Bangladesh has become the fastest-growing apparel exporter to the United States in the first four months of 2025, with a 29.34 per cent increase in exports compared to the same period last year.

The US Department of Commerce’s Office of Textiles and Apparel data showed that apparel shipments from Bangladesh in January–April 2025 rose to $2.98 billion, up from $2.31 billion in the same period of 2024.

This growth rate exceeded the global average of 10.67 per cent and placed Bangladesh ahead of competitors such as Vietnam, India, and Cambodia in the US market.

Vietnam overtook China in March 2025 to become the leading apparel exporter to the US and kept its position in April, as US imports from China dropped sharply during that period.

Total US apparel imports from January to April 2025 stood at $26.22 billion, up from $23.69 billion in the same period the previous year.

This expansion reflected improved consumer demand and the ongoing recalibration of supply chains, particularly in response to trade and tariff shifts involving China.

Vietnam, the top exporter to the US market during this period, shipped readymade garments worth $5.09 billion, growing 16.08 per cent from 2024.

China remained in second place with $4.36 billion in shipments, but its growth was effectively flat at just 0.6 per cent year-on-year—highlighting the effects of renewed tariff barriers and ongoing geopolitical tensions.

According to the OTEXA data, China had started the year with strong export performance. In January, US imports of Chinese apparel reached $1.60 billion, a 13.6 per cent increase compared with the same month in 2024. February also saw growth, albeit more modest, at 3.0 per cent.

However, by March, the momentum had reversed, with imports falling 8.9 per cent year-on-year to $826.7 million. The decline deepened in April, when imports dropped by a further 13.3 per cent to $760.7 million.

In contrast, Vietnam demonstrated consistent and accelerating growth throughout the first four months of the year.

Vietnam’s apparel exports to the US in January rose 19.8 per cent year-on-year to $1.44 billion. Although February’s increase was modest at 2.2 per cent, March and April saw surges of 20.2 per cent and 23.3 per cent, respectively.

India showed strong gains, increasing its apparel exports by 20.3 per cent to $2 billion in the January–April period.

Indonesia recorded a 15.61 per cent increase in apparel shipments to $1.6 billion, continuing its steady growth as a supplier to the US market.

Cambodia experienced a significant 19.79 per cent rise in exports, reaching $1.23 billion.

Pakistan followed closely with a 19.5 per cent increase to $750 million, signaling its strengthening position as an emerging apparel exporter to the US.