After slumping drastically in 2020, the clothing imports of USA seem to be consolidating in 2021, not in lines of pre-COVID levels though.
Swimwear is one of the product categories that has seen an increased import by the US buyers on Y-o-Y basis in Jan.-Apr. ’21 period.
According to OTEXA data which was analysed by Apparel Resources, USA has imported US $ 584.13 million worth of swimwear products in Jan.-Apr. ’21, marking a growth of 10.55 per cent on yearly basis.
Though import has increased in 2021 as compared to the first four months of 2020 that was a COVID-19 period, it still has not touched/crossed the import figures of pre-COVID levels, for e.g., Jan.-Apr. ’19 period when USA imported swimwear products worth US $ 639.58 million!
Of all major countries shipping swimwear products to USA, China was outpaced by Vietnam in 2021 which upped its exports by 25.92 per cent to ship US $ 173.62 million worth of swimwear to USA and topped the tally.
China slipped to the second spot with its swimwear export valuing US $ 168.59 million in the first 4-month period of 2021. The country could see just a miniscule Y-o-Y growth of 0.71 per cent as against the same period of 2020.
Indonesia – the 3rd largest swimwear product shippers to USA – clocked US $ 69.34 million (up 21.59 per cent) from its swimwear exports to USA, while Sri Lanka – which is known for making high-fashion swimwear and lingerie products – was down by 10.91 per cent in Jan.-Apr. ’21, clocking US $ 24.42 million export revenue from the US market, and slipped two spots, allowing Cambodia and Bangladesh to overtake.
Bangladesh has been emerging as a swimwear manufacturing destination and the data says it has beaten its pre-COVID shipment value to USA in 2021. The country clocked US $ 27.74 million from its swimwear and related products’ shipment to USA during the first four months of 2021, noting 28.21 per cent Y-o-Y surge.
Interestingly, when Bangladesh just shipped US $ 12.82 million swimwear to USA, Bangladesh’s 2-year growth, as compared to Jan.-Apr. ’19, stood at 116.38 per cent in 2021.
The other countries, which remained positive in their respective swimwear apparel exports (valuing US $ 10 million or above) to USA during Jan.-Apr. ’21 period, were Egypt and Colombia.
