US apparel imports from Asia already surged in October ahead of quotas' elimination in a few days.
Not surprisingly, imports from China were up 35% in volume terms after rising 43% in September. China's share of total apparel imports reached 16.55% in October, compared with a level of 12.14% in 2003, on average.
Mexico's share was reduced to 8.59% at the same time, from 10.48% in the past year.
India and Bangladesh
As a clear sign of coming trends in US sourcing, imports from Central America fell in October. Shipments from Honduras and El Salvador were down 9.67% and 22%, respectively while imports from the Dominican Republic declined 15% in volume terms.
By contrast, imports from Asian countries surged in the same month. Vietnam was definitively back with a 53% increase while shipments from Inia rose 43%.
Bangladeshi exporters were far from disappearing with US imports from the country up 20%.
Imports from Indonesia, Cambodia and even Pakistan less substantialy rose, at the same time.
Jordan continued taking advantage of its generous duty-free access to the US market with shipments up 88% in October and 63% over the first ten months of the year.
Imports from Egypt rose 30% and a are now expected surging after Washington and Cairo today signed a duty-free agreement for apparel from Egyptian QIZs (Qualifying Industrial Zones).
Total US apparel imports were finally up 5.32% in volume terms in October, rising 2.59% over the first ten months of the year.
Imports of cotton apparel declined nearly 2% while shipments of man-made fiber clothing rose nearly 14%, in sharp contrast.
Unit prices of cotton apparel were up 5.70%, compared with a decline of 3.60% in prices of MMF products.
Imports continued surging in specific categories while declining in other.
