Sri Lanka imported $449.9 million worth of fabric during the first quarter of the current year, with China and India being the top suppliers, contributing a combined 65 per cent. Specifically, imports from China totaled $166.195 million, representing 36.94 per cent of the total, while imports from India amounted to $126.799 million, accounting for 28.18 per cent. 

Among the top five sourcing countries, Taiwan's imports were $32.565 million (7.25 per cent), Pakistan's were $26.259 million (5.84 per cent), and Italy's were $24.427 million (5.43 per cent).

In the first quarter of 2023, Sri Lanka imported 60.375 million kg of fabric, valued at $449.9 million. This is a decrease from the $488.922 million (61.893 million kg) imported in Q4 of 2022, and significantly less than the $661.787 million (74.194 million kg) imported in the same quarter of the previous year. The country imported fabric worth $535.457 million (52.043 million kg) in Q3 and $606.465 million (57.670 million kg) in Q2, 2022. 

Over the past year, the total value of fabric imports was $2,292.708 million (245.802 million kg), the previous year’s saw imports valued at $2,263.534 million (258.878 million kg) in 2021, $1,758.769 million (210.193 million kg) in 2020, $2,239.207 million (256.028 million kg) in 2019, and $2,195.201 million (246.761 million kg) in 2018.