US’ textile & apparel imports up 2.8% in Jan-July 2025; growth slows

The United States’ textile and apparel imports rose by 2.86 per cent to $61.420 billion during January–July 2025, up from $59.715 billion in the same period of 2024. However, the growth in inbound trade slowed further in the first seven months of this year. The US’ tariff moves have increased inflation in the country which hurt consumers’ buying capacity which has impacted textile and apparel imports. China remained the largest supplier to the US, with a 21.29 per cent market share, followed by Vietnam at 16.36 per cent. However, China’s share in inbound shipments has been declining every month, underlining a broader shift as American buyers diversify sourcing towards Southeast and South Asia to mitigate tariff exposure and rising costs. During January July 2025, apparel imports which make up the majority of US textile imports increased by 4.98 per cent to $45.799 billion, up from $43.624 billion in the same period of 2024. Non-apparel imports, by contrast, declined by 2.92 per cent to $15.620 billion, according to the US Department of Commerce’s Major Shippers Report. This divergence highlights that while US retailers continue to stock up on consumer-facing apparel goods, raw textiles and other non-apparel categories are being rationalised. US apparel imports from Cambodia surged by 24.45 per cent, while imports from Bangladesh rose by 21.68 per cent. Imports from Vietnam increased by 16.97 per cent, Indonesia by 16.82 per cent, India by 16.10 per cent, Mexico by 2.71 per cent, Italy by 0.99 per cent, and Pakistan by 11.82 per cent among the top 10 suppliers. However, apparel imports from China decreased by 21.07 per cent and from Honduras by 11.69 per cent. This reflects the strengthening role of South and Southeast Asian nations in global apparel supply chains, backed by cost competitiveness, expanded production capacity, and in some cases preferential trade access. In the non-apparel sector, imports rose from Vietnam by 26.62 per cent, Cambodia by 16.27 per cent, India by 6.50 per cent, Pakistan by 0.55 per cent, South Korea by 0.23 per cent, and Indonesia by 12.08 per cent. Meanwhile, shipments declined from China by 18 per cent, Türkiye by 9.73 per cent, Mexico by 2.06 per cent, and Italy by 2.06 per cent. The fall from China and Türkiye illustrates how tariffs and geopolitical shifts are reshaping sourcing decisions in categories beyond clothing. During the period under review, total US textile and apparel imports stood at $61.420 billion. Of this, man-made fibre products accounted for the largest share, totalling $30.977 billion, followed by cotton products at $26.260 billion, wool products at $2,134.097 million, and silk and vegetable fibre products at $2,048.623 million. The continued dominance of man- made fibres underscores the US market’s reliance on synthetics for affordability, versatility, and performance, even as cotton remains a critical segment. In 2024, US textile and apparel imports experienced minimal growth of 2.66 per cent, reaching $107.723 billion. Apparel imports increased by 1.71 per cent to $79.257 billion, while non-apparel imports rose by 5.42 per cent to $28.465 billion. This modest recovery followed the sharper 20.51 per cent decline in 2023, when imports dropped to $104.959 billion from $132.201 billion in 2022. The rebound in 2022 had itself been fuelled by pent-up demand post pandemic, after a steep fall to $89.596 billion in 2020 from $111.033 billion in 2019. These fluctuations highlight the sector’s sensitivity to global shocks, trade policy, and consumer demand cycles.