US calls out China's unfair trade practices as 28 textile plants shut down

Washington DC, May 04: The United States has issued a sharp warning over China's trade practices in the textiles and apparel sector, citing a pattern of non-market policies.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) noted a growing strain on US producers, with 28 US manufacturing plants having closed over the past 22 months. In 2024, the United States imported USD 79.3 billion worth of apparel, with 21 per cent of that coming from China.

Sharing a post on X, the USTR wrote, "In honor of National Textile Day, USTR is calling out the unfair trade practices undercutting the American textiles and apparel sector. China's non-market policies and practices in the textiles and apparel sector provide unfair competitive advantages to its domestic manufacturers by enabling them to charge artificially low prices for their products. US textile and apparel manufacturers have been negatively impacted with 28 US plants closing in the past 22 months."

In another post, USTR wrote, "The United States imported $79.3 billion worth of apparel in 2024, 21% of which came from China. Chinese e-commerce companies accounted for over 30% of all daily de minimis shipments into the United States, flooding our market with cheap apparel products while bypassing tariffs and evading trade enforcement mechanisms. The influx of cheap apparel has decimated local industries, particularly in the Southeast United States."

According to USTR, the US total goods trade with China was an estimated USD 582.4 billion in 2024. US goods exports to China in 2024 were USD 143.5 billion, down 2.9 per cent (USD 4.2 billion) from 2023. US goods imports from China in 2024 totalled USD 438.9 billion, up 2.8 per cent (USD 12.1 billion) from 2023. The US goods trade deficit with China was USD 295.4 billion in 2024, a 5.8 per cent increase (USD 16.3 billion) over 2023.