Made in France: Mélenchon wants to revive French textile industry
Paris - Jean-Luc Mélenchon unveils his “productive investment plan” for the textile sector on Friday. The strategy aims to reshore a mass-market apparel industry, expand flax and hemp cultivation, and structure reuse and recycling supply chains. The goal is for 10 percent of new garments to be manufactured in France by 2032.
Mass-market apparel industry
Only 3 percent of garments purchased in France today are manufactured domestically. The presidential candidate for La France Insoumise (LFI), who is visiting the Made in France trade show today, wants to “recreate a genuine mass-market apparel industry”. This will span “from crop cultivation to garment manufacturing, including processing”.
The objective is to increase the share of domestically manufactured garments sold in France to 10 percent by 2032. This represents an additional 80,000 tonnes per year, achieved by mobilising “3.45 billion euros over the five-year presidential term”, according to the investment plan seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
This reshoring strategy will rely on the widespread development of sustainable local crops. Specifically, it involves “scaling up” flax and hemp, with cultivation areas increasing by 40,000 hectares each to reach 240,000 hectares for flax and 65,000 hectares for hemp.
The plan also outlines the reshoring of the industrial processing, spinning and weaving stages.
To lower costs for the general public, he is banking primarily on a “volume-based approach” and automation. This will be achieved by supporting “the emergence of a sustainable mass-production sector” through a dedicated public fund.
He also intends to leverage public procurement, estimated at “722 million euros per year”, to guarantee market outlets for the entire supply chain.
To protect this domestic production from dumping, LFI proposes introducing “mandatory quotas for private corporate apparel procurement”. The party also plans to implement a “bonus-malus system” to tax the most polluting imported garments; ban hazardous chemicals; and create a “national platform for French apparel”.
The plan also aims for “25 percent of garments placed on the market in France” to come from “reuse or the circular economy”, with “public management” of this sector. Furthermore, it targets reaching “70,000 tonnes of reused textiles in France in 2032” and 200,000 tonnes of recycled textiles, compared to 60,000 today.
Finally, the plan provides for “an additional ten million euros per year” in support for technical textiles, alongside a “major national training plan” with France Travail to create “at least 55,000 direct jobs”.