EU Market

In the first quarter of 2025, the volume and value of EU clothing imports both increased by more than 20% year-on-year.
After a year-long decline, the unit price of EU clothing imports rose sharply in March, up 8.7% year-on-year in euros and 7.8% year-on-year in US dollars. The increase in the unit price of Chinese clothing was the main reason for this change.
Although the EU's imports of Chinese clothing decreased slightly by 1.2% year-on-year, the import value increased by nearly 25% year-on-year, because the unit price of Chinese clothing increased by 20.9% year-on-year in US dollars and 26.3% year-on-year in euros. In contrast, the unit price of Bangladeshi clothing increased by only 7.7% in US dollars, and the unit price in other regions fell slightly.
Due to the high tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese clothing, the sharp increase in the unit price of Chinese clothing was greatly unexpected by the market. Faced with reduced sales in the US market, Chinese exporters turned their excess supply to the EU, so prices were likely to fall. This shift may trigger concerns about trade distortions in the EU market. If this trend is clearly reflected in the data for April and May, the EU may consider taking protective measures, such as imposing tariffs or other trade protection measures, to support EU producers. (Note: The EU is currently preparing to impose restrictions through the "Anti-Forced Labor Act" and taxation of small packages.)