Apparel imports by the US decreased 1.71 per cent during January to April 2017 as against the corresponding period last year.

China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India were the top five apparel exporters in value terms to the US during the review period. Honduras, one of the major apparel exporters to the US – has now come down to the seventh spot.

However, among all top five exporters, only Vietnam grew in values as the country saw a rise in exports by 8.16 per cent during the first four months of the year. China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India were down by 3.45 per cent, 6.30 per cent, 2.99 per cent and 3.27 per cent respectively.

China is the largest source of US apparel imports. Vietnam is in the second place followed by Bangladesh. All nine out of ten top apparel exporting nations of the world experienced negative growth in shipment to the US in 2016. Only Vietnam's apparel exports increased 0.30 per cent year-on-year in 2016.

Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports to the United States fell by six per cent in the first three months of the current calendar year. Bangladesh now faces an export duty of 15.62 per cent under America's most favored nations' category.

Garment items account for 95 per cent of the goods exported from Bangladesh to the US market.