Bangladesh has topped the T-shirt exports to the US market in the first six months of 2025. This is a historic achievement for Bangladesh, surpassing prominent exporting countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, and China.
According to the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), the United States imported a total of $3.52 billion worth of T-shirts from 117 countries in the first six months of this year. Of this, $373.2 million worth of T-shirts came from Bangladesh, surpassing Nicaragua’s $361.2 million export. Bangladesh has never been able to top the US T-shirt market before. For 36 years from 1989 to 2024, countries like Honduras, Nicaragua, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Mexico and China dominated this market. Except for China and Hong Kong, the rest of the countries were getting tariff benefits due to trade agreements with the US.
The data from the United States International Trade Commission gives an idea of the average price at which a country exported T-shirts. In the first six months of this year, each T-shirt was exported from Bangladesh at an average of $1.76. Last year, Nicaragua, which was at the top, exported each T-shirt at the same time at $1.65. That is, Bangladesh has taken its place by exporting T-shirts at an average price higher than Nicaragua. In addition, each T-shirt was exported from Honduras at an average of $2.10. Vietnam’s average export price per piece is $2.68. India’s average export price per piece is $1.81. China exported T-shirts at an average of $1.63. Pakistan’s average export price per T-shirt is $1.50.
According to the mentioned average price data, the average export price of each T-shirt in Bangladesh is higher than that of China, Nicaragua, and Pakistan. However, it is lower than that of competing countries like Vietnam, Honduras, and India. According to the United States International Trade Commission, last year, $56.82 billion worth of T-shirts were exported worldwide. Bangladesh is second only to China in the world in T-shirt exports. Among the types of clothing that Bangladesh exported to different countries in the world last year, T-shirts topped the list. According to the NBR, $7.45 billion worth of T-shirts were exported from Bangladesh to 158 countries last fiscal year. Of these, the United States was the third top export destination after Germany and Spain.
Apart from the United States, Bangladesh is at the top in T-shirt exports in many countries, surpassing competing countries. For example, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Canada—even neighboring country India is at the top in T-shirt exports. This time, the United States has been added to this list as of the last six months.
News Courtesy : Textile Today.