The import of textiles and apparel by the United States increased by 25.63 percent to $93.510 billion in the first ten months of 2021, compared to $74.432 billion in January-October 2020. With a 27.82 percent share, China continues to be the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the US, followed by Vietnam with a 13.86 percent share.
Apparel constituted the bulk of textiles and garments imports made by the US during the initial ten months of this year and was valued at $66.915 billion, while non-apparel imports accounted for the remaining $26.594 billion, 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 Pakistan, Honduras, and Nicaragua shot up by 56.34 percent, 46.47 percent, and 42.07 percent year-on-year respectively. On the other hand, imports from Indonesia registered a growth of only 10.36 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from Italy, India, and Turkey soared by 56.36 percent, 55.17 percent, and 44.66 percent, respectively. The sharp rise in numbers is due to the base effect, as imports were disrupted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the total US textile and apparel imports of $93.510 billion during the period under review, cotton products were worth $40.479 billion, while man-made fiber products accounted for $48.537 billion, followed by $2.790 billion of wool products, and $1.703 billion of products from silk and vegetable fibers.
In 2020, the US textile and apparel imports had decreased sharply, mainly on account of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruption, to $89.602 billion compared to imports of $111.033 billion in 2019.
