The import of textiles and apparel by the United States continues to grow at high rate and rose by 28.05 per cent to $10.189 bn in the first month of 2022, compared to $7.957 bn in January 2021. With 27.82 percent share, China continues to be the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the US, followed by Vietnam with 13.47 percent share.
Apparel constituted the bulk of textiles and garments imports made by the US in January 2022, and was valued at $7.540 bn, while non-apparel imports accounted for $2.648 bn, according to the latest Major Shippers Report, released by the US Department of Commerce.
Segment-wise, among the top ten apparel suppliers to the US, imports from Indonesia, India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh shot up by 57.80 percent, 53.40 percent, 47.11 percent, 44.41 percent and 45.53 percent year-on-year respectively. On the other hand, imports from Honduras registered a growth of only 13.26 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from Cambodia, Italy and South Korea soared by 53.29 percent, 38.24 percent and 37.89 percent respectively.
Of the total US textile and apparel imports of $10.189 bn during the month under review, cotton products were worth $4.534 bn, while man-made fibre products accounted for $5.179 bn, followed by $246.865 mn of wool products, and $229.188 mn of products from silk and vegetable fibres.
In 2020, the US textile and apparel imports had decreased sharply, mainly on account of the COVID-19 pandemic induced disruption, to $89.596 bn compared to imports of $111.033 bn in 2019. But imports rebounded again in 2021 to surpass pre-pandemic level and end at $113.938 bn.
