Imports of knitted apparel (HS **) eased to NZ$*,***.** million (~$***.** million) from NZ$*,***.** million, registering a decline of *.* per cent. Similarly, non-knitted apparel (HS **) imports fell to NZ$***.** million (~$***.** million) from NZ$***.** million, down *.* per cent. The parallel softness across both segments indicates broad-based stabilisation in garment demand rather than category-specific weakness.
In contrast, textile fabric imports (HS **) showed strong growth, rising to NZ$**.** million (~$**.** million) in fiscal ****–** from NZ$**.** million in the previous fiscal, marking an increase of **.* per cent. This suggests relatively steady demand for intermediate inputs even as finished apparel imports softened.
