The United States has strongly criticized China’s trade practices in the textile and apparel sector, attributing the shutdown of 28 U.S. textile manufacturing plants over the past 22 months to unfair competition. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a public statement accusing China of engaging in non-market policies that provide its domestic manufacturers with an unfair edge by enabling them to sell products at artificially low prices.
In a post shared on social media to mark National Textile Day, USTR declared, “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. U.S. textile and apparel manufacturers have been negatively impacted with 28 U.S. plants closing in the past 22 months.”
The USTR also highlighted the flood of low-cost Chinese goods entering the U.S. via e-commerce platforms under the de minimis exemption, which allows imports valued under $800 to enter the country without tariffs or customs scrutiny. “Chinese e-commerce companies accounted for over 30% of all daily de minimis shipments into the United States,” the USTR noted, “bypassing tariffs and decimating local industries, especially in the Southeast.”
In 2024, the U.S. imported $79.3 billion worth of apparel, with 21% coming from China. This significant influx is part of a broader trade imbalance: total U.S. goods trade with China reached an estimated $582.4 billion in 2024. Of that, $143.5 billion were exports (down 2.9% from 2023), and $438.9 billion were imports (up 2.8%). The resulting trade deficit with China rose to $295.4 billion—a 5.8% increase from the previous year.
The USTR’s remarks underscore rising tensions in global textile trade and reflect growing concerns about the erosion of domestic manufacturing capacity due to aggressive trade practices by China. The agency is urging stronger enforcement measures to safeguard the future of U.S. textile and apparel industries.
