US apparel shipments increased for the top 10 biggest suppliers in October due to sourcing executives trying to get ahead of Trump tariffs, however Mexico fell out of the top 10 after seeing its shipments slide 10% with Trump's latest threats suggesting it could also be hit with duties.

US apparel imports increased 21% in October to 2.45bn SME with shipments from all ten of the biggest suppliers showing an increase according to the latest data from the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (Otexa).

The biggest increase in shipments to the US came from Cambodia during October at a staggering 80% boost to volumes. This trend continues from last month when the Asian country enjoyed a 32.5% increase and despite the increase being smaller it was still the largest increase seen in volumes out of the top ten importers in September.

The next biggest increases were enjoyed by India at 32% and Vietnam at 31%.

Of the top ten largest apparel suppliers to the US, Honduras had the most modest increase in shipments to the US of 9%, just behind Pakistan and China who both enjoyed a 10% increase in shipments.

However, Mexico dropped out of the top ten this month after seeing a 10% decline in shipments. It dropped from 51m SME in October 2023 to 46m SME in October 2024. The shift saw the return of Nicaragua to the top 10 with a 12.5% increase in shipment volumes to 59m SME.

US apparel sourcing in brief – October 2024 versus October 2023

• All sources: 2.45bn SME in October 2024 up 21% from 2bn SME in October 2023
• China: 859m SME up 10% from 779m SME
• Vietnam: 399m SME up 31% from 305m SME
• Bangladesh: 227m SME up 25% from 182m SME
• Cambodia: 135m SME up 80% from 75m SME
• India: 125m SME up 32% from 95m SME
• Indonesia: 104m SME up 14% from 92m SME
• Pakistan: 69m SME up 10% from 63m SME
• Honduras: 61m SME up 9% from 56m SME
• Nicaragua: 59m SME up 12% from 53m SME
• El Salvador: 47m SME up 30% from 36m SME.

What do the October import trends mean?

Dr Sheng Lu, professor in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies at the University of Delaware tells Just Style US apparel imports experienced an unusual surge in October 2024, as fashion companies rushed to get their products early amid growing uncertainties, ranging from looming tariff hikes to port strikes.  

Specifically, he says: “US apparel imports in October 2024 substantially increased by 21.0% in quantity and 20.1% in value from a year ago. Similarly, after adjusting for seasonal factors, apparel imports in October 2024 were about 5% higher in quantity and value than a month ago.”

However, similar to September 2024, he points out “this import surge did not align with consumer purchasing trends”.

For instance, US clothing retail sales in October declined nearly 1% compared to the previous month and rose only about 2% from a year ago, primarily due to price inflation.

Impact of Trump tariff concerns on Mexico

Dr Lu believes the increasing likelihood of additional Trump tariffs on imports following his return to office may have been the key driver of the surge.

Notably, he adds: “Trump has threatened to impose new punitive tariffs not only on Chinese products but also on many others, including members of US-led trade agreements such as Canada and Mexico.”

United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) president Julie Hughes told Just Style at the time of Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariff threat that “most brands and retailers are responding cautiously and will continue to review their strategies for dealing with uncertainty and maintaining agility in the supply chain”.

Mexico is already feeling the impact as in October it dropped out of the top 10 US importer list on a volume-basis, however previously the US’ neighbouring country had been gradually increasing its share of the US apparel market when it came to exports.

In September 2024 for example its market share stood at 2.8% up from -17.2% a year earlier, however in October its market share year to date had dropped to 2.2%.

Asian countries other than China benefit most from Trump tariff threats

Dr Lu notes US fashion companies significantly expanded apparel imports from Asian countries other than China in October 2024, further suggesting that tariff threats influenced trade volume fluctuations.

In value terms he says US apparel imports from China only modestly increased by 7% in October 2024 from a year ago, far below the growth rate experienced by Vietnam (29.5%) and Bangladesh (26.5%).

Additionally, US apparel imports from Asian countries beyond the top three also enjoyed notable expansion in October 2024, as fashion companies sought to diversify their sourcing base, such as India (27.8%), Cambodia (70.2%), Indonesia (21.8%), Pakistan (24.2%) and Sri Lanka (47.0%).

Overall, he states: “Asian countries accounted for as much as 73.5% of US apparel imports in October 2024, higher than 71.9% a year ago in October 2023.

“Considering critical sourcing factors such as cost, production capacity, flexibility, agility, and vertical manufacturing capabilities, US fashion companies appear to be prioritising building a more diverse sourcing base within Asia rather than shifting orders away from the region.

Varied outlook for apparel sourcing countries outside Asia

Dr Lu highlights another key trend is outside of Asia the export performance of Western Hemisphere suppliers and those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has significantly varied among individual countries in 2024.

For example, he shares: “In value, about 9.8% of US apparel imports came from CAFTA-DR members in the first ten months of 2024, lower than 10.2% over the same period last year. However, specific CAFTA-DR members, especially Guatemala, gained additional market shares and outperformed their peers in the region. In comparison, there has been a sharp decline in US apparel imports from the Dominican Republic and Haiti, largely due to their political instability.”

Meanwhile, he suggests the “looming expiration of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) negatively impacted SSA’s export performance”.

The value of US apparel imports from SSA countries dropped by 5.5% in the first ten months of 2024, with their market share shrinking further to 1.7%, down from 1.8% a year ago.

Notably, Ethiopia, after losing its AGOA eligibility, saw a 27% decline in apparel exports to the US over the same period. In comparison, US fashion companies expanded sourcing from Kenya and South Africa in 2024 thanks to their relatively greater political stability than other regional peers.

However, Dr Lu adds: “No AGOA members have yet to account for more than 1% of total US apparel imports. New investment and capacity-building support are essential to expand US apparel sourcing further from the region.”

A report published earlier this year by the Office of US Trade Representative (USTR) revealed that AGOA’s September 2025 expiry was concerning apparel sourcing executives and had led to a decline in sourcing from those regions.

By Just Style