U.S. textile flows shift by country
American textile imports showed sharp, country‑specific swings in February: China exports to the U.S. plunged about 45%, India fell ~29%, Bangladesh dropped ~16%, while Vietnam rose roughly 5%. Those differences could affect where packaging, tools and other beauty‑adjacent components are sourced. (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com)
U.S. textile buying shifted sharply in February, with American orders falling hardest for China and India while Vietnam still grew. (trade.gov) (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Imports from India to the United States fell 28.7 percent from a year earlier in February 2026, Bangladesh fell 16.4 percent, and Vietnam rose 5 percent, according to Office of Textiles and Apparel data cited by industry reports. China posted the steepest drop at 45.2 percent, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industries said. (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com) (trade.gov) Vietnam shipped $1.35 billion of textile and apparel goods to the United States in February after $1.64 billion in January, and it was the only major Asian supplier in this group to post year-over-year growth. Bangladesh’s February apparel exports reached $581.19 million, slightly ahead of China’s $571.78 million in that category. (newindianexpress.com) (deshkalnews.com) The country split matters because textiles and apparel are bought through long ordering cycles, and February import data reflects sourcing decisions made weeks or months earlier. Rajat Jaipuria of Rajalaxmi Cotton Mills said it usually takes 90 to 120 days from orders to shipments. (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The trade backdrop also changed fast. The St. Louis Federal Reserve said U.S. tariff policy shifted in early 2025 and China’s effective tariff rate rose from about 10 to 11 percent before February 2025 to roughly 45 percent by mid-2025. (stlouisfed.org) Industry groups in India say the February slump persisted even after additional U.S. tariffs were rolled back in February 2026. Chandrima Chatterjee of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industries said India was losing share faster than Bangladesh while Vietnam was “consolidating gains.” (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The weakness also landed during a softer U.S. import month overall. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said total U.S. imports rose to $372.1 billion in February 2026, while the goods and services trade deficit widened to $57.3 billion from $54.7 billion in January. (bea.gov) For companies that buy fabric pouches, sewn cases, salon linens, or other textile-heavy components, the February numbers point to a supply map that is moving by country, not in one direction across Asia. The next few monthly releases will show whether Vietnam’s gains hold after the tariff reset works through that 90-to-120-day pipeline. (trade.gov) (retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com)
