In 2023, the total clothing imports by EU member countries declined by 16.22 per cent to €83.19 billion compared to €99.29 billion in 2022.

According to the data from the Statistical Office of the European Union, this downturn in imports can be attributed to a slowdown in apparel retail sales across EU countries, largely influenced by high inflationary trends.

Specifically, garment imports by the EU from China decreased by 21.54 per cent, to €22.73 billion in 2023 compared to €28.98 billion in 2022. Similarly, apparel imports from Bangladesh dropped by 20.65 per cent to €17.39 billion in 2023, from €21.91 billion in the previous year.

In terms of volume, EU’s clothing imports from Bangladesh reached 11.14 billion kg in 2023, slightly surpassing China's exports, which stood at 11.10 billion kg.

Furthermore, apparel imports from Turkey experienced declined by 13.23 per cent, to €9.93 billion in 2023 compared to €11.45 billion in 2022. Imports from India also decreased by 13.12 per cent to €4.04 billion in 2023 while apparel imports from Vietnam fell by 14.68 per cent to €3.78 billion in 2023 compared to €4.43 billion in 2022.