According to recent data from the Commerce Department, apparel and textiles imports into the U.S. experienced a significant drop in May. The Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA) reported a 17.6 percent decline, with total imports reaching approximately 8.8 billion square meters equivalent (SME) compared to the same period last year. 

Textile imports fell by 13.9 percent to 6.8 billion SME, while apparel shipments slumped by 28.1 percent to 1.99 billion SME. Overall, year-to-date imports of textiles and apparel through May registered a 22.4 percent decline, totaling 36.4 billion SME. 

Textile imports fared better, experiencing a 19.1 percent decline to 26.8 billion SME, while apparel shipments plummeted by 30.5 percent to around 9.6 billion SME. Notably, major Asian textile and garment producers faced significant losses. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam witnessed declines of 36.3 percent, 34.6 percent, 33.3 percent, and 33.1 percent, respectively. 

In contrast, China experienced a milder drop of 15.4 percent but maintained its position as the leading trading partner with the U.S., surpassing India by more than threefold. 

Nearshoring efforts were evident in Mexico, which saw a substantial increase of 210.5 percent in apparel shipments, and the Czech Republic, with a significant surge of 265.2 percent. These gains may be attributed to retailers' desire to reduce dependence on China and mitigate supply chain disruptions.