Apparel exports may miss $18 b target: AEPC

India is unlikely to meet the apparel exports target of $18 billion for the 2012-13 due to demand slowdown in major markets like the US and Europe, AEPC said today.

"The target of $18 billion for the 2012-13 fiscal may not be achieved given the current slowdown in the western markets," Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman A Sakthivel said.

Garment exports may end the fiscal at about $16.5 billion, he added. During April-August this year, apparel exports declined by 12.16 per cent to $5.26 billion. The drop in apparel exports is in line with decline in overall exports, which registered a fall of 6.79 per cent to $143.6 billion in April-September period.

Exporters are hardly getting orders ahead of Christmas and New Year season.