Japan's apparel imports reach $17.9 bn, China leads as top supplier

Japan's total apparel imports reached $17.905 billion in the first three quarters of 2023, with China being the largest supplier, contributing 51.78 per cent of the total. Other significant suppliers included Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Cambodia, each holding a modest share in Japan's top five apparel suppliers. Notably, these top five suppliers collectively accounted for more than 85 per cent of Japan's total apparel imports. 

Japan imported apparel worth $9.271 billion from China during January-September 2023, constituting 51.78 per cent of its total imports for the period. This import volume was 10.17 per cent lower than the $10.320 billion recorded in the same period in 2022. Japan’s apparel import from China was $13.804 billion in 2022, nearly matching the $13.878 billion in 2021, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool TexPro. 

Vietnam's exports to Japan were valued at $3.006 billion, making up 16.79 per cent of Japan's total imports from January to September 2023. Bangladesh's exports amounted to $952.020 million (5.32 per cent), Myanmar's to $925.791 million (5.17 per cent), and Cambodia's to $867.355 million (4.84 per cent). Italy, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Malaysia were also among the top suppliers to Japan. 

Trousers and shorts were the top imported items by Japan in the first three quarters of the current year, with imports valued at $3.244 billion, accounting for 19.53 per cent of the total. Other significant imports included jerseys ($2.988 billion, 17.99 per cent), shirts ($2.025 billion, 12.19 per cent), T-shirts ($1.696 billion, 10.21 per cent), innerwear ($1.191 billion, 7.17 per cent), dresses ($773.238 million, 4.65 per cent), accessories ($647.895 million, 3.90 per cent), socks ($607.679 million, 3.66 per cent), jackets and blazers ($479.686 million, 2.89 per cent), and skirts ($426.003 million, 2.56 per cent), as per data obtained from TexPro.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)