Despite the gains of China and India, and the losses of Japan, other contenders

Italy, Mexico, and South Korea shifted between second and fifth place among U.S. textile suppliers largely maintained their share of the overall market. Italy, which remained among the top five sources for U.S. textile imports until 2001, still held a market share of 4.9% in 2006. Meanwhile, South Koreas textile market share went from 7.75 in 1990 to 8.65 in 2001 and 2002, to 7.6% in 2006.

Similarly, Mexico's market share rose from 7.2% in 1996 to 8.9% in 2002, and declined to 7.4% in 2006.

Although there has been a rearrangement of the order of the top five textile suppliers for the United States over the last 10 years, unlike the case for clothing, China has not pulled away from the other countries. The value of China's textile shipments has risen rapidly since 2001, but was only $177 million more than textiles imported from Canada in 2006.

Canada's textile exports to the United States experienced some fluctuations during the last 10 years, but were still $324 million higher in 2006 than in 1997. Similarly, textile imports from South Korea and Mexico rose $250 million and $224 million respectively between 1997 and 2006.