South Asian island countries saw higher imports of fabrics in 2022. Inbound shipments by Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia were better than the previous year. Indonesia and Thailand imported more fabrics than in the previous year, with increases of over 10 per cent. Sri Lanka's imports of fabrics also slightly increased in the same period.

Indonesia's fabric imports increased to $4.769 billion in 2022, which was 10.34 per cent higher than the import value of $4.322 billion in 2021. The country had imported fabrics worth $3.159 billion in 2020, $4.320 billion in 2019, $4.472 billion in 2018, and $4.085 billion in 2017, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool TexPro.

Sri Lanka's inbound fabric shipment slightly improved to $2.292 billion in 2022 from $2.226 billion in 2021. The country faced economic and political unrest in the first half of 2022, which disrupted economic activities. Despite this, the value of fabric imports increased by 1.28 per cent in the last year. Sri Lanka's fabric imports stood at $1.758 billion in 2020, $2.239 billion in 2019, $2.212 billion in 2018, and $2.136 billion in 2017.

Thailand's fabric imports increased by 13.37 per cent to reach $1.390 billion in 2022, compared to $1.226 billion in 2021, $1.079 billion in 2020, $1.328 billion in 2019, $1.282 billion in 2018, and $1.146 billion in 2017. As for Malaysia, its fabric imports were $405.565 million in the first eleven months of 2022, which was close to the imports of $416.470 million in 2021. The country had imported fabrics worth $454.332 million in 2020, $554.720 million in 2019, $654.137 million in 2018, and $690.330 million in 2017, as per TexPro.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)

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Fabric imports of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia & SL grow in 2022