Colombia has opportunities to export several products to the United States market, including fruits, vegetables, oils, flowers, cosmetics, building materials, and sports clothing. The selected product for determining an export strategy is swimsuits. Swimsuits belong to the garment industry, which is dominated by imports that account for 97% of U.S. clothing purchases. In 2010, the U.S. imported $83.4 billion in garments, a 13.4% increase from 2009. Major garment suppliers are China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Central American countries. However, the U.S. garment industry is growing due to consumer preference for "Made in America" luxury goods.
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Colombia opportunities in united states
1. Colombia Opportunities in United States
There are several products with which Colombia is great opportunities in the U.S. market,
including: fruit and vegetables, oils and fats, flowers and plants, cosmetics, building materials,
sports clothing, costumes, among others. Of these, the product selected to determine export
strategy, is: Swimsuit.
The swimsuit is a product of the secondary or manufacturing sector of the economy, more
specifically; the swimsuit belongs to garment industry.This industry is mainly composed of
imports; well 97% of the clothing purchased in U.S. is made outside the country.So much so that
in 2010 the United States imported U.S. $ 83,4 billion in garments, a figure 13,4% higher than
imports in 2009, which were for a total of U.S. $ 73,6 billion. The origins of these garments
(suppliers) are: China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries
(Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala).
However, during the last years, the local garment industry is resurgent, due to the preference of
consumers for luxury goods "Made in America".The main local industries are located in:
California, Georgia and North Carolina. They are focused on the production of the High
Endsegment of the market.Additionally, these companies seek environmentally friendly
practices, a variable that is beginning to take hold among American consumers.
The main products of the garment industry are: cotton knit shirts, pants, towels, sweaters, vests,
swimsuits, among others. The swimsuits market presented a production of U.S. $ 398.13 million
in 2010.80% of total production refers to swimsuits for women and girls, the remaining 20%
relates to swimwear for the male segment (See table 1).It is seen, therefore, an important
difference in the production of swimwear by gender in America.
Swimsuit production in the U.S.(Millions of U.S. $)
Segment Market share Production 2009 Production 2010
Female 80% 270,3 318,5
Male 20% 67,58 79,63
Total 100% 337,88 398,13
Table 1. Source: US Census Bureau. Taken from Peru Trade Office in Miami, 2012.
Just as in the garment industry in general, in recent years, local production of swimwear declined
in the U.S. due to the gradual replacement of local production for imports. Then in 2002, local
production was of U.S. $ 790 million.