Pic: Adobe Stock Imports of textile fabric in March 2024 fell by 10.95 per cent to £439 million, compared with £493 million in March 2023. There was a month-on-month increase from February 2024's £412 million. Meanwhile, the UK's fibre imports in March 2024 were £28 million, a decrease from March 2023's £37 million, but an increase from February 2024's £27 million.
In March 2024, UK clothing imports fell by 23.08 per cent year-on-year to £1.116 billion but rose month-on-month. Textile fabric imports dropped by 10.95 per cent, while fibre imports decreased slightly. For Q1 2024, clothing imports were down 20.57 per cent from Q1 2023. In 2023, overall clothing and textile imports and exports declined compared to 2022.During the first quarter of 2024, the UK's clothing imports totalled £3.265 billion, which was 20.57 per cent lower than the import of £4.111 billion in the first quarter of 2023. The inbound shipment was also lower than the imports of £3.714 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Fabric imports were noted at £1.274 billion, and textile fibres at £83 million in January-March 2024. The import of fabric and textile fibres was noted at £1.422 billion and £113 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
In 2023, the UK's clothing imports reached £15.702 billion, down 25.94 per cent from the inbound shipment of £21.203 billion in 2022. The imports of fabric and textile fibres were noted at £5.547 billion and £413 million in 2023, down from £6.357 billion and £562 million in 2022, respectively. The imports of clothing, fabric, and textile fibres were recorded at £17.034 billion, £5.996 billion, and £458 million, respectively, in 2021.
As for exports, the UK's clothing sector generated £279 million in March 2024, down from £338 million in March 2023. The figure for February 2024 was £265 million. The exports of textile fabric in March 2024 dipped to £235 million, compared with £254 million in March 2023. There was a month-on-month decrease from February 2024's £239 million. The UK's fibre exports in March 2024 were £53 million, a decrease from March 2023's £61 million, and down from February 2024's £58 million.
During the first quarter of 2024, clothing exports totalled £833 million, against the shipment of £951 million in Q1 2023 and £987 million in Q4 2023. The outbound shipments of textile fabric and fibre were noted at £697 million and £162 million in the first quarter of 2024.
In 2023, clothing exports decreased to £3.772 billion from £3.931 billion in 2022 and £4.263 billion in 2021. Exports of textile fabrics and fibres in 2023 were £2.737 billion and £667 million, respectively. Exports of textile fabrics and fibres in 2022 were noted at £2.716 billion and £616 million, respectively.
SBS Zipper News Desk (KUL)
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