Apparel imports to the United States increased 13.5 percent in August and are now running 7.0 percent ahead of year ago levels for the year-to-date period ended Aug. 31, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
China accounted for 3.44 million square foot equivalents (SFE) of all textile imports (apparel, fabrics and and fibers, excluding cotton and silk blended textiles), or 55.3 percent of the imports, according to the International Trade Commission's monthly Textiles and Import Report.
Vietnam, which exported 404.3 million SFE, and India which exported 361.5 million SFE of Textiles and Apparel to the United States, came in a distant second and third with 6.5 and 5.8 percent of August imports respectively.
Among the Top 10 countries of origin, imports from Cambodia grew the fastest at 33.6 percent compared with August, 2014, followed by China at 20.6 percent and Vietnam at 16.5 percent. For the year-to-date period ended Aug. 31, South Korea led the pack with 13.3 percent year over year growth, followed by China at 12.3 percent, Bangladesh at 11.8 percent and Vietnam at 11.4 percent.
Imports from Mexico, dropped 10.6 percent in August and are running 2.1 percent behind the year-to-date period ended Aug. 31, 2014. Mexico remains the fifth largest supplier of U.S. Textiles and Apparel imports after Pakistan and before Bangladesh.
Vietnam and Mexico are the only Top 10 suppliers to the United States that also participaed in the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact signed by the United States and 11 other countries Oct. 5. If ratified by Congress, the pact is expected to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese imports substantially.
