During the same period, apparel imports rose by 1.42 per cent to 14,213.636 million SME, up from 14,014.071 million SME in January to July 2023. Textile (non-apparel) imports reached 42,505.218 million SME in January to July 2024, marking a 7.21 per cent increase from 39,645.500 million SME in the same period of the previous year, according to the OTEXA report.

The import volume of cotton products increased by 6.64 per cent to 9,716.240 million SME during the period under review, compared with 9,111.280 million SME in the same period of the previous year. The import of man-made fibre (MMF) products reached 45,612.040 million SME from January to July 2024, up from 43,255.356 million SME in January to July 2023.

Exports of textiles and apparel made from all types of fibres from the US fell by 3.90 per cent to 1,253.551 million kg in the period under review, compared with 1,304.484 million kg in January to July 2023. Apparel exports decreased by 5.69 per cent to 380.286 million kg. Yarn exports stood at 510.018 million kg during the period, representing a 2.90 per cent decline from January to July 2023. Meanwhile, fabric exports increased by 0.19 per cent to 428.444 million kg.

US exports of textile products continued to show a volatile declining trend in the first seven months of 2024 as foreign buyers remained cautious about textile imports.

In 2023, the US had noted a 12.28 per cent decline in the volume of textile and apparel imports made from all types of fibres, with total imports amounting to 92,783.4 million SME.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)