In 2022, the global market for imported knitted or crocheted T-shirts reached a total value of US$49.7 billion. This represents a significant increase of 20.2% compared to 2018, when the total was $41.4 billion. From 2021 to 2022 alone, there was a notable 15.4% rise, with imports growing from $43.1 billion.

In terms of regional distribution, Europe led the way, importing T-shirts worth $24.7 billion, which accounted for about 49.7% of the global total in 2022. North America followed with 22.6% of the market share, and Asia accounted for 18.7%. Latin America, excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, made up 5.3%, Oceania (primarily Australia and New Zealand) 2.1%, and Africa 1.5%.

Cotton remains the predominant material for T-shirt production, representing $35.9 billion or approximately 72.3% of all T-shirts imported in 2022. T-shirts made from other materials contributed $13.8 billion, equating to 27.3% of the total imports.

For those involved in trade research, the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code for knitted or crocheted T-shirts is 6109. Specifically, cotton T-shirts fall under 610910, while T-shirts made from other materials are classified as 610990.

Leading T-shirt Importing Countries

The top 15 countries importing the highest dollar value of knitted or crocheted T-shirts in 2022 were:

1. United States: US$9.3 billion (18.7% of total imports)

2. Germany: $4.8 billion (9.7%)

3. France: $2.7 billion (5.4%)

4. United Kingdom: $2.6 billion (5.2%)

5. Spain: $2.15 billion (4.3%)

6. Japan: $2.12 billion (4.3%)

7. Italy: $2 billion (4%)

8. Netherlands: $1.7 billion (3.5%)

9. Poland: $1.34 billion (2.7%)

10. Belgium: $1.27 billion (2.6%)

11. Canada: $1.05 billion (2.1%)

12. South Korea: $1.04 billion (2.1%)

13. China: $966.9 million (1.9%)

14. Mexico: $893.7 million (1.8%)

15. Australia: $863 million (1.7%)

These 15 countries accounted for 70.1% of all T-shirt imports in 2022. The fastest-growing markets since 2018 were Mexico (up 66.9%), Poland (up 59.7%), the United States (up 51.6%), and Canada (up 43.7%). Meanwhile, Japan, Belgium, and the United Kingdom saw declines in their T-shirt imports by 11%, 4.7%, and 3.3% respectively.

Cotton T-shirt Imports by Country

Focusing specifically on cotton T-shirts, the top importing countries in 2022 were:

1. United States: US$6.6 billion (18.3% of cotton T-shirt imports)

2. Germany: $3.5 billion (9.6%)

3. France: $1.9 billion (5.4%)

4. United Kingdom: $1.8 billion (5.1%)

5. Spain: $1.63 billion (4.6%)

6. Italy: $1.6 billion (4.5%)

7. Japan: $1.3 billion (3.6%)

8. Netherlands: $1.2 billion (3.5%)

9. Poland: $1.1 billion (3%)

10. Belgium: $890.4 million (2.5%)

11. China: $731.8 million (2%)

12. Canada: $718.2 million (2%)

13. South Korea: $680.8 million (1.9%)

14. Mexico: $673.7 million (1.9%)

15. Australia: $640.5 million (1.8%)

These countries purchased 69.5% of all cotton T-shirts imported globally in 2022. The fastest growth since 2018 was seen in Poland (up 78.6%), Mexico (up 75.8%), the United States (up 54.8%), and Canada (up 47.1%). The United Kingdom and Belgium showed the smallest increases, at 0.3% and 0.5% respectively.

Non-Cotton T-shirt Imports by Country

For T-shirts made from non-cotton textiles, the leading importers in 2022 were:

1. United States: US$2.7 billion (19.9% of non-cotton T-shirt imports)

2. Germany: $1.4 billion (10%)

3. Japan: $818.7 million (6%)

4. United Kingdom: $783.9 million (5.7%)

5. France: $765.3 million (5.6%)

6. Spain: $511.9 million (3.7%)

7. Netherlands: $480.8 million (3.5%)

8. Italy: $407.1 million (3%)

9. Belgium: $383 million (2.8%)

10. South Korea: $362.2 million (2.6%)

11. Canada: $333.8 million (2.4%)

12. Poland: $270.4 million (2%)

13. China: $235 million (1.7%)

14. Australia: $222.4 million (1.6%)

15. Austria: $214.1 million (1.6%)

These 15 countries were responsible for 71.9% of all non-cotton T-shirt imports in 2022. The United States (up 44.5%), Canada (up 36.9%), the Netherlands (up 13.3%), and Poland (up 12.4%) showed the fastest growth in non-cotton T-shirt imports since 2018. In contrast, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Belgium saw declines of 30.1%, 18.7%, 17.3%, and 15% respectively.

Leading T-shirt Exporting Companies

According to Tendata, the following companies are notable suppliers in the international T-shirt market:

- B2B Print SIA (Latvia)

- CIAO Develop Co., Ltd (Taiwan)

- Dongguan Qinghuo Apparel Co., Ltd (China)

- Fashion Mag Trade (Italy)

- Guangzhou Mingmen Garments (China)

- Iniz Solutions (India)

- MONA Trading B2B (Poland)

- OITA Sports Industries (Pakistan)

- Push Top Service & Trading Co., Ltd (Vietnam)

- Xiangshan Eco-Friendly Knitting Co. (China)

These companies represent major players in the B2B sector for T-shirt trading, with their headquarters based in various countries around the world.

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