The downturn in Georgia’s textile industry continues, with businesses reporting a sharp decline in export orders since 2024. Many sewing enterprises have reduced staff or shut down entirely due to weak demand.
Businesswoman Laura Ghachava said that large-scale production has largely disappeared from the local market, replaced by small ateliers working on individual orders. Her own enterprise, which was previously export-focused, has seen its contracts expire and is now waiting for new clients, but none are in sight.
“We used to sew work overalls. We had orders from Austria, Germany, and recently Italy, which requested winter jackets. We fulfilled all those contracts, but no new orders have come in,” Ghachava said. “I had to stop production and send the tailors home for at least a month. Orders have slowed down a lot.”
She added that her workforce has dropped dramatically: “I used to have 200–300 tailors, and now I have only about 100. Most large factories have closed, and what remains are small ateliers doing custom, small-scale work.”
