Bangladesh becomes 2nd-largest apparel exporter to US, overtakes China

Bangladesh has emerged as the second-largest exporter of readymade garments to the United States, overtaking China, according to latest data.

China, which long held the top position, slipped amid higher tariffs on its exports, while Vietnam moved to the top spot and Bangladesh rose to second place. Indonesia and India ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

Data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) under the US Department of Commerce show that Bangladesh exported garments worth $1.37 billion to the US during January–February. However, the figure marks a decline of around 8.5% compared to the same period last year.

In contrast, Vietnam retained the top position with exports worth $2.70 billion during the period, up by 2.86% year-on-year.

China’s garment exports to the US dropped sharply to $1.17 billion in the first two months of the year, down 57.65% from $2.77 billion in the same period last year.

Despite shifts among top exporters, overall US imports of garments declined. In the first two months of the year, US businesses imported apparel worth $11.73 billion from different countries, down about 13.5% year-on-year.