WASHINGTON – Apparel and textile imports hit an all-time high of 4.8 billion square meter equivalents in June, an increase of 4.4 percent from a year earlier.
The rise was fueled by countries such as Pakistan, India and South Korea, which managed to increase shipments enough to overcome a decline of 1.3 percent in imports from China, which is restrained by quotas on 34 types of goods. China is still the largest fashion importer and a potent force, commanding a third of the market.
For the first half, apparel and textile imports rose 2 percent to 25.1 billion SME, spurred on by China, which saw a 3 percent increase in shipments to 8.1 billion SME.
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