At the three-digit SITC level, in 1998 the
furniture industry was the 19th largest traded
goods sector out of 261 product groupings,
with a total value of global trade of $50 bn
(www.intracen.org). It was the largest traditional,
low-tech sector, exceeding the value of
export trade in the apparel industry ($45.3 bn)
and the footwear industry ($35.7 bn). The
growth of world exports during 1994–98 in
the sector (41%) exceeded that for all world
merchandise trade (28%), as well as that for
clothing (32%) and footwear (8%). As a proportion
of imports into the European Union
(EU), the furniture sector (HS94, which includes
miscellaneous items such as lighting and
pre-fabricated buildings) was the 17th largest
sector, and its growth rate over 1989–97 was
81%, making it the 21st most rapidly growing
import sector.