UK's clothing imports up 15% to $1.93 bn in May 2025

In May 2025, textile fabric imports rose by 8.99 per cent to £497 million from £456 million in May 2024. However, fibre imports fell to £28 million from £33 million a year earlier. In April 2025, textile fabric imports were recorded at £445 million, while fibre imports stood at £33 million. Textile fabric imports were up month-on-month, while fibre imports declined.

In the first quarter of 2025, the UK’s clothing imports totalled £4.075 billion (~$5.408 billion), marking a 10.28 per cent increase from £3.791 billion in the first quarter of 2024. However, this was a decline from the £4.791 billion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024. Fabric imports during Q1 2025 were valued at £1.399 billion, while textile fibre imports reached £88 million. In the same quarter of 2024, fabric imports were £1.308 billion, and fibre imports stood at £86 million. During Q4 2024, the UK imported fabric worth £1.424 billion and fibre worth £103 million.

For the full year 2024, the UK’s clothing imports declined by 7.06 per cent to £14.612 billion (~$18.394 billion) compared to the previous year. Textile fabric imports fell by 4.35 per cent to £5.341 billion, while fibre imports decreased to £378 million.

In 2023, the UK’s clothing imports totalled £15.702 billion (~$20.33 billion), representing a sharp decline of 25.94 per cent from £21.203 billion in 2022. Fabric imports fell to £5.547 billion from £6.357 billion, while fibre imports declined to £413 million from £562 million. For reference, in 2021, the UK imported £17.034 billion in clothing, £5.996 billion in fabric, and £458 million in fibre.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)