Fabric imports were valued at $7.131 billion in 2023. In 2019, imports stood at $6.977 billion, which declined to $5.574 billion in 2020. Imports then rebounded to $7.100 billion in 2021 and further increased to $7.494 billion in 2022, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro.
China remained the top supplier, accounting for more than 40 per cent of Africa’s fabric imports. China’s share was 44 per cent in 2019, rising to 46 per cent in 2020. However, it declined to 45 per cent in 2021, 44 per cent in 2022, and 43 per cent in 2023. In 2024, the share rose again to 46 per cent.
In volume terms, African nations imported 942.759 million kg of fabric at an average price of $6.23 per kg in 2024, up from 829.680 million kg in 2023. However, the average price fell from $6.35 per kg in 2023 to $6.23 per kg in 2024, according to TexPro.
Africa also imported 165,265 metres of other types of fabric in 2024, compared to 148,833 metres in 2023, at an average price of $2.56 per metre. Additionally, the continent imported 5,437 square metres of fabric at an average price of $6.51 per square metre in 2024.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)
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