European Union Global Garment Imports Slip 16.22% In 2022

Global imports of clothing by the countries of the European Union dropped 16.22 percent to €83.19 billion in 2023, compared to €99.29 billion in 2022.

All major apparel exporting countries to the EU faced negative growth, due to the slowdown in consumer demand, mainly due to high inflation as a consequence of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

Eurostat data revealed that garment imports from China, the biggest supplier declined 21.54 percent to €22.73 billion last year as against €28.98 billion in 2022.

Imports from Bangladesh fell 20.65 percent year on year to €17.38 billion in 2023, but the country remained the biggest exporting country in terms of volume to the EU.

EU apparel imports from Turkey also witnessed a negative growth of 13.23 percent to €9.93 billion in 2023 vis-à-vis €11.45 billion in 2022.

Imports from India by the EU slipped 13.12 percent to €4.04 billion, while those from Vietnam also reported negative growth of 14.68 percent and totaled €3.78 billion.

Imports from Cambodia decreased 13.38 percent over 2022 to €3.20 billion and from Pakistan, they reduced 18.3 percent to €3.10 billion.