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November sees Japan apparel imports climb, textile trade mixed

Imports of textile yarn and fabric declined marginally by *.* per cent to ***,*** million yen (~$***.** million), representing *.* per cent of total imports. The slight contraction suggests cautious restocking by manufacturers amid subdued downstream demand and inventory optimisation. On the export side, textile yarn and fabric shipments were flat at *,*** million yen (~$**.** million), indicating limited competitiveness in commodity textile exports. In contrast, textile machinery exports rose *.* per cent to *** million yen (~$*.** million), contributing *.* per cent of Japan’s total exports of *,***,*** million yen, supported by ongoing overseas investment in modernisation.

During the first half of fiscal ****–** (April–September), imports of clothing and accessories increased *.* per cent to *,***,*** million yen (~$**.** billion), accounting for *.* per cent of total imports valued at **,***,*** million yen. The moderate growth reflects resilient consumer demand despite inflationary pressures. In contrast, imports of textile yarn and fabric fell *.* per cent to ***,*** million yen (~$*.** billion), largely due to cheaper regional sourcing options across Asia, greater use of existing inventories, and moderated raw material demand.