Garment exports to US surge in first quarter of 2018

The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) attributed this positive export growth to the rebound of the US economy, which has fuelled its textile and garment imports. During the period, the US imported an estimated US$25.29 billion worth of textile and garment products from foreign markets, up 4.2% year-on-year.

According to Vitas, the US trade tension with China beginning in March was one of the main factors affecting the global textile picture in 2018. If the US extended curbs on Chinese garments and textiles, Vietnam could export more to the world’s largest economy, the association said.

Vitas forecast that Vietnamese apparel exports to the US would likely hit nearly US$13.84 billion in 2018, 11% higher than 2017.

Vietnam earned a total turnover of US$7.83 billion from textile and garment exports from January to March, surging 15.4% over the same period last year, mainly thanks to the country’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and its efforts to speed up exports to China.

Besides the US, Vietnamese shipments of textile and garment products to the three major markets of Japan, the Republic of Korea and China also experienced encouraging respective growths of over 27%, 22.3% and 26%, reaching US$958 million, US$896 million and US$832 million. 

Meanwhile, exports of these items to the EU – another important outlet – saw a modest yearly rise of 1% to US$1.13 billion, according to the department’s statistics.

With a positive performance in the first quarter, Vietnam’s textile and garment industry is striving for a year-on-year increase of 10% in export value, to US$34.3 billion for the whole of 2018, Vitas said.