Global apparel trade and trade policy: the US clothing import market, June 2022

Global apparel trade and trade policy: the US clothing import market, June 2022

This report provides vital data and analysis of trends in the US clothing import market. Also, it focuses in detail on clothing imports into the USA from ten key supplying countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. US clothing imports rose in value and volume terms in 2021. However, the rise followed a decline in the previous year—reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic—and, as a result, imports were only at their fifth highest level on record. The average price of US clothing imports, meanwhile, remained unchanged at a record low. China remained the USA’s largest clothing supplier and US clothing imports from China were up in value and volume terms compared with the previous year. There were also increases in the shares of US clothing imports which came from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan in South Asia. Furthermore, there were increases in the shares of US clothing imports which came from Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America as US clothing imports from these five countries grew strongly. The share of US clothing imports which came from Mexico, meanwhile, rose in value terms but fell in terms of volume as US clothing imports from the country rose at rates which were similar to the rate of growth of US clothing imports from all sources. US clothing imports from Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam in South-East Asia, however, rose more modestly and, as a result, the shares of US clothing imports which came from these three countries declined.