In the first quarter of 2024, apparel imports, which constitute the bulk of US textile imports, fell by 7.14 per cent to $18.070 billion from $19.460 billion in the same months in 2023. Non-apparel imports saw a 2.61 per cent rise to $6.531 billion, down from $6.365 billion previously, as reported by the US Department of Commerce's Major Shippers Report. Both categories experienced reductions in inbound shipments.
Notably, among the US' top ten apparel suppliers, imports from Cambodia and Vietnam increased by up to 11.13 per cent, but inbound shipments from other countries among the top ten decreased by up to 17.68 per cent. Imports from Cambodia jumped by 11.13 per cent over shipments in the same period of the last year. Shipments from Vietnam inched up by 0.91 per cent in the period under review. The sharp declines were from Bangladesh and Indonesia, falling by 17.68 per cent and 14.16 per cent, respectively. Other significant reductions included imports from Mexico (13.46 per cent), Nicaragua (6.11 per cent), and India (8.79 per cent).
In the non-apparel sector, imports gained by 11.96 per cent from China and 16.48 per cent from Turkiye, 14.19 per cent from Vietnam, 1.04 per cent from India, and 0.66 per cent from Cambodia. Mexican shipments to the US showed a year-on-year decrease of 5.46 per cent. Imports declined from other countries, including Vietnam, Pakistan, and Canada. Imports from Pakistan dropped by 9.71 per cent.
During the period under review, total US imports of textiles and apparel amounted to $24.601 billion. Man-made fibre products dominated with $12.530 billion, followed by cotton products at $10.303 billion, wool products at $724.135 million, and silk and vegetable fibre products at $1,043.145 million.
In 2023, the US imported textiles worth $104.959 billion, which was 20.51 per cent lower than the imports of the year 2022. Its apparel imports fell by 22.05 per cent to $77.840 billion, while non-apparel imports saw a 15.73 per cent decline to $27.119 billion in the last year. In 2022, US imports of textiles and apparel continued to rise, reaching $132.201 billion, up from $113.938 billion in 2021. This increase followed a sharp decline in 2020 when the country's inbound shipments dropped to $89.596 billion, compared with imports of $111.033 billion in 2019.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (KUL)
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