Observed trade data · 2010 to 2019
Bangladesh in US apparel sourcing
Explore how sourcing changed around Rana Plaza. These data describe imports; they do not estimate the effects of GSP suspension or measure worker safety.
Bangladesh share in 2018
6.26%
of US apparel import value
Share change from 2012 to 2018
+0.657 pp
percentage points, all apparel
Nominal value change
+20.1%
2012 to 2018, current US dollars
The headline comparison stays fixed at the planned 2012 to 2018 contrast. Chart controls below explore other views.
Compare sourcing patterns
All apparel (HS 61 + 62) · Share of US imports (%) · 2010 to 2018
2013 marks Rana Plaza and several distinct responses. The line is a date reference, not an estimated treatment break. All vertical axes start at zero; their upper bounds adjust to the selected data. Market shares use world imports in the selected chapter. Index values use each supplier's own 2012 value in that chapter.
View exact chart values in a table
| Year | Bangladesh | Vietnam | India | Cambodia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.372 | 8.028 | 4.419 | 3.058 |
| 2011 | 5.602 | 8.340 | 4.336 | 3.280 |
| 2012 | 5.603 | 9.037 | 4.014 | 3.260 |
| 2013 | 6.015 | 9.966 | 4.071 | 3.153 |
| 2014 | 5.678 | 11.102 | 4.197 | 2.994 |
| 2015 | 6.123 | 12.192 | 4.343 | 2.887 |
| 2016 | 6.322 | 13.155 | 4.552 | 2.637 |
| 2017 | 6.057 | 14.182 | 4.637 | 2.670 |
| 2018 | 6.260 | 14.528 | 4.641 | 2.911 |
What accounts for the share gain?
Between 2012 and 2018, Bangladesh gained share within both apparel chapters. US demand shifted toward knit apparel, where Bangladesh had a smaller market share, partly offsetting those gains.
- Gains within chapters
- +0.804 pp
- Changing US market composition
- -0.147 pp
- Observed total share change
- +0.657 pp
Exact symmetric decomposition in percentage points. This accounting identity does not establish why the chapter shares changed.
Read the evidence within its scope
- US-reported imports are one destination's sourcing data, not Bangladesh's worldwide exports.
- Nominal dollar growth combines prices, quantities and product mix. It is not export volume.
- Comparator suppliers provide context. They are not validated counterfactual controls.
- Factory safety, wages and employment require separate evidence.