The import of textiles and apparel by the United States increased by 26.99 per cent to $82.271 billion in the first nine months of 2021, compared to $64.784 billion in January-September 2020. With 27.84 per cent share, China continues to be the largest supplier of textiles and clothing to the US, followed by Vietnam with 14.04 per cent share. Apparel constituted the bulk of textiles and garments imports made by the US during the initial nine months of this year, and were valued at $58.582 billion, while non-apparel imports accounted for the remaining $23.688 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 62.62 per cent, 56.27 per cent and 45.73 per cent year-on-year respectively. On the other hand, imports from Indonesia registered only a single-digit increase of 7.45 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year.
In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, imports from India, Italy and Turkey soared by 60.93 per cent, 56.33 per cent and 52.80 per cent, 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 $82.271 billion during the period under review, cotton products were worth $35.703 billion, while man-made fibre products accounted for $42.662 billion, followed by $2.348 billion of wool products, and $1.556 billion of products from silk and vegetable fibres. 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.