UK's apparel imports from Cambodia dip 5.41% amid economic challenges

After a steep rise last year, the United Kingdom's apparel imports from Cambodia experienced a slight decline during the current year. The imports decreased by 5.41 per cent to $716.849 million during the first three quarters of 2023. They had reached $757.867 million with a surge of 77.68 per cent in the same period last year. The inbound shipments were valued at $1,080.569 million during 2022. 

The imports from Cambodia had risen by 76.18 per cent in 2022 from $613.344 million in 2021. They were recorded at $736.744 million in 2022, $965.235 million in 2019, $1,001.476 million in 2018, and $1,016.861 million in 2017, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool TexPro. Therefore, the inbound shipments had surpassed the level of 2017. 

However, economic challenges have dampened the imports during the current year. They slipped by 5.41 per cent to $716.849 million in January-September 2023. Cambodia has contributed 4.66 per cent to the UK's total apparel imports of $15.382 billion during the same period. Last year, the nation imported apparel worth $24.122 billion, out of which Cambodia's share was 4.48 per cent. Cambodia was the seventh largest apparel supplier for the UK during January-September 2023 and the last year. 

As per TexPro, trousers and shorts topped the list with a 29.96 per cent share in the UK’s garment imports from the country during January-September 2023. The import of trousers and shorts amounted to $206.376 million during the same period. Among the top five garments, the import of jerseys was valued at $155.798 million (22.62 per cent), T-shirts at $59.693 million (8.67 per cent), shirts at $44.858 million (6.51 per cent), and coats at $35.572 million (5.16 per cent). 

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)