According to the latest report from the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA), U.S. jeans imports increased 29.18 percent year on year in the five months through May to a value of $1.15 billion, surpassing the four-month increase of only 9.42 percent through April as retailers and brands restock to quench pent-up consumer thirst.
Bangladesh’s blue denim clothing imports increased 35.61 percent year on year to $218.35 million in May over the same month in 2020. Mexico, the No. 2 producer for the US market, has continued to outperform, with a 51.35 percent year-to-date gain to $232.76 million. Among the Top 10 Asian suppliers, imports from Vietnam increased 8.69 percent in five months to $121.58 million, after falling 2.86 percent the previous month.
Imports of jeans from China climbed 38.67 percent to $117.27 million over the period, while exports from Pakistan increased 38.73 percent to $116.62 million. Jeans imports from the Western Hemisphere climbed 44.89 percent year to $292.87 million, driven by Mexico. Egypt, with imports up 1.71 percent, and Turkey, with imports up 86.88 percent, rounded out the top ten.
