2007 Retrospective: China Posts Major Gains in Apparel Exports in 2007
China had a banner year in apparel and textiles exports to the United States despite quotas on 34 different categories of goods.
U.S. government statistics show that from January through October, the United States imported $32.1 billion worth of clothing, sheets, towels, yarn and fabric from the giant Asian country, which has become the clothing factory to the world. That’s a 20.3 percent jump from the same period last year.
Now, nearly one out of three garments imported into this country comes from China. Clothing from China undoubtedly made up the largest chunk of the $91.2 billion in apparel and textiles imported into the United States.
Those imports came at the expense of several regions, particularly Hong Kong, which saw a 33 percent dip in its textile and apparel exports to this country. Mexico, operating under the advantage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, held on to its No. 2 spot as an apparel and textile resource for U.S. consumers. But its overall volume in apparel and textiles slipped 11.1 percent during the first 10 months of this year to nearly $6 billion in clothing and textiles.
Despite the Central-American Free Trade Agreement being in force, apparel and textile shipments into the United States have declined from most of the six Latin American countries that are part of the pact. Overall, clothing and other goods coming from Central America declined 5 percent from January to October compared with last year. In total, the region exported $6.9 billion in textile goods to the United States.
Nicaragua was the biggest winner in the group, showing a 12.4 percent jump in apparel and other goods sent to the United States for a total of $813 million from January to October. Under CAFTA, Nicaragua was given a slight trade advantage. For 10 years, it is allowed to import 100 million square meters of fabric from outside the region that can be made into apparel and reshipped to the United States free of duty and quota.
The Dominican Republic was the biggest loser in 2007, showing a 28.2 percent slide in apparel and textile exports to the United States during the first 10 months of this year. —Deborah Belgum
