During the same period, apparel imports increased by 1.05 per cent to 7,668.326 million SME, up from 7,589.020 million SME in January to April 2023. Textile (non-apparel) imports stood at 22,426.794 million SME in January to April 2024, marking a 12.76 per cent increase from 19,888.725 million SME in the same months of the previous year, according to the OTEXA report.

The import volume of cotton products increased by 7.21 per cent to 5,316.912 million SME during the period under review, compared with 4,959.362 million SME in the same period of the previous year. The import of man-made fibre (MMF) products was 23,984.584 million SME from January to April 2024, up from 21,853.684 million SME in January to April 2023.

The exports of textiles and apparel made from all types of fibres from the US fell by 2.95 per cent to 706.594 million kg in the period under review, compared with 728.095 million kg in January to April 2023. Apparel exports decreased by 5.84 per cent to 210.964 million kg. Yarn exports stood at 292.971 million kg during the period, a 0.47 per cent decline from January to April 2023. Meanwhile, fabric exports decreased by 1.18 per cent to 235.519 million kg in January to April 2024.

US exports of textile products continued to show a declining trend in the first four months of 2024 as foreign buyers remained cautious about textile imports.

In 2023, the US noted a 12.28 per cent decline in the volume of imports for textiles and apparel made from all types of fibres. These imports amounted to 92,783.4 million SME.

SBS Zipper News Desk (KUL)