Inflation has remained stubbornly high in a few emerging countries in August, negatively affecting their competitive advantage. Our monthly report compares inflation rates in low-cost countries using historical data dating back to June 2007. Furthermore, we evaluate the effects of currency fluctuations against the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound to gauge the actual terms of trade for exporters.

US apparel imports continued to experience a notable decline across the majority of product categories during the second quarter. However, the increase in unit values was considerably slower with sharp differences among categories. Our report covers US apparel imports within each category from the first quarter of 2018 to 2023. The data are released in volume, value, and unit values, over the last five years. Second-quarter data spanning from 2011 to 2023 are accessible for download.

China's apparel exports experienced a more pronounced decline in May and June, exacerbated by the US ban on Xinjiang cotton, which aggravated the decrease in Western demand. Our quarterly report provides a comprehensive overview of China's exports, encompassing volume, value, and unit values for each destination, spanning the past four years. Four-year indices have been released to assess the pandemic's influence. Reports on knit, woven, and total apparel exports are presented individually. All data are readily accessible for download.

Clothing imports from outside the European Union fell in all member countries in the first quarter of 2023, with signifcant differences depending on markets. Our comprehensive report covers the first quarters of 2018 to 2023 for knit, woven, and total apparel imports from outside the EU-27 area. The data includes volume, value, and unit value changes in both Euro and US dollar terms. Data covering Q1 2018 to 2023 are available for download.

EU clothing imports fell significantly overall in the first quarter of 2023, with substantial differences depending on product categories. Our data cover clothing imports by the 27 members of the European Union per HS 4-digit product category, in the first quarter from 2018 to 2023, with changes in volume, value, and unit value in euros and US dollars. The complete tables are available for downloading.