Total apparel imports by the United States stood at $81.780 billion in 2014, showing an increase of 2.49 per cent over imports of $79.797 billion made in 2013, according to the latest Major Shippers Report, released by the US Department of Commerce.
China continued to be the main supplier with 36.43 per cent share of all apparel imported by the US last year. However, imports from China grew by a marginal 0.04 per cent to $29.793 billion.
In contrast, imports from Vietnam, the second-biggest supplier to the US, shot up by 14.06 per cent to $9.268 billion. Vietnam’s share in the US clothing imports also grew to 11.33 per cent, the data showed.
Bangladesh, the world’s second largest garment exporter, saw its supplies to the US decrease by 2.29 percent year-on-year to $4.834 billion during the year. Similarly, US apparel imports from Indonesia, Cambodia and Pakistan dropped by 2.86 per cent year-on-year, 3.00 per cent and 1.12 per cent to $4.832 billion, $2.478 billion and $1.459 billion, respectively
Among the top ten apparel suppliers, India, Honduras and Sri Lanka saw their exports increase by 5.89 per cent year-on-year, 3.39 per cent and 6.68 per cent respectively to $3.4 billion, $2.582 billion and $1.759 billion.
Of the total apparel imports made by the US, cotton apparel accounted for $41.627 billion, whereas man-made fibre apparel contributed $34.926 billion, wool apparel $3.979 billion, and clothing made from silk and vegetable fibres $1.247 billion.
In 2012, US apparel imports stood at $76.811 billion
