A lead strengthened under pressure
US apparel imports from Vietnam reached $**.** billion in ****, giving it **.** per cent of the HS**–** market, according to TexPro. China followed at $**.** billion, Bangladesh at $*.** billion, Cambodia at $*.** billion and Indonesia at $*.** billion.
Vietnam widened its lead during January–April ****. Shipments rose *.** per cent year on year to $*.** billion while total US imports across the two apparel chapters contracted **.** per cent to $**.** billion. Its share climbed *.** percentage points to **.** per cent.
Scale, supplier depth and capacity for complex programmes remain Vietnam’s strongest defences. But the tariff arrives as US demand is shrinking, making landed-cost differences more influential when buyers allocate new programmes.
