UK apparel imports decline in the third quarter

In the third quarter of 2023, apparel imports in the UK decreased by 6% in quantity and 10.9% in value compared to the same period last year. Imports from Turkey decreased by 29% in quantity and 20% in value, while imports from Cambodia increased by 16.9% in quantity and 7.6% in value.

In terms of market share, Vietnam accounted for 5.2% of the UK's apparel imports, still much lower than China's 27%. Imports from Bangladesh accounted for 26% in quantity and 19% in value of the UK's apparel imports. Due to currency depreciation, the import unit price from Turkey increased significantly by 11.9%. Meanwhile, in the third quarter, the import unit price of apparels from China to the UK decreased by 9.4% compared to the same period last year. The price drop may drive the recovery of China's textile industry, as reflected in the US apparel imports.

In the third quarter, apparel imports from China to the US increased again, largely due to the decrease in unit price, resulting in a higher proportion of Chinese imports compared to the previous year. Data shows that China's proportion of apparel imports in the US increased from 39.9% in the same period last year to 40.8%.

In terms of unit price, China's unit price dropped the most significantly in the third quarter, with a year-on-year decrease of 14.2%, while the overall unit price of apparel imports in the US dropped by 6.9%. In comparison, in the second quarter of this year, China's apparel unit price fell by 3.3%, while the overall unit price of apparel imports in the US increased by 4%. In the third quarter of this year, the unit price of apparel exports from most countries decreased, contrasting with the increase in the same period last year.