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US tariff uncertainty dents India's textile & apparel exports in Dec

17 Jan '26

3 min read

US tariff uncertainty dents India's textile & apparel exports in Dec

Pic: Shutterstock.com

Insights

India's textile and apparel exports lost momentum in December ****, rising just *.*0 per cent year on year to $***.*7 billion as US tariff uncertainty weighed on orders.
Apparel exports remained relatively resilient, while textile shipments declined.
Rising cotton imports highlighted supply stress.
Tariff-related uncertainty continues to cap growth, keeping exports volatile despite November's rebound.

The December slowdown followed a sharp improvement in November, when exports rebounded after two weak months. Industry executives say the renewed caution reflects buyer hesitation linked to higher US duties, which has delayed order confirmations and disrupted scheduling for the peak winter shipping window.

According to a quick analysis by the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL), the impact was uneven across segments. Textile exports slipped *.** per cent to $*.*** billion in December, reflecting weaker demand for cotton yarns, fabrics and made-ups, while apparel exports managed to grow *.** per cent to $*.*** billion, helping prevent an outright contraction. The divergence underscores how garment exports have remained more resilient than upstream textile categories under tariff pressure.