Global Sources

Clothing production today is a complex global system of manufacturing and retailing. Garments can be cut in one country, assembled in another, finished in a third, and sold around the world. Clothing production is also a major portion of many nations' economies. In 1996, global production of apparel exceeded $200 billion in retail value. About $125 billion is exported between countries, and $75 billion is consumed in the country of origin. In 1996, the United States produced $49.3 billion (nearly 25 percent of the world total) and imported about $36.4 billion worth of clothing.

A Partial List of 1996 Apparel Imports to the United States

County

Asia
Bangladesh
Burma
China
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Macao
Malaysia
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam

North American
Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
Canada
Mexico

South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela

Caribbean Basin
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Nicaragua

Middle East and Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Israel
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritius
Morocco
Nigeria
Oman
South Africa
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates
Zambia

Europe
Austria
Bulgaria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Holland
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Malta
Norway
Portugal
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom

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1996 Apparel Imports to U.S.*

1,124,942,517
83,303,722
3,769,503,724
3,860,782,910
1,187,232,780
1,325,623,877
52,478,406
760,104,007
647,862,436
561,322,697
1,502,734,000
325,608,047
1,380,716,816
1,006,572,301
1,973,691,533
1,049,230,351
23,562,702

947,650,262
3,560,115,231

4,531,767
12,104,407
84,487,818
26,940,543
311,658,044
63,800
146,797,531
7,513,754
3,593,134

704,044,010
1,753,452,264
721,284,232
796,359,571
98,053,273
1,219,549,671
505,342,418
142,170,195

631
255,290,009
297,599,984
27,379,281
11,025,936
164,650,630
42,431,843
129,316
116,082,019
61,034,931
4,106,032
201,901,070
231,803

15,193,487
41,836,059
8,319,449
---
4,872,075
5,522,257
1,168,354
161,604,167
90,395,086
23,213,884
1,172,489
55,179,728
11,557,750
1,148,774,723
1,361,177
3,140,179
65,815,224
42,592,175
59,681,150
51,618,986
22,859,193
19,900,809
4,524,549
32,110,382
578,504,385
60,934,516
104,429,053

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Average Apparel
Hourly Wage**

    .31
    .13
    .28
  4.51
    .36
    .34
16.29
  ---
  1.64
    .26
    .62
  4.11
  4.18
    .41
  5.10
  1.06
    .32

  9.88
  1.08

  3.45
  1.34
  1.92
  2.33
  1.05
  1.38
  1.39
  3.18
  1.96

  2.38
  1.62
  1.38
  1.25
    .49
  1.31
  1.80
    .76

  1.14
    .63
  5.65
    .30
    .29
  1.02
  1.38
    .51
  1.51
  1.26
    .98
  ---
(1995)       .38

16.28
    .47
19.00
  1.99
20.78
  1.34
14.67
15.31
18.43
  7.31
17.03
  2.26
  9.58
14.32
  5.63
20.07
  3.91
  2.10
  1.17
    .58
  1.47
  7.37
17.59
19.93
  1.49
  ---
  9.37

Total 1996 Apparel Imports to the
United States--$36,390,000,000

Average Apparel Hourly Wage in the
United States--$9.56

*The figures for the 1996 imports to the United States are from the American Apparel Manufacturers Association Major Shippers report, 1997.
**The 1996 average apparel industry hourly rates (including social benefits and fringes) are derived from the Hourly Labor Costs in the Apparel Industry, as reported by Werner International Inc. 1997.

Global Production Game!

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