Textile and apparel imports experienced a continued decline in March, with several traditional suppliers witnessing year-over-year decreases, according to data from the Department of Commerce's Office of Textiles and Apparel.

The overall imports of textiles and apparel reached 7.14 billion square meter equivalents (SME) in March 2023, marking a 23.5 percent increase from February but a 23.8 percent decrease from the same period last year.

Breaking down the numbers, textile imports accounted for 5.23 billion SME, showing a monthly growth of 33.0 percent but a year-on-year decline of 15.7 percent. Meanwhile, apparel imports stood at 1.86 billion SME, reflecting a 2.8 percent increase from February but a significant drop of 40.1 percent compared to the previous year.

The cumulative imports of textiles and apparel for the year until March were reported at 19.7 billion SME, indicating a decline of 24.3 percent compared to the previous year. Textile imports accounted for 13.9 billion SME, experiencing a decrease of 21.5 percent, while apparel imports fell by 30.1 percent to 5.83 billion SME.

Looking at the broader picture for the year ending in March, the total imports of textiles and apparel decreased by 2.9 percent to 99.5 million SME. Textile imports witnessed a marginal decline of 0.7 percent, reaching 70.9 billion SME, while apparel imports experienced a more significant drop of 8.1 percent, totaling 28.6 billion SME.

These statistics highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the textiles and apparel industry in terms of import volumes. The downward trend observed in both monthly and cumulative imports suggests a potential slowdown in consumer demand or changes in sourcing patterns.

By Fashionating World
https://www.fashionatingworld.com/new1-2/usa-textile-and-apparel-imports-drop-by-23-8-compared-to-last-year