Bangladesh鈥檚 apparel exports to the United States experienced a slight decline of 0.44 per cent during the January-November period of 2024, compared to the same period of 2023.
In contrast, India, one of Bangladesh鈥檚 key competitors, saw notable growth, with a 4.49 per cent increase in export value and a 13.26 per cent rise in export volume during the same timeframe, according to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel under the US Department of Commerce.
Exporters expressed concerns that India would emerge as a significant challenge for Bangladesh on the apparel export market.
The neighbouring country is increasing its garment shipments to the US, offering competitive prices by utilising its own raw materials, which could put pressure on Bangladesh鈥檚 market share, they said.
According to data from the OTEXA, the US鈥� imports of apparel from Bangladesh totalled $6.76 billion during the first eleven months of 2024, reflecting a modest 0.44 per cent decline compared with those of $6.79 billion during the same period of 2023.
In terms of volume, however, Bangladesh鈥檚 garment exports to the US saw a 3.98 per cent increase, reaching 2.17 billion square metres.
Meanwhile, India recorded $4.36 billion in apparel exports to the US, with shipments totalling 1.27 billion square metres during the same period.聽
This marked a rise from $4.18 billion and 1.12 billion square metres during the first eleven months of 2023, according to the data.
Meanwhile, Vietnam, a key competitor, recorded $13.77 billion in apparel exports to the US, a 4.48 per cent increase compared with those of $13.18 billion during the same period in 2023.
Vietnam shipped 3.82 billion square metres of garments to the US, marking a 9.02 per cent increase in volume.
In comparison, China saw a slight negative growth of 0.30 per cent, with apparel exports to the US totalling $15.22 billion during the first eleven months of 2024.
However, in terms of volume, China鈥檚 garment shipments increased by 5.50 per cent, reaching 8.58 billion square metres.
Overall, US鈥� apparel imports amounted to $72.94 billion during the
January-November period of 2024, reflecting a 0.63 per cent increase from the previous year.
