Belgium's apparel imports dip to $1.9 bn in Q1, Germany leads

Belgium’s apparel imports fell by 4.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. The country’s inbound trade has been consistently declining over recent years. In 2024, apparel imports fell by 9.10 per cent to $7.784 billion, according to trade data sourced from Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro.

Apparel imports totalled $9.896 billion in 2022, which dropped to $8.564 billion in 2023 and further declined by 9.10 per cent the following year.

During January–March 2025, Belgium’s apparel imports from Germany were valued at $314.244 million, making up 16.02 per cent of the total. Imports from the Netherlands stood at $231.388 million (11.80 per cent), from China $194.527 million (9.92 per cent), from Bangladesh $169.213 million (8.63 per cent), and from France $149.536 million (7.62 per cent), according to TexPro.

Belgium also imported home textiles worth $335.983 million during January–March 2025, slightly higher than the $309.278 million recorded in the same period last year. The country’s home textile imports stood at $1,661.896 million in 2024, $1,401.078 million in 2023, and $1,536.845 million in 2022.

Of the total home textile imports, China accounted for 21.18 per cent, the Netherlands 19.41 per cent, Germany 10.76 per cent, India 8.25 per cent, and France 6.96 per cent.

Belgium also imported fabric worth $152.116 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $195.119 million in the same quarter last year. The country imported fabric valued at $661.896 million in 2024, $692.418 million in 2023, and $781.616 million in 2022.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)