UK's clothing imports decline 7% to $18.3 bn in 2024

In 2024, imports of textile fabrics decreased by 4.35 per cent to £5,341 million, down from £5,584 million in 2023. Fibre imports in 2024 slowed to £378 million from £412 million in 2023.

In December 2024, the UK imported clothing worth £1.068 billion (~$1.344 billion), which was 12.30 per cent higher than the imports of £0.951 billion in December 2023. However, this reflected a month-on-month fall from November 2024, when imports stood at £1.400 billion.

Imports of textile fabrics in December 2024 increased by 3.97 per cent to £366 million, up from £352 million in December 2023. However, imports eased from November 2024's figure of £484 million. Fibre imports in December 2024 rose to £30 million from £24 million in December 2023 but eased from £32 million in November 2024.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the UK's clothing imports amounted to £4.064 billion (~$5.116 billion), a 9.30 per cent increase from £3.718 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. The imports were higher than the £3.772 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2024. Fabric imports during this period were valued at £1.363 billion, while textile fibre imports reached £100 million in October-December 2024. In the same quarter of 2023, fabric imports were £1.344 billion, and fibre imports were £92 million. During the third quarter of 2024, the UK had imported fabric worth £1.330 billion and fibre worth £86 million.

For the year 2023, the UK's clothing imports totalled £15.702 billion (~$20.33 billion), marking a significant decline of 25.94 per cent from £21.203 billion in 2022. Fabric imports were recorded at £5.547 billion in 2023, down from £6.357 billion in 2022, while fibre imports decreased to £413 million from £562 million in the same period. In 2021, imports of clothing, fabrics, and textile fibres were £17.034 billion, £5.996 billion, and £458 million, respectively.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)