US T&A imports drop to $39 bn in Jan-May; Vietnam retains top spot

Vietnam maintained its position as the top supplier. The country supplied **.** per cent textile and garment imports in terms of value, during the first five months of this year. China was second largest supplier, with a share of **.** per cent in the US garment market. As American buyers are increasingly diversifying towards Southeast and South Asia to reduce tariff exposure, Vietnam expanded its market share while China has lost ground in recent past.

During January- May ****, apparel imports, the dominant product category, softened by *.** per cent to $**.*** billion, compared with $**.*** billion in the corresponding period of ****. Non-apparel imports also fell by **.** per cent to $**.*** billion.

Apparel shipments rose from Cambodia by **.** per cent, Vietnam by *.** per cent, Italy by *.** per cent, Indonesia by *.** per cent, and Jordan by *.** per cent. By contrast, the shipments from China plunged by **.** per cent, while those from India by **.** per cent, Bangladesh by *.** per cent, Mexico by **.** per cent, and Pakistan by **.** per cent. These contrasting trends illustrate how lower-cost, duty-advantaged, or geopolitically neutral suppliers are gaining ground over China and other countries.

A similar realignment occurred in the non-apparel segment. Imports jumped sharply from Vietnam by **.** per cent, Cambodia by *.** per cent, South Korea by *.** per cent, Italy by **.** per cent, and Turkiye by *.** per cent. Meanwhile, shipments declined from China by **.** per cent, India by **.** per cent, Mexico by *.** per cent, Indonesia by *.** per cent and Pakistan by *.** per cent. This highlighted weakening competitiveness among traditional, higher-cost suppliers, particularly in price-sensitive categories.