According to OTEXA, China slipped from 2nd to 4th in its denim apparel exports to the US in Q1 of 2020 due to the effects of COVID-19. Chinese shipments of blue denim apparel plummeted dramatically from $183.75 million in Q1 of 2019 by 63.11% to $67.79 million.
This drastic fall has lowered China’s share of denim apparel exports to the US from 22.67% in the corresponding span of the previous year to 9.71% in this year. Mexico, Bangladesh and Vietnam are now ahead of China in terms of denim demand exports to the US.
Mexico too fell by 28.85% to ship $138.89 million worth of denim apparels to USA and allowed Bangladesh to narrow the massive gap which both had in the first quarter of 2019.
In the first quarter of 2020, USA decelerated by 13.95% in its import value which stood at $ 697.51 million. The major fall was recorded from China and Mexico, which allowed other countries to boost their export.
Until March this year, Bangladesh upped its denim apparel exports to USA by 30% and clocked US $ 123.41 million revenue; Vietnam took benefit of fall of the Chinese shipment and grew by 35.09% to ship $86.37 million worth of denim apparels to USA.
Even Pakistan saw a boost in its denim apparel exports to the United States of America of around 16.64%, valued at $62.83 million in Q1 of 2020.
Cambodia, too, noted a solid growth of 88.40% over the period to increase its denim apparel export value from $20.91 million in Q1 2019 to $39.39 million.