Reports
Import Change in Volume and Value - % Change and Market Shares - Unit Price Change
US Apparel Imports in First Quarter 2011: China vs. Rest of World Statistical Report
18 May 2011
China began losing significant shares in the first quarter this year, on the US apparel import market. Unit prices of Chinese products more strongly increased in a large number of apparel categories, if compared with shipments from other nations, or Rest of the World (RoW), as reflected by our series of statistical tables.
China began losing shares of US apparel import market, in the first quarter this year.
When imports from China were declining 0.54% in volume terms, shipments from other nations rose 11.64%.
As a result, China's share dropped from 36.86% in first quarter last year down to 34.21% over the same period this year.
The share of the rest of the world (RoW) rose from 63.14% up to 65.79%, consecutively.
This is obviously due to a stronger rise in prices in China, after labour costs were significantly raised in the last year.
Higher Price Increase in China
In the first quarter, average unit value of US apparel imports from China gained 8.19%, against a 4.18% increase for shipments from RoW.
In value terms, as a result, China's market share less declined, although still losing ground, however, from 34.50% to 32.76%.
Imports from China declined in the first quarter in nearly all apparel categories, in volume terms.
There were strong differences, however, with Chinese shipments down 33% in 350 cotton dressing gowns or even 39% in 341 (cotton woven shirts for women and girls).
Imports of Chinese cotton sweaters surged 30.87% by contrast, but this was a lower increase than from RoW (+ 39.47%).
Even in man-made fiber apparel categories, China lost market shares in first quarter.
China is however more resisting with men's apparel than with women's products.
This is because average price is lower on the men's market where products are more basic, and therefore more sensitive to a rise in labour costs.
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