Japan’s clothing imports dip to $2.37 bn in Aug; textile trade

Japan’s imports of clothing and accessories eased 0.8 per cent to 347,174 million yen (~$2.37 billion) in August 2025, accounting for 4 per cent of the nation’s total imports of 8,667,684 million yen, provisional data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance showed. The decline reflects slowing consumer demand, cautious retail inventory management, and persistent global economic uncertainty, which have weighed on discretionary spending. Imports of textile yarn and fabric also fell 4.4 per cent to 87,027 million yen (~$594.39 million), representing 1 per cent of total imports. On the export side, textile yarn and fabric shipments slipped 5.1 per cent to 62,872 million yen (~$429.41 million), while textile machinery exports dropped 3 per cent to 22,574 million yen (~$154.18 million), contributing 0.3 per cent to Japan’s total exports of 8,425,158 million yen. The slowdown in textile machinery exports partly reflects the impact of recently imposed US tariffs on all trading partners, which has heightened trade uncertainty and disrupted global demand patterns. For the first half of 2025, clothing and accessories imports rose 6.8 per cent to 1,803,053 million yen (~$12.14 billion), supported by steady consumer appetite earlier in the year. Imports of textile yarn and fabric edged up 1.3 per cent to 569,232 million yen. Exports of textile yarn and fabric gained 2.5 per cent to 413,252 million yen, while textile machinery exports surged 11.9 per cent to 143,361 million yen, underscoring Japan’s competitive manufacturing base and strong overseas demand for high-quality machinery in early 2025. In fiscal 2024–25 (April–March), imports of clothing and accessories grew 5.2 per cent to 3,764,657 million yen (~$26.44 billion), while textile yarn and fabric imports rose 2.7 per cent to 1,174,598 million yen. Exports of textile yarn and fabric increased 6 per cent to 850,139 million yen, but textile machinery exports fell 12.6 per cent to 280,408 million yen, partly due to intensified global competition and shifting sourcing patterns towards lower-cost Asian producers.