China lost nearly $2 billion worth of readymade garment exports to the United States in the first six months of this year (January–June) compared with the same period last year.

However, Bangladesh failed to capture a significant portion of that lost market. Instead, competitors such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia increased their exports and took advantage of the opportunity.

According to data from the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), the United States imported readymade garments (RMG) worth $35.09 billion during the first half of the year, down 8 per cent from the same period last year.