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The buyer’s market is back
The EU remains the largest apparel import market by value, with apparel imports of €***.* billion, or about $***.* billion, in ****. That was above **** levels but still below the **** peak of €***.* billion, about $***.* billion, showing that Europe is large but not expanding fast enough to absorb every exporter’s growth plan without pricing damage.
The real pressure is visible in the value-volume split. Eurostat-based industry data show EU apparel imports from external suppliers rising only *.** per cent in value in ****, while volumes jumped **.** per cent and average unit prices fell **.** per cent. In plain terms, Europe took more garments but paid less per unit. That is the foundation of the next margin squeeze.
China has not left the battlefield
