In 2019– the pre-pandemic normal year – Bangladesh stood third in the US denim apparel import tally, lagging behind Mexico and China…
And, in disrupting times, Bangladesh has surpassed both the countries to top the tally. The country had concluded 2020 with US $ 561.29 million worth of denim apparel exports to USA as compared to US $ 469.12 million of Mexico and US $ 331.93 million of China.
Now that the latest apparel import data of USA is out, Bangladesh has yet again showed its dominance in the denim category during 2021 as it topped the list with US $ 798.42 million worth of denim apparel shipment to its largest export destination, noting 42.25 per cent Y-o-Y growth.
The total denim apparel imports of USA valued US 3.68 billion in 2021, growing by 31.36 per cent over 2020. It’s worth noting here that Bangladesh’s share has increased to 21.70 per cent in 2021 from 15.65 per cent in 2019, despite USA not being able to surpass its 2019 import values in denim apparel category.
The data, further analysed by Apparel Resources, indicates that Mexico shipped denim apparels worth US $ 654.87 million in the USA, increasing by around 39.60 per cent on yearly basis, while China slipped to 5th position in just two years and managed to clock US $ 387.91 million from its denim apparel export to USA in 2021.
Despite short-term disruptions created by COVID-19 in Vietnam, the country clocked its 3-year highest export revenues in 2021 in the mentioned category as its shipment valued US $ 402.29 million, as compared to US $ 368.18 million in 2020 and US $ 372.02 million in 2019.
Pakistan trumped China and stayed marginally ahead with US $ 389.76 million, noting 54.80 per cent over 2020.
