Apparel imports by the US increased 14.9 per cent year-over-year to 2.52 billion square meter equivalents (SME) in July 2021, as per the data released by the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA). An Apparel Resources report reveals, though US’ apparel imports from Vietnam increased by 22.74 per cent to 2.6 billion SME during the first seven months of the year, they declined 8 per cent to 359.72 million SME in July compared to a year earlier. Imports from Cambodia declined by 29 per cent to 85.61 million SME in the month compared to July 2020. Indonesia’s July shipments declined 7.9 per cent to 64 million SME, while imports from the country for the year so far rose 10.17 per cent to 601 million SME.

Imports from China increased 21.6 per cent to 1.04 billion SME in July compared to a year earlier and by 40.06 per cent to 5.48 billion SME year to date. Shipments from Bangladesh rose 35.1 per cent in July 2021 to 197.45 million SME compared to July 2020 and by 36.86 per cent to 1.42 billion SME year to date. India’s exports surged by 34 per cent to 79.92 million SME for the month and 47.2 per cent to 729 million SME for the year to date, while imports from Pakistan jumped by 49.3 per cent to 73.85 million SME in the month and by 50.02 per cent to 505 million SME year to date.

The US Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the goods and services deficit declined to $70.1 billion in July from $73.2 billion in June.