In the first nine months of 2023, Japan witnessed a notable 4.08 per cent in apparel imports, reaching a total of $16.66 billion. Particularly in September, Japan imported apparels worth $2.63 billion, indicating a significant month-on-month growth of 17.41 per cent compared to the previous year. However, it's important to highlight the volume of these imports decreased by 3.95 per cent in September 2023 compared to the same month previous year.

China retained its position as the leading apparel exporter to Japan between January and September 2023, with exports totaling $8.70 billion. Nevertheless, this marked a decline of 3.38 per cent from the previous year. Vietnam emerged as the second-largest exporter, with 13.28 per cent increase, amounting to $2.82 billion during the same period.

Japan's apparel imports from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Indonesia also saw a rise in value during this timeframe, despite a decrease in volume.