Overview

To estimate the level of competition across countries, it is important to look at the importer countries because they compare source countries when making purchase decisions.

United States

Since the 1980s, China’s share of the US’s total apparel imports has dramatically increased over time. Although China and Mexico had approximately equal shares in the US market in 2000, their shares have sharply diverged. Over the past 25 years, the US has imported 2774 different apparel products with the total value of these imports shooting up from $27.76 billion in the early 1990s to $67.10 billion in 2014, as the mean weighted price has steadily dropped from $3.86 per square meter to $3.22 per square meter.

You can see the trends in the US apparel import from various countries over the years in the following table.

European Union

Between 2010 and 2014, EU imports contracted while prices rose – unlike the US market, where prices fell along with imports. China has dominated this market for a long time as well, having three times the amount of apparel exported by its closest competitor, Bangladesh. You can see the various trends in EU apparel imports over the years in the following table.