The global apparel industry witnessed a significant slowdown in March 2024, with import and export data declining in major markets. Lo mkhuba uyahambisana namazinga wokusungula abathengisi kanye nokuzethemba kwabathengi ukuzethemba, ekhombisa umbono okhathazayo wekusasa eliseduze, ngokusho kobilu bokubonisana ngoMeyi.

Import data from key markets such as the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan are grim. I-United States, okokugqoka okukhulu kakhulu emhlabeni, kwabona ukugqoka kwayo kwezokungenisa kuwa ngo-6% ngonyaka kuya ku- $ 5.9 billion, i-United Kingdom kanye ne-26% ngokulandelana, igqamisa ukwehla okufunwayo emhlabeni jikelele. The decline in clothing imports means a shrinking clothing market in major regions.

Ukwehla kokungeniswa kokungenisa ngaphakathi kuyahambisana nedatha yokusungula yabathengisi yekota yesine ka-2023. Imininingwane ikhombisa ukwehla okubukhali kumazinga okusungula abathengisi uma kuqhathaniswa nonyaka owedlule, okukhombisa ukuthi abathengisi baqapha ngokwanda kokusungula ngenxa yokufuna okubuthakathaka.

The situation is not rosy for apparel exporters either. Abahlinzeki bendawo abakhulu njengeChina, iBangladesh ne-India bathola ukwehla noma ukugcwala kwezingubo zokugqoka ngo- $ 11.3 billion, kanti i-bangladesh ne-India iqala ukuphatha iziphetho zokuhlinzekwa komhlaba jikelele, kodwa abahlinzeki basakwazi ukuphatha izingubo ezithile. The fact that the decline in apparel exports was slower than the decline in imports suggests that global apparel demand is still holding up.

However, this resilience appears limited. Ukuthengiswa Kwempahla Yendawo Yasekhaya ngo-Ephreli 2024 kuboniswe inkambiso yonke, ukuwa 2% unyaka nonyaka ezinyangeni ezine zokuqala kwalo nyaka kucishe kube ngu-2023.