US textile and apparel exports dropped *.** per cent to $**.*** billion during January-August **** from $**.*** billion a year earlier, signalling softer upstream demand across regional supply chains, according to the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), a division of the US Department of Commerce.
Shipments to major markets, including Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Belgium, and China, contracted, with declines of up to **.** per cent. Exports to Mexico fell *.** per cent to $*,***.*** million, pointing towards slower manufacturing activity in Mexico’s export-oriented apparel sector, which relies heavily on US yarns and fabrics. Weakness in Honduras and the Dominican Republic similarly mirrors subdued orders. Amongst the top ten markets, exports to China recorded the sharpest decline, falling **.** per cent. Only the UK and Guatemala recorded increases of *.** per cent and *.** per cent, respectively, in shipments from the US.
During the period, the US shipped textile and apparel products worth $*,***.*** million to Canada, $***.*** million to Honduras, $***.*** million to the Netherlands, $***.*** million to China, $***.*** million to Guatemala, and $***.*** million to the Dominican Republic, underscoring North America’s continued importance as the primary regional export market. However, the decline in shipments to China highlighted ongoing structural shifts, as China increasingly produces upstream textile inputs domestically and prioritises self-sufficiency amid trade and policy considerations.
