Clothing imports by the European Union increased by 5.60 per cent to € 72.30 billion in 2021 after a massive slump recorded in 2020 due to COVID-19.
However, despite this rebound, EU’s import is still € 7.60 billion lower than its 2019 level when imports were € 80 billion.
There are seven Asian countries amongst the top ten suppliers to the EU. In 2021, they collectively supplied 68 per cent by value of total European clothing imports.
Of a total of 206 clothing suppliers to the EU, around 62.9 per cent of total import value was contributed by the top three suppliers alone – China, Bangladesh and Turkey.
With € 21.9 billion in 2021, China remained EU’s top supplier and its share in total imports is now 30.3 per cent, as compared to 28.9 per cent in 2019 and 30 per cent in 2020.
Bangladeshi exports to EU have regained after a partial decline in 2020 to reach € 14.30 billion. Its share in European imports in 2021 was close to 20 per cent. It’s worth noting here that, between 2007 and 2021, Bangladesh’s exports to EU have multiplied by nearly four times!
Though India does not benefit from any customs advantages in the European market, its clothing exports still grew by over 15 per cent in 2021 over 2020 to € 3.4 billion.
