Coimbatore: India’s ready-made garment (RMG) exports declined by 4.7% in Feb 2026 compared to Feb 2025, but registered a 3.9% increase over Feb 2024, according to industry data.Reacting to the figures, A Sakthivel, chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), said cumulative RMG exports for the period April 2025 to Feb 2026 stood at ₹1,27,845.7 crore, up from ₹1,22,159.6 crore in the same period last year, reflecting a 4.7% growth. Exports also recorded an 18.3% rise over ₹1,08,080.8 crore reported during April–Feb 2023-24. He said the sector has shown resilience despite global economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions, though geopolitical tensions have impacted order flows, particularly from key markets like the United States and parts of West Asia. Exports to the US declined by 5.8%, from $4,309.5mn in April–January 2024-25 to $4,059.1mn in April–January 2025-26. However, shipments to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Italy saw growth of 13.1%, 16.7% and 15.1%, respectively. Exports to Japan rose sharply by 30.3%. Exports to the UAE in April–January 2024-2025 stood at $984.1mn and in April-January 2025-26 at $1,112.6mn. Exports to Saudi Arabia in April–January 2024-2025 was recorded as $291.4mn and in April-January 2025-26 as $340.2mn. Similarly, exports to Italy were recorded in April–January 2024-2025 as $293.6mn and in April-January 2025-26 as $338mn. In Japan, it was recorded in April–January 2024-2025 as $151.4mn and in April-January 2025-26 as $197.2mn. He also highlighted that rising freight rates and input costs are putting pressure on exporters’ margins. Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence in the sector’s long-term prospects, citing market diversification, product innovation, and improved supply chain efficiencies. He added that the industry will focus on leveraging recent free trade agreements (FTAs) to boost exports further.
