According to a recently released US department of commerce data, exports of Chinese apparel in January were hit by large declines in sensitive quota categories _ following the US government’s embargoes last year created a sense of uncertainty among the US retailers.

Overall shipments from China increased only 15 per cent in volume in January compared with that in the same month last year. In turn, China’s share in the American market too fell 2 per cent from the 2005 average.

India and Bangladesh are among countries benefiting from the uncertainty following embargoes on China’s exports in the US. Instead of sourcing from the Chinese players, the US retailers are redirecting orders to other low-cost Asian producers, including India and Bangladesh.

Exports of textile from India and Pakistan outperformed that from China in terms of growth in January. Figures of the US Office of Textiles and Apparel revealed that textile exports from India in January grew 34 per cent in volumes, well above China’s 21 per cent growth. Pakistan’s exports grew at an even higher rate of 36 per cent.

As for apparel exports, India clocked the highest growth in volumes among the developing countries at 46 per cent, while Pakistan’s exports grew 35 per cent. Compared these figures, China’s apparel exports reported rose just 15 per cent. In non-apparel exports, Pakistan clocked the highest growth rate of 36 per cent, while India posted an increase of 28 per cent and China’s exports grew just 22 per cent.

Other countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Cambodia also saw a substantial increase in their exports to the US in January. Bangladesh grabbed the third place in terms of volumes, up 32 per cent from the one-year earlier level.

Exports of textiles from Indonesia and Cambodia to the US were also 30 per cent higher in the first month of the year.

Also profiting at the expense of China was Pakistan, whose shipments rose by an impressive 35 per cent. Industry experts believe that China will find it difficult to cover the lost ground in the short term.

Latin American countries saw their shipments to the US decline. Mexico, the second-largest US supplier, lost 15 per cent volume from last year, while Honduras and EL Salvador were also down by similar levels in export volumes