Compared to the previous year, Japan's cotton yarn imports declined by 15.9 per cent to 40,000 tons in volume in 2023. As per the estimates by IndexBox, the value of cotton yarn imports by Japan declined to $182 million in 2023.

Collectively accounting for 71 per cent of total imports, Indonesia (11,000 tons), Vietnam (9,000 tons), and Pakistan (8,200 tons) remained Japan’s leading cotton yarn suppliers in 2023. Over the 2013-2023 period, Japan’s imports from Vietnam grew at a CAGR of 27.4 per cent while imports from other major suppliers declined.

In terms of value, Indonesia ($41 million), India ($41 million), and Vietnam ($33 million) emerged as the top suppliers, comprising 63 per cent of total cotton yarn import value. Vietnam also led in value growth with a 26.3 per cent CAGR, while other suppliers experienced declines.

The dominant product imported during this period was cotton yarn (other than sewing thread) containing 85 per cent or more cotton by weight. This category accounted for 93 per cent of total imports in volume (37,000 tons) and 90 per cent in value ($165 million). In contrast, yarn containing less than 85 per cent cotton or retail-ready yarn made up smaller portions of the imports, with declining growth rates of -3.7 per cent and modest growth of 1.4 per cent, respectively, in volume.