Flooring imports to the UK grow in July

Imports of floorcoverings increased in July, with growth across several categories including carpets, vinyl and wood, according to data compiled by The Furnishing Report.

According to the organisation, £134.6m of flooring arrived in the UK in July, representing a 2.6% increase on the same period last year, with increases of 4.2%, 0.3% and 3.6% for wood, vinyl and carpets respectively.

Carpets remained the largest category, with imports from The Netherlands up 23% to £18.9m, contrasting continued decreases from Belgium (down 27% to £10.5m). Turkish carpet and rug imports were up 3.1% to £12.3m.

Despite these increases, The Furnishing Report points out, year-to-date carpet imports remain negative year-on-year.