China’s apparel imports in 2017 increased 9.4 per cent. The main factor contributing to the increase was: increase in volume. The index of apparel imports was 115.9 while the import price index was 94.4. Imports of major categories of knitted and woven garments increased by 13.4 per cent while average import prices dropped by 4.3 per cent.

Textile imports increased 3.7 per cent, a growth in both volume and value. The import volume index was 100.5, and the import price index was 103.1. Imports of yarn and finished goods both increased by 6.2 per cent and imports of fabrics decreased by 1.3 per cent.

Decline in exports to the EU has narrowed and the impact of Brexit in the United Kingdom is expected to outweigh the disadvantages. Exports to the United States, Asean and Japan resumed growth.

The United Kingdom is an important export market for China’s textile and apparel, ranking fifth in terms of individual countries and the largest market in the 28 EU countries. In 2017, China’s exports to the United Kingdom accounted for four per cent of total global exports and 21 per cent of the exports to the EU.