
Scottish Textiles: A Resilient Industry Navigates a Perfect Storm
It’s only when the seas are rough and the winds are whipping in every direction, that you realise how strong or speak the boat you have built really is. In this, most destructive year, we have found out that the Scottish textile industry is incredibly robust and resilient.
Even before COVID shook the world, the industry started 2020 with some serious headwinds. As a result of a dispute between Boeing and Airbus, completed unrelated to textiles, we faced 25% additional tariffs on Scottish wool and cashmere knitwear being sold into the world’s largest luxury market, the United States. To maintain hard-won market positions, most Scottish companies including Johnstons of Elgin had little choice but to absorb these stinging taxes.
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