveness of the industry and the stability of the economic flows. For the purpose of complex analysis of the phenomena related to the competitiveness of this part of the national economy, the paper uses the methodology developed by the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (ITC), and in particular the Trade Performance Index group of indicators. The results of the research provide a basis for the conclusion that the textile industry can still be one of the stable pillars of self-sustainable growth, but also of the long-term production and trade integration of the Republic of Serbia with the European Union.