The European Union’s volume-wise apparel imports fell 1.42 per cent from January to November 2019. However, in the same period, the value of imports increased by 4.29 per cent.

Europe’s changing retail landscape is one reason for the dip in import volumes. As consumer preferences are changing, and they are looking for more personalised clothing, many companies are now producing garments within Europe, which further results in lower imports. The European Union as a whole remains a leading producer of both textile and apparel.

China’s apparel exports to the EU fell in both value and volume by 6.51 per cent and 0.20 per cent respectively in the 11 months. Bangladesh, the second top garment exporter to EU after China, managed to rake in growth marginally in volumes, while growth was significant in value terms. Vietnam, on the other hand, dipped by 5.84 per cent in its quantity-wise exports and got a boost of 10 per cent in values of apparel exports to the EU. India’s exports to the EU from January to November ’19 dipped 0.92 per cent in volume, while value surged marginally by 2.20 per cent.