The introduction of additional customs duties at the US border was expected to put an immediate brake on imports, in favour of domestic production. The overall figures show that the measure did not prevent an increase in goods imports across all sectors; it merely reshaped the sourcing landscape for textile and clothing imports.

Figures from the US Department of Commerce show a $143 billion rise in imports in 2025, taking the total, across all products, to $3,438 billion.

In textiles and clothing, annual import figures show a slight contraction of 3.3%, with $104 billion in goods imported by the United States- just shy of the $107 billion recorded the previous year. The year 2025 is thus in line with 2024,which itself saw a stabilisation of imports after the 22% collapse recorded in 2023.

Although the Trump administration did not succeed in driving down textile and clothing imports, it did have a marked impact on their geographic breakdown. The leading supplier in 2024, China saw a 32.3% decline over the year, slipping behind Vietnam which, thanks to a 12.9% rise, exported $18.4 billion in textiles and clothing to the United States.

India, heavily hit by US tariffs, held steady as the third-largest supplier, with $8.3 billion in goods. Just behind, Bangladesh and Cambodia accelerated by 11.5% and 26.4%, respectively, over the year. In sixth place, the European Union posted a modest 3.4% increase to $5.5 billion. The line-up continues with Indonesia (+9.4%), Pakistan (+6.1%) and neighbouring Mexico, which contracted by 1.6%.

Other notable movements included a 5.3% drop for Turkey and 12.8% for Honduras, a 5% rise for Sri Lanka, and 16% for Thailand. Canada, for its part, is holding steady at around the $1 billion mark, despite tensions with its southern neighbour.

If the White House was counting on tariffs to rebalance the country's trade position quickly, it might take satisfaction in the $133.5 billion in additional federal revenue generated over the year. However, following the invalidation of the emergency tariffs by the US Supreme Court, these sums must, in principle, be reimbursed to the US importers who paid them.

As FashionNetwork.com pointed out, importers, manufacturers and trade players are extremely cautious about these reimbursements, expecting the administration to minimise and delay payment of the sums due for as long as possible.

On the suppliers' side, while the decline in entry prices to the US market has understandably generated enthusiasm, some manufacturers note that American customers, soon to be reimbursed by the White House, had shifted the burden of the additional customs charges onto their suppliers. Those suppliers have little prospect of being reimbursed for these extra costs by their US customers.