Total apparel exports stood at $**.*** billion during January–June ****, down *.** per cent from $**.*** billion in the corresponding period of ****, according to sourcing intelligence tool TexPro. Asia-Pacific remained China’s largest regional apparel market, but exports to the region declined by **.** per cent year on year to $**.*** billion from $**.*** billion. Its share of Chinese apparel exports consequently fell by *.** percentage points to **.** per cent.
The decline continued a longer-term contraction in Asia-Pacific’s contribution. The region accounted for **.** per cent of China’s apparel exports in ****, **.** per cent in **** and **.** per cent in ****.
North America moved closer to Asia-Pacific after Chinese apparel exports to the region increased by *.** per cent to $**.*** billion in the first half of ****. Its share rose to **.** per cent from **.** per cent a year earlier.
The regional increase should not, however, be interpreted as evidence of China regaining share in the US apparel import market. North America also includes Canada and Mexico, while Chinese export figures and US import statistics differ in geographical coverage, valuation and customs-recording periods. China can therefore record higher regional exports even as alternative suppliers capture a larger proportion of US apparel imports.
