Netherlands’ CBS Business Cycle Tracer shows June was less negative than May, with 9 of 13 indicators below trend.
Goods exports rose 4.4 per cent year on year in April and manufacturing output increased 4.7 per cent, pointing to firmer trade and production.
For textile and apparel suppliers, the data signal a mixed demand backdrop, as consumer confidence stayed below its 20-year average.
Trade and production indicators were stronger. The total volume of goods exported in April 2026, adjusted for working days, was 4.4 per cent higher year on year (YoY), CBS said in a press release.
Manufacturing output in April was 4.7 per cent above April 2025 and rose 1.4 per cent from March.
Consumers were less negative in June than in May, while producers were more positive.
Producer confidence was above the average for the past 20 years, whereas consumer confidence remained below that average.
Household spending on goods and services in April was 1 per cent higher YoY, adjusted for price changes and shopping-day differences, while investment in tangible fixed assets fell 3.5 per cent.
CBS also reported that unemployment was unchanged in May at 399,000 people, or 3.9 per cent of the labour force. At the end of the first quarter of 2026, there were 378,000 job vacancies, down by 6,000 from the previous quarter. Bankruptcies in May were 2 fewer than in April, a 1 per cent decrease after adjustment for court session days.
The gross domestic product grew by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 from the previous quarter, supported by public consumption, household consumption and investment.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
