India's Ministry of Textiles reports FY2025-26 textile and handicraft exports rose 2.1% to about $33.5 billion, while the Global Trade Research Initiative counts textiles and garments at $35.8 billion, down 2.2%. GTRI argues the apparent growth reflects a weaker rupee, not stronger competitiveness.
US apparel manufacturing output dropped 17% in 2025 and textile mill output fell 4%, while imports from 14 low-cost Asian countries rose 6%, or $60 billion, according to WWD and Kearney's 2026 Reshoring Index. Industry insiders say tariffs alone will not revive domestic production.
A 2025 benchmarking study from the U.S. Fashion Industry Association found no clear evidence that tariffs are moving apparel production back to the United States. About 40% of surveyed brands sourced from the U.S., unchanged from 2024, while more than 80% plan to diversify to other countries.
Turkish apparel and textile manufacturing shed more than 116,000 jobs in the year to September, according to SGK data cited by Türkiye Today. The losses reflect weak global demand, rising costs and growing competition from Egypt, even as total registered employment rose 2.2% to 26.15 million.
World Footwear reports that global footwear trade lost momentum in the opening months of 2026. Because shoes are ordered months ahead, the weak start reflects cautious retailer buying for spring and summer and points to softer sourcing and retail demand.
Industry association Abicalçados says the trade pillar of the EU-Mercosur agreement could gradually improve the competitiveness of Brazilian footwear in Europe. Brazil exported 17.4 million pairs to the EU in 2025, up 5.2% on 2024, but tariff relief will be phased over up to 10 years.
India is preparing a US$1 billion support package for its footwear manufacturing sector after the United States imposed a 50% tariff on Indian footwear shipments. The scheme covers the full value chain, from raw materials to finished goods, and aims to lift both exports and domestic consumption.
China's share of the global footwear trade is eroding as buyers diversify sourcing, according to World Footwear. At the same time, the value of footwear imports into the United States is rising, opening room for alternative supplier countries.
China's official manufacturing PMI rose to 50.3 in June from 50.0, beating the 50.1 forecast, according to the National Bureau of Statistics reported by TradingView. Growth was concentrated in AI-linked high-tech exports, while retail and property demand stayed weak.
Foshan, which produces an estimated 35% of China's furniture, is enduring its worst crisis in decades. About 300 companies collapsed in 2025 as U.S. tariffs above 30% hit roughly $10 billion in exports and a property slump crushed domestic demand.
US tariffs are pushing Chinese furniture exports away from the American market and towards Europe, which has overtaken the United States as the top destination. Furnilytics data show US imports from China down 30.8% in 2025 while EU imports rose 13.3%.
US President Donald Trump has renewed a threat to impose furniture tariffs of up to 200 per cent, aimed at reviving production in North and South Carolina. Analysts cited by the South China Morning Post say the measure could cut Chinese exports without reshoring output, and risks reigniting tensions just as a US-China trade truce had been extended.
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