Trends in US textile and clothing imports, March-April 2006

70 pages, published in Issue 122, March-April 2006   Report price: Euro 690.00; US$ 910.00

US imports of textiles and clothing covered by the former Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) continued to grow in 2005, rising by 8.3% to 50.8 bn sme (square metres equivalent). Within this total, imports of apparel and made-up textiles each rose by 10.3% and their shares of all imports increased to 43.3% and 30.8% respectively, reflecting strong US demand for cheap clothing. Cotton increased its dominance of apparel imports in 2005 with a share of 58.1%. In all MFA products cotton?s share was only 41.4%. However, this was up from 40.4% in 2004 while the share of man-made fibres fell from 56.2% to 55.8%.

China has strengthened its lead as the biggest supplier, in value and in volume. Imports from the country have surged since it joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in late 2001. In 2002 they rose in volume by 124.5%, in 2003 by 67.0%, in 2004 by 40.7% and in 2005 by 43.8%. US imports from Mexico, the second biggest supplier, fell in volume by 5.3% and in value by 7.0%. Imports from Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) countries were also sluggish. Among Asean countries, imports from Indonesia grew by over 17.6% in value and by a lesser 6.2% in volume?implying a rise in added value. Imports from the Asian ?Big Three??Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan?fell by 17.2% in value and by 14.2% in volume. Imports from South Korea alone declined in volume by 11.9% and in value by 26.0%.

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