Trends in US textile and clothing imports, March-April 2008

75 pages, published in Issue 134, March-April 2008   Report price: Euro 690.00; US$ 910.00

US imports of textiles and clothing grew by only 1.8% in 2007—to 53.1 bn sme (square metres equivalent)—following a 2.6% increase in 2006 and double-digit growth in seven of the nine years between 1996 and 2005. Within the 2007 total, imports of made-up textiles rose by 4.5% and apparel by 3.5%. But fabric imports fell by 2.9% and yarn imports by 9.8%. Apparel continued to account for the highest share of total imports, at 43.9%, reflecting strong US demand for cheap clothing. However, the importance of made-up textiles increased for the tenth successive year. In fact, the share of made-up textiles doubled between 1997 and 2007, from 16.8% to 33.7%.

In terms of fibre type, cotton dominated US clothing imports in 2007 with a share of 60.2%. But man-made fibres dominated imports of all textile and clothing products with a 55.0% share.

US import prices rose for the second year in 2007, following several years of falling prices. The increase was led by China and Asean countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. But the average price of imports from Mexico continued to fall. China strengthened its lead as the USA’s biggest supplier in 2007, in both value and volume terms. Moreover, growth in imports from

China accelerated following a slowdown in the previous year. In volume terms, imports from China rose by 14.8% in 2007. That said, 2007 was the second consecutive year in which growth fell below 40% since China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in late 2001. In 2002 US imports from China rose by 124.5%, in 2003 by 67.0%, in 2004 by 40.7% and in 2005 by 43.7%. US imports from Mexico, the second biggest supplier, fell in both value and volume in 2007. The drop in value was the sixth in succession, while the volume fall was the third in a row. Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) countries also supplied less in 2007, in both value and volume. Imports from South Asia—including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan—accounted for 13.6% of the US import market in value terms in 2007 and a larger 14.9% in terms of volume. But the fastest growing supplier in 2007 was Vietnam—in both value (up by 34%) and volume (up by 31%).

Trends in US Textile and Clothing Imports

• Summary
• Introduction
• US Imports of Textiles and Clothing by Main Category: Yarns, Fabrics, Apparel and Made-Up Textiles
• US Imports of Textiles and Clothing by Fibre Type
• Major Suppliers of US Textile and Clothing Imports
• US Textile and Clothing Import Prices
• Supplier Concentration
• Outlook for US Textile and Clothing Imports
• US Imports of Men's and Boys' Cotton Coats
• US Imports of Women's and Girls' Cotton Coats
• US Imports of Women's and Girls' Wool Coats
• US Imports of Cotton Dresses
• US Imports of Men's and Boys' Cotton Knitted Shirts
• US Imports of Women's and Girls' Cotton Knitted Shirts
• US Imports of Men's and Boys' Cotton Non-Knitted (Woven) Shirts
• US Imports of Women's and Girls' Cotton Non-Knitted (Woven) Shirts
• US Imports of Cotton Skirts
• US Imports of Man-Made Fibre Skirts
• US Imports of Men's and Boys' Cotton Trousers
• US Imports of Women's and Girls' Cotton Trousers
• US Imports of Cotton and Man-Made Fibre Baby Garments
• US Imports of Cotton Pile Towels
• US Imports of Other Cotton Apparel

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• Trends in world textile and clothing trade, November-December 2007, (November-December 2007)
• World Trade in T-Shirts, (November-December 2007)
• Trends in EU textile and clothing imports, July-August 2007, (July-August 2007)
• Trends in US textile and clothing imports, March-April 2007, (March-April 2007)

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