US apparel imports rise by 25.2%: OTEXA

US apparel imports surged by 25.2 percent to 2.51 billion square meter equivalents (SME) in November compared to the same month in 2020, according to data released by the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA).

This followed a more modest 13.6 percent rise in year-over-year apparel imports in October. For the year-to-date through November, apparel imports rose 26.9 percent to 26.96 billion SME from the year-earlier period, just below the 27.5 percent gain to 24.45 billion SME reported in October, according to OTEXA.

Top supplier China emerged as the largest exporter despite ongoing tariffs and political strife with the US, with year-over year exports rising by 33.7 percent to 1.04 billion SME after a 14.1 percent rise in October. For the year to date, shipments from China stayed on pace for the year with a 30.75 percent rise to 10.2 billion SME.

On the other hand, apparel imports from Vietnam declined by 10 percent in the month to 282.05 million SME, continuing a wobbly pattern in the last few months following COVID-related factory closures. For the 11 months, shipments from Vietnam increased by 15.34 percent to 4.03 billion SME.

Imports from Bangladesh rose by 59 percent year over year in November to 227.91 million SME. Bangladesh shipments increased by 34.37 percent to 2.33 billion SME.

Imports rose by 7.4 percent to 97.7 million SME for the month following a 22.6 percent gain in October. For the year to date, Cambodian imports increased 11.79 percent to 1.16 billion SME.

The rest of the Top 10 Asian pack saw substantial increases in November. Imports from India were up 35.1 percent to 108.72 million SME, shipments from Indonesia rose 38.1 percent to 99.74 million SME and imports from Pakistan gained 32.8 percent to 86.71 million SME. For the year to date, India’s imports were up 39.91 percent to 1.17 billion SME, Indonesia’s climbed 17.89 percent to 1.02 billion SME and Pakistan’s surged 43.15 percent to 809 million SME.

Rounding out the Top 10 supplier nations were Western Hemisphere countries Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador.