WASHINGTON – Textile and apparel exports from the US to China have declined rapidly in the past year according to the latest trade figures. The figures show that in terms of value, Chinese exports of apparel and textiles in the year to date for October 2019 were 5.6 per cent down on the corresponding period for October 2018. In terms of units sold, there was a 2.2 per cent decline. The figures suggest the ongoing trade war is hitting Chinese exports to the US. Indeed, since the start of Trump’s presidency, brands such as Uniqlo, Levi’s, Crocs, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have shifted manufacturing out of China.
It may also be the case that some brands have reticence about the Chinese market at present due to risks associated with Xinjiang. The US House of Representatives passed legislation recently requiring a stronger response to Beijing’s treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang province, which is becoming synonymous with forced and prison labour.
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